In praise of Richard Nixon




Today, I can say with confidence that the beginning of the 21st century is still the Age of Nixon; we’re still living in a world he played a role in shaping.

Though our country has changed in many ways in the 43 years since Nixon’s resignation and 23 years since his death, the basic domestic policies and international order that he brought to fruition remain in place.

Amid partisan strife, what can today’s leaders in Washington learn from a man who thought with great depth about his era, and the long-term impact of the tough choices he would have to make for his country?

They can learn what a cohesive, well-thought-out and well-executed, America-centered foreign policy looks like.

The core elements of Nixon’s transformative foreign policies are still with us, especially with regard to America’s relationship with China.

It is important that both the U.S. and China see the benefits of working together on geopolitical issues of importance and consequence. President Donald Trump’s recent meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, seems to have been an important first step in reaffirming that ideal and building personal relationships.

Nixon realigned geopolitical pillars throughout the world to fit American interests. He was without a doubt the 20th century’s greatest architect of peace.

Today’s leaders can also learn to think in terms of national interest, versus becoming a prisoner to ideology.

Of course, Nixon was a partisan, and few possessed such seasoned political antennae as he did. But above all, he was a pragmatist, not an ideologue.

Brian J. Goldenfeld
Woodland Hills



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