Neither Nixon nor Obama was morally offended by their interlocutors. Nixon and Kissinger had no qualms about bantering with Mao and complimenting his leadership. Obama had no problem writing respectful letters to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, a Holocaust denier who nurtures conspiracy theories about the "true" origins of the 9/11 attacks. Nixon should never have gone to China, and Obama should never have visited Cuba. Diplomacy at times involves dealing with unsavory actors, but American presidents—who represent the moral majesty of the United States—should never gush over hardened despots. A little distance and self-respect is always in order.
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