--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: What Nixon and Kissinger began, Pol Pot…" description: "\"What Nixon and Kissinger began, Pol Pot completed.\" — John Pilger" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/241/john-pilger-10261_kissinger_what-nixon-and-kissinger-began-pol-pot-c_1370675.jpg" --- # What Nixon and Kissinger began, Pol Pot completed. ![“What Nixon and Kissinger began, Pol Pot completed.” quote by John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/241/john-pilger-10261_kissinger_what-nixon-and-kissinger-began-pol-pot-c_1370675.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/241/john-pilger-10261_kissinger_what-nixon-and-kissinger-began-pol-pot-c_1370675.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/241/john-pilger-10261_kissinger_what-nixon-and-kissinger-began-pol-pot-c_1370675.jpg) > “What Nixon and Kissinger began, Pol Pot completed.” [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Nixon and Kissinger's policies set precedents that enabled Pol Pot's atrocities, highlighting a continuity of destructive foreign interventions. **In simple terms:** Past policies can enable later horrors. Key Takeaway Critically assess foreign policy legacies. Themes history politics human rights intervention Mood critical historical Type journalistic ethical When to use this quote - foreign policy review - human rights education - historical analysis Key Concepts imperialism authoritarianism policy continuity Questions to Reflect On - How do we hold leaders accountable across eras? - What safeguards prevent repeat atrocities? A Different Perspective Complex causality may oversimplify distinct contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Began Pol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/began-pol-4719368/) [Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kissinger/) [Kissinger Began](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kissinger-began-4719369/) [Nixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nixon/) [Nixon Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nixon-kissinger-4719367/) [Pol Pot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pol-pot/) [Pot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pot/) [Pot Completed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pot-completed-4719370/) ## Related quotes > [“Understanding clearly that what they were doing was illegal, Nixon and Kissinger did it anyway.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-j-bass/understanding-clearly-that-what-they-were-doing-was-illegal-nixon-and/) [Gary J. Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-j-bass/) > [“President Nixon and Kissinger were joined for the promotion ceremony by CIA director Richard Helms and Defense Secretary Laird; all the men were in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-m-graff/president-nixon-and-kissinger-were-joined-for-the-promotion-ceremony/) [Garrett M. Graff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-m-graff/) > [What Americans cant face is that one of the reasons that the Russians and the Chinese were so impressed with us during the Cold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-kaplan/what-americans-cant-face-is-that-one-of-the-reasons-that-the-russians/) [Robert D. Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-kaplan/) > [It could be that all awful dictators are frustrated artists - Mao with his poetry and Mussolini with his monuments. Stalin was once a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/it-could-be-that-all-awful-dictators-are-frustrated-artists-mao-with/) [P. J. 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Such systems are often part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-cay-johnston/hitler-stalin-and-pol-pot-all-employed-mass-imprisonment-each/) [David Cay Johnston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-cay-johnston/) > [“As he breathed the black and grey air into his body he no longer thought of anything as lovely, the way the retiring trees…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-t-vollmann/as-he-breathed-the-black-and-grey-air-into-his-body-he-no-longer/) [William T. Vollmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-t-vollmann/) > [“For Pol Pot, as for every other kamikaze of Kingdom Come, "the goal was not to destroy but to transmute." We have heard this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-leonard/for-pol-pot-as-for-every-other-kamikaze-of-kingdom-come-the-goal-was/) [John Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-leonard/) > [One Mongolian leader became a very, very brutal dictator and eventually became a murderer. Previously, he was a monk, and then he became a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/one-mongolian-leader-became-a-very-very-brutal-dictator-and/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [“Among the nations of Earth in all its history, ours is one of the precious few that has not brought forth its Hitler, its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/among-the-nations-of-earth-in-all-its-history-ours-is-one-of-the/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [And who can deny that Stalin and Mao, not to mention Pol Pot and a host of others, all committed atrocities in the name…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinesh-d-souza/and-who-can-deny-that-stalin-and-mao-not-to-mention-pol-pot-and-a/) [Dinesh D'Souza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinesh-d-souza/) > [Pol Pot will surrender, be captured or commit suicide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hun-sen/pol-pot-will-surrender-be-captured-or-commit-suicide/) [Hun Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hun-sen/) > [“I argue that three key doctrines of postmodernist thought have conspired to discredit the classical concept of ideology. The first of these doctrines turns…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-eagleton/i-argue-that-three-key-doctrines-of-postmodernist-thought-have/) [Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/) > [It's the camel's nose in the tent. Look at Stalin, Mussolini, Hitler, Mao Zedong, Pol Pot, Idi Amin--every one of these monsters, on seizing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlton-heston/it-s-the-camel-s-nose-in-the-tent-look-at-stalin-mussolini-hitler-mao/) [Charlton Heston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlton-heston/) ## More by John Pilger > [“Many journalists now are no more than channelers and echoers of what George Orwell called the 'official truth'. They simply cipher and transmit lies.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/many-journalists-now-are-no-more-than-channelers-and-echoers-of-what/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [Israel is the American watchdog in the Middle East, and that's why the Palestinians remain victims of one of the longest military occupations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/israel-is-the-american-watchdog-in-the-middle-east-and-that-s-why-the/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [In the sublime days before 11 September 2001, when the powerful were routinely attacking and terrorising the weak, and those dying were black or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/in-the-sublime-days-before-11-september-2001-when-the-powerful-were/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [Vietnam was as much a laboratory experiment as a war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/vietnam-was-as-much-a-laboratory-experiment-as-a-war/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [Certainly, until there is justice for the Palestinians, there will never be any kind of stability in the Middle East.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/certainly-until-there-is-justice-for-the-palestinians-there-will/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [Bill Clinton persuaded some people that he was really a civilized character and his Administration had the best interests of humanity at heart. These…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/bill-clinton-persuaded-some-people-that-he-was-really-a-civilized/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [Israel is the American watchdog in the Middle East, and that's why the Palestinians remain victims of one of the longest military occupations. