Distraction Quote by Michael Beschloss
“Kissinger's monopoly on this historical record has driven many scholars to distraction. Groups of lawyers, scholars, journalists and archivists have used pronunciamento, lawsuit, and other crowbars in a usually vain effort to open Kissinger's Library of Congress cache.”
About This Quote
Source Article: The New York Times, 2018
He notes that control over historical records can hinder scholarship, prompting legal and journalistic efforts to access them.
In simple terms: Control of archives limits research.
Key Takeaway
Challenge secrecy, seek transparency.
Themes
history
transparency
power
Mood
critical
inquisitive
Type
analytical
historical
When to use this quote
- academic research
- journalistic investigations
- legal challenges
Key Concepts
Archival access
censorship
scholarly freedom
Questions to Reflect On
- Why is open access to historical records important?
- What are the risks of unrestricted access?
A Different Perspective
Legal battles may not guarantee full access.
![“President [Ronald] Reagan never has tried to become an expert on military matters. He never has endeavored to learn the most important details in that field, which lead to a situation in which his aides played a much greater roles than aides would have played under President Ford or let us say in…” quote by Helmut Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cae/helmut-schmidt-23706_details_president-ronald-reagan-never-has-tried_724412.jpg)
![“The important point was that whatever errors America had made [in Vietnam] "we are so powerful [according to Secretary Kissinger] that Hanoi is simply unable to defeat us militarily" and must therefore eventually be forced to compromise.” quote by William Shawcross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c34/william-shawcross-46263_america_the-important-point-was-that-whatever-er_553437.jpg)
![“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 was a dream before it became a reality.'” quote by Roy Hodgson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e9f/roy-hodgson-5708_achievement_there-s-a-great-quote-from-henry-kissing_407345.jpg)
![“As you look back in history, we [the United States] have done wonderful things, the Marshal Plan is the most obvious. After World War II, we spent billions of dollars to rebuild Europe or at least part of Europe after the devastation of World War II. We did it out of charity, but we also did it to…” quote by Michael Beschloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8f0/michael-beschloss-13530_billions_as-you-look-back-in-history-we-the-unite_55033.jpg)
