Hey DU historians! Who WAS the "worst Secy of State in the History of the US"?

[annabanana]

So sick of trumpeting trumpery . . . .

[KamaAina]

1. Kissinger?

John Foster Dulles?

[annabanana]

7. Kissinger was the one who first came to my mind.. . n/t

[inanna]

11. Going with Kissinger. n/t

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

2. Condaleeza 'What threat to the US mainland?' Rice?

She may play a great piano, but she was the wrong woman for the job.

[Kurska]

3. Hard to say Sec of state is the equivalent of minister of foreign affairs

Yet the President has always had wide latitude in issues of foreign affairs as commander in chief.

It is difficult to separate a president's foreign policy decisions from his secretary of state.

[teach me everything]

4. Sleaza Rice

followed by Henry Kissinger and Colin Rice

[geek tragedy]

5. Kissinger. A one man, global rolling wave of war crimes. nt

[reddread]

8. and role model/consultant

[hifiguy]

14. As bad as Dulles was

particularly in tandem with his CIA Director brother, I agree, it has to be Kissinger. An utterly amoral monster in human form.

[Retrograde]

19. A good choice, but don't forget

Alexander "I'm in charge" Haig and George Schultz (both under Reagan), or James Eagleburger, under the 1st Bush, who wanted to bomb Iran before it became fashionable. There were probably some 19th century disasters who are largely forgotten now as well.

[hollysmom]

6. james Baker?

[First Speaker]

9. Probably Edward Stettinius...

...a businessman who held the job briefly at the end of World War Two. He was in over his head, a fact that was apparent to everybody relatively soon, and he departed forthwith...

[annabanana]

21. I'm not sure that "completely miscast" qualifies him for "worst". .n/t

[LanternWaste]

10. John Foster Dulles, hands-down.

John Foster Dulles, hands-down.

Pactomania, the overthrow of Mossadegh in Iran, he was in the pockets of United Fruit Company resulting in the US supported coup of Guatemala, he was the pioneer of the faulty policy of brinkmanship, his opposition to the London-Paris alignment during the Suez Crises, and his opposition to Nasser directly resulting in Cairo's move toward Moscow.

A bad man, an effective man and a smart man = worst Secretary of State in US history.

[annabanana]

13. Interesting stuff.

Bad and smart and effective = worst possible combination.

[hifiguy]

15. He would have been fairly harmless had his brother Allen Dulles

not been head of the CIA. Allen Dulles was the buccaneer of the two, Foster was a puritanical, sanctimonious, moralizing buffoon. Allen let Foster bring his Cold War paranoia to blood-soaked life.

[nichomachus]

20. As bad as Kissinger was, definitely Dulles

Murder of Patrice Lumumba
Destruction of the Congo
Demonization of Ho Chi Minh
and so on and so on and so on


The Duller Brothers were a total disaster.

[LibDemAlways]

12. Condoleeza Mushroom Cloud Rice n/t

[Blue_In_AK]

16. I wasn't crazy about Kissinger.

[SidDithers]

17. Alexander Haig?...nt

Sid

[Elwood P Dowd]

18. Dulles, Kissinger, and Condom Lesion Rice in, as CNN says, a race too close to call. (nm)

[Bad Thoughts]

22. Rice: Malevolent, Misguided, Wreckless, and Talentless

At least Kissinger knew how to do things, regardless of his corruption.

[pediatricmedic]

23. Why do you ask this here?

Your going to get a biased answer and collective memory is pretty short. An example here is everyone naming Rice. A search online shows Kerry as the worst based on current articles and opinion. I would say is is far too early to name either of them as the worst. Rice probably will be in the bottom third once emotions fade, but probably not the worst.

A long view might name Blaine, who was involved with the annexation of Hawaii and set rather bad policy on central and south America. He was a corrupt corporate scumbag involved with the rail roads and sugar. Most of those appointed before the US Civil War to just prior to WW I were pretty bad.

[annabanana]

24. I am reacting to the incessant whine of Trump that Hillary was *the worst*. .

And I guess I got curious about past Secys of States. .

DU has a bunch of smart people and I enjoy learning stuff. .

(is that so strange?)