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/israel-is-the-american-watchdog-in-the-middle-east-and-that-s-why-the-2/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [The censorship is such on television in the U.S. that films like mine don't stand a chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/the-censorship-is-such-on-television-in-the-u-s-that-films-like-mine/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [Since September 11, the Mirror has reached back to its roots, and decided, it seems, to be something of its old self again. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/since-september-11-the-mirror-has-reached-back-to-its-roots-and/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [Private Manning is the world's pre-eminent prisoner of conscience, having remained true to the Nuremberg principle that every soldier has the right to 'a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/private-manning-is-the-world-s-pre-eminent-prisoner-of-conscience/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [The Mirror has become an important antidote to a media that is, most of it, supportive of the establishment, some of it quite rabidly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/the-mirror-has-become-an-important-antidote-to-a-media-that-is-most/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [In Western Australia, minerals are being dug up from Aboriginal land and shipped to China for a profit of a billion dollars a week.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/in-western-australia-minerals-are-being-dug-up-from-aboriginal-land/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [Two increasing themes which appear to dominate our listening, reading and watching lives are propaganda and 'national security', or manufactured war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/two-increasing-themes-which-appear-to-dominate-our-listening-reading/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [In these surreal days, there is one truth. 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Some of his satirical writing looks like reality these days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/orwell-is-almost-our-litmus-test-some-of-his-satirical-writing-looks/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) [Explore all 67 John Pilger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) ## More Kissinger quotes > [Henry Kissinger may have wished I had presented him as a combination of Charles DeGaulle and Disraeli, but I didn't…out of respect for DeGaulle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oriana-fallaci/henry-kissinger-may-have-wished-i-had-presented-him-as-a-combination/) [Oriana Fallaci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oriana-fallaci/) > [Love is when you realize that he's as sexy as Woody Allen, as smart as Jimmy Connors, as funny as Ralph Nader, as athletic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-viorst/love-is-when-you-realize-that-he-s-as-sexy-as-woody-allen-as-smart-as/) [Judith Viorst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-viorst/) > [I was fourteen when Kissinger made his secret trip to China, and then there was subsequently Nixon's trip to China, and I was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pomfret/i-was-fourteen-when-kissinger-made-his-secret-trip-to-china-and-then/) [John Pomfret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pomfret/) > [“So many of the professional foreign policy establishment, and so many of their hangers-on among the lumpen academics and journalists, had become worried by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/so-many-of-the-professional-foreign-policy-establishment-and-so-many/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [If you watch the evening news, Dr. Kissinger is very often brought on to sort of be the statesman of his age and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/if-you-watch-the-evening-news-dr-kissinger-is-very-often-brought-on/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) > [ There's a great quote from Henry Kissinger, which I became aware of from reading \[Joseph\] Heller's Good As Gold. He said: 'Every great achievement… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-hodgson/there-s-a-great-quote-from-henry-kissinger-which-i-became-aware-of/) [Roy Hodgson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-hodgson/) > [Nixon's the kind of guy that if you were drowning fifty feet off shore, he'd throw you a thirty foot rope. Then Kissinger would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mort-sahl/nixon-s-the-kind-of-guy-that-if-you-were-drowning-fifty-feet-off/) [Mort Sahl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mort-sahl/) > [Flattery was one of Kissinger's principal tools in winning over Nixon, and a tool he employed shamelessly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/flattery-was-one-of-kissinger-s-principal-tools-in-winning-over-nixon/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [ The important point was that whatever errors America had made \[in Vietnam\] "we are so powerful \[according to Secretary Kissinger\] that Hanoi is simply… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shawcross/the-important-point-was-that-whatever-errors-america-had-made-in/) [William Shawcross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shawcross/) > [I happen to write a lot of stories that make Kissinger look bad. 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How the hell are we going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-golub/people-say-but-photographs-are-all-lies-that-s-not-the-point-the-lie/) [Leon Golub](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-golub/) > [ President \[Ronald\] Reagan never has tried to become an expert on military matters. He never has endeavored to learn the most important details in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-schmidt/president-ronald-reagan-never-has-tried-to-become-an-expert-on/) [Helmut Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-schmidt/) > [I don't really remember the day when I stood behind my camera with Henry Kissinger on the other side. I am sure he doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-avedon/i-don-t-really-remember-the-day-when-i-stood-behind-my-camera-with/) [Richard Avedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-avedon/) [Browse all 83 Kissinger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kissinger/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "What Nixon and Kissinger began, Pol Pot completed.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Pilger" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/what-nixon-and-kissinger-began-pol-pot-completed/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Kissinger" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/what-nixon-and-kissinger-began-pol-pot-completed/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/241/john-pilger-10261_kissinger_what-nixon-and-kissinger-began-pol-pot-c_1370675.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/241/john-pilger-10261_kissinger_what-nixon-and-kissinger-began-pol-pot-c_1370675.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/241/john-pilger-10261_kissinger_what-nixon-and-kissinger-began-pol-pot-c_1370675.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“What Nixon and Kissinger began, Pol Pot completed.” — John Pilger", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Pilger", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "What Nixon and Kissinger began, Pol...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/what-nixon-and-kissinger-began-pol-pot-completed/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/what-nixon-and-kissinger-began-pol-pot-completed/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```