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From the Dictionary: “Realpolitik” is “politics based on practical and material factors rather than on theoretical or ethical objectives”

For nations, that means making decisions based on what’s practically good for the country -- and not being consumed with what’s “right”. This video shares some examples

An article in the journal International Security says the term comes from 1850s Germany, and the philosophy of Otto van Bismarck. Bismarck used Realpolitik as his philosophy of choice when unifying Germany

In the modern era, people use the term for Nixon’s Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Warontherocks.com writes that he popularized the term in America. But he doesn’t like the label

In August 2022, The WSJ interviewed Kissinger. He said he’s concerned about the state of American foreign policy today -- he thinks American diplomacy needs to be more strategic, and less reactive

Foreign Policy Magazine thinks we should listen to him! America and its ideals are no longer the center of the world. We should make decisions based on realpolitik now

A WaPo Op: Kissinger succeeded in the Middle East because he used realpolitik -- he put international order before international peace

A forward Op agrees: Kissinger saved Israel!

Kissinger, now approaching 100 years old, recently told Bloomberg that Biden shouldn’t let domestic politics get in the way of stopping a Chinese hegemony

And Kissinger also recently suggested Ukraine give up territory to Russia to end the war. He thinks a crushing defeat for Putin would destabilize Europe in the long-term -- WaPo

The Conversation Magazine thinks there’s already an element of Kissinger’s realpolitik in the Ukraine-Russia conflict anyway: The U.S. won’t play a heavy hand to protect Ukraine, because it’s just too dangerous. But morally the Ukrainians are fully in the right

World-Politics-Review wants us to be careful here: Realpolitik often means making nice with unsavory people. But it is very possible for states to make change without compromising themselves

And a Ledger Op thinks America should abandon realpolitik altogether: It’s a relic of the past, and it’s super polarizing. When we think morality is expendable, we all suffer

A Crimson Op is also majorly anti. Kissinger dressed up his war crimes with realpolitik lipstick. That is not okay

An AEI Op: It’s not just war crimes -- the guy has been appeasing dictators for years, all justified in the name of realpolitik

And The New Yorker is sort of the same: Kissinger isn’t all that remarkable. How is it a genius move to ignore morality for realism?

Love him or hate him -- realpolitik may live on in any case. Reason Magazine argues that Biden’s July 2022 trip to the Middle East is one example of realpolitik in action. For example, he appeased Saudis because gas costs too much