SoonerArrow
This series of five interviews with President Nixon conducted over a few days in 1977 by Sir David Frost WITHOUT any pre-existing conditions being placed on Frost regarding questions to be asked and then, absolutely no editorial control of the final outcome by the former President is the now considered to be the primary factual accounting of President Nixon's historic presidency. In my opinion, it's still too soon, from an historical perspective, to rate his presidency in the lowest tier. Yes, the Watergate affair does provide many historians and others with the fodder to paint his administration with a broad negative streak however; I believe that many of his truly historical actions are overshadowed by this one event.His diplomatic opening to communist China and his rapprochement to the USSR, especially coming from a man who rose to national prominence as a rabid anti-communist, can never be seen as anything other than a major foreign policy shift for the U.S. His China policy started what can only be seen from forty years on, as a critical juncture for the U.S. and China, as now we know that the Chinese themselves came to see the failure of communist policies that didn't value the effort of individuals and the only true way to gain a self-sustaining economy and the culture that comes along with it, was to implement capitalist policies for both the government and their people. As of July 2014, China holds $1.25 trillion of our overall federal debt of $17 trillion. This amount by China consumes 21% of the total $5.9 trillion we owe to foreign governments. This is a direct result of President Nixon's new policy regarding China.His policy of détente towards Moscow certainly lowered their fears of a preemptive attack by us on them and gave them a false sense of security that allowed them into a failed foray in Afghanistan and other aggressive moves that back-fired on them both economically and as a player on the world stage. These moves provided President Reagan with the necessary reasoning to start an arms race which led to the downfall of the USSR.There were other major accomplishments too. The following is taken directly from the Nixon Foundation website:Domestic Policy 1. In 1973, President Nixon ended the draft, moving the United States military to an all-volunteer force. 2. Responding to rising concern over conservation and pollution, President Nixon founded the Environmental Protection Agency, and later oversaw passage of the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Mammal Marine Protection Act. 3. By appointing 4 Supreme Court justices; Chief Justice Burger, Harry Blackmun, Lewis Powell, and William Rehnquist, who later became Chief Justice, President Nixon ushered in an era of judicial restraint. 4. Dedicated a $100 million to begin the War on Cancer, a project that created national cancer centers and antidotes to the deadly disease. 5. Signed Title IX in 1972, preventing gender bias at colleges and universities receiving federal aid, opening the door for women in collegiate sports. 6. President Nixon initiated and oversaw the peaceful desegregation of southern schools. 7. Welcomed the astronauts of Apollo XI safely home from the moon, eventually overseeing every successful moon landing. 8. President Nixon was a great proponent of the 26th Amendment, extending the right to vote to 18-20 year olds, lowering the voter age from 21. 9. President Nixon effectively broke the back of organized crime, authorizing joint work between the FBI and Special Task Forces, resulting in over 2,500 convictions by 1973. 10. President Nixon ended the policy of forced assimilation of American Indians, returned sacred lands, and became the first American President to give them the right to tribal self- determination.Foreign Policy1. President Nixon participated in the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) with Soviet Secretary General Brezhnev in 1972 as part of the effort to temper the Cold War through diplomatic détente. 2. Signed the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty, helping to calm U.S.-Soviet tensions by curtailing the threat of nuclear weapons between the world's two superpowers. 3. President Nixon was the first President to visit the People's Republic of China, where he issued the Shanghai Communiqué, announcing a desire for open, normalized relations. The diplomatic tour de force brought more than a billion people out of isolation. 4. Signed the Paris Peace Accords in 1973, ending U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. 5. Announced a groundbreaking foreign policy doctrine in 1969 that called for the United States to act within its national interest and keep all existing treaty commitments with its allies. 6. Established a new relationship with the Middle East, eliminating Soviet dominance in the region and paving the way toward regional peace. 7. Brought home the POWs from Vietnam, and hosted the largest reception in White House history in their honor. 8. Initiated Project Independence in reaction to the oil embargo of 1973, which set a timetable to end reliance on foreign oil by 1980. 9. In 1970, President Nixon avoided a second Cuban Missile Crisis involving a Soviet submarine base by adhering to his policy of hard- headed détente, an active rather than passive form of diplomacy. 10. Supported Israel with massive aid in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, which Prime Minister Golda Meir later said saved her country.In the end though, it was his complete lack self-confidence and a paranoia that sprang from that, that was his downfall. Any one that maintains an enemies list is truly emotionally immature and he wasn't ever able grow beyond that.
l_rawjalaurence
Watching the complete series of the Frost/Nixon interviews from 1977, one is struck by the confrontational nature of the entire process, with David Frost relentlessly posing question after question, and Nixon doing his best to respond to them as fully as he believed he could. Granted, Nixon had a highly competent team behind him, providing him with the relevant information, but he nonetheless gives a highly polished performance - that is, until the questioning becomes too intense, and he makes his famous revelations. One might say that at this point Frost gained the victory he was looking for, proving beyond all doubt his position as one of the most proficient interviewers on either side of the Atlantic Ocean. This kind of program simply would not be broadcast today: I cannot imagine any US President, either past or present, being willing to subject himself to such an intense grilling, On the other hand, many of the conversations might be of limited interest to those unacquainted with American history of the Sixties and Seventies: there is perhaps too much name-dropping in the conversations (of Nixon's closest advisers and other staff). Six hours of television is a marathon achievement, but sometimes difficult to sit through.
paudie
Absolutely riveting stuff. This is because of Frost's deep knowledge of the details of Watergate. It is clear he has spent months researching the events leading up to Nixon's resignation and of course the damning Oval office tapes. He appears to knows as much about the subject as Nixon,enabling him to probe little by little, setting out his opinion on Nixon's actions, how he has come to that opinion and inviting Nixon to disprove his opinion. Nixon never really does. Nixon comes across as a typical politician, never really accepting blame for his actions and unconvincingly setting out arguments in his defence. Worn down in the end and perhaps having a moment or two of clarity he gives as close to an apology as you could expect from a man in his position. The present day interview with Frost on the DVD set out the events surrounding the interviews. This is interesting given the recent movie based on the events.However, don't forget this interview took place very soon after Watergate so it was not necessary to do any scene setting for viewers. You will want to know your Erlichmann's from your Haldeman's and what happened when to fully understand what the protagonists are talking about.
