Quotes About Diplomacy

We must not be the world's policeman, and we must be very cautious about deploying our military forces to resolve others' internal problems. But we must also use every nonmilitary instrument of power we possess to promote freedom and encourage reform, with friends as well as rivals, because these objectives serve our national interest.

Often overlooked in the United States is that while we have many allies, Russia and China have none, only clients, giving the United States a unique advantage.

we had our hands full with the wars we were already in without looking for new ones.

It must be admitted frankly that Aunt Becky was not particularly beloved by her clan. She was too fond of telling them what she called the plain truth. And, as Uncle Pippin said, while the truth was all right, in its place , there was no sense in pouring out great gobs of it around where it wasn't wanted. To Aunt Becky, however, tact and diplomacy and discretion, never to mention any consideration for any one's feelings, were things unknown.

Gilbert, having tried to please both sides, succeeded, as is usual and eminently right, in pleasing neither.

It might be a nice world if nobody ever said a disagreeable thing, but it would be a dangerous one

she never said anything that would hurt anyone's feelings—which may be a negative talent but is likewise a rare and enviable one.

Tact is a faculty for meandering around to a given point instead of making a bee-line.

What have they said to us? I could translate, but it would be meaningless. They have welcomed us in the name of their Emperor, who appears to be an over-Master. The short, round one is Mediator to this Emperor. Ah. We have at last found one who can communicate. Speak to her. But he has said nothing! Say nothing in return.

I decided not to answer on the grounds that I might piss someone off.

How do you introduce boyfriend C to boyfriend A after boyfriend A has been such a good sport, of late, about boyfriend B, who is no longer in the picture?

you either kill your enemies or you leave them the fuck alone.

I feel that anything I say, or do, in this moment, will upset you." It was the most diplomatic way I'd ever been told that I was a pain in the ass. I fought the urge to scream at him.

Sento che, qualunque cosa io dicessi o facessi in questo momento, tu ne saresti turbata.» Nessuno mi aveva mai detto in modo più diplomatico che ero una rompicoglioni.

Amy wondered if Bonaparte could declare war on Miss Gwen alone without breaking his peace with England

As my grandmother used to say, if you've got nothing good to say about someone, let's hear it.

When you have to kill a man, it costs nothing to be polite.

I think it's very sad, when Barack Obama lands in Saudi Arabia, and he lands in Cuba, and there aren't high officials to even greet him.

Politics is not a science...but an art.

Though we are politically enemies, yet with regard to Science it is presumable we shall not dissent from the practice of civilized people in promoting it

Dealing with a government with whom mendacity is a science is an extremely difficult matter.

Politics are not a science based on logic; they are the capacity of always choosing at each instant, in constantly changing situations, the least harmful, the most useful.

Politics is the art of the possible, the attainable — the art of the next best

Surely the right course is to test the Russians, not the bombs.