Quotes About Diplomacy

Die jonge Vrouwe Alyss van jullie, die zit daar als een eiland van rust en verstand in een stormzee vol botsende golven. Zij heeft geduld, heel veel geduld. Alhoewel ik een paar keer het idee kreeg dat zij op het punt stond mijn onderhandelaar met een stapel van zijn paperassen om de oren te slaan. - Selethen

De hilfman fronste zijn voorhoofd. Hij