The most civil thing to say is that Henry Kissinger is not well-liked in many social circles. Born in Germany in 1923, Kissinger and his family fled to the United States to escape the Nazi regime in 1938. 40 years later, Kissinger would become one of the most pivotal figures in the Nixon White House. After retiring from politics, his legacy and reputation kept him deep in the bowels of Washington.
In reality, Kissinger is as close as America gets to a National Angel of Death. His time as National Security Advisor and Secretary of State was marked by millions dead across the world. In perhaps the most bitter pill of irony, Kissinger's "work" on "ending" the Vietnam War saw him earn the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize. Elsewhere, Kissinger at best ignored and at worst supported the war crimes committed by dictators and tyrants installed by the United States to turn nations into American puppet states.
Is Henry Kissinger Trending Because He Died?
The hopes of many were buoyed on May 27 when "Henry Kissinger" began trending on Twitter. As veterans of the ailing social media platform know, a celebrity trending name can mean a few things. Usually, they're either dead, in trouble, or beefing with someone. So when "Henry Kissinger" started trending, there were many people who hoped for the former. "SAD NEWS: Henry Kissinger found alive and well at 100" wrote one Twitter account.
Alas, it was not to be. Instead, Kissinger's name is trending because on May 27, he turned 100. While many outlets shared simpering adulations of the politician, many users took the opportunity to voice their disdain for the man and express their disappointment that he hadn't died. Left-wing outlet Jacobin shared a quoted from Anthony Bourdain, in which the late chef said that seeing the state of Cambodia made him want to kill Kissinger with his "bare hands". As another account noted, "Former national security advisor and secretary of state Henry Kissinger turns 100 today. His legacy includes but not limited to prolonging the war on Vietnam facilitating genocides in East Timor, Cambodia, and Bangladesh and supporting coups and death squads across Latin America."
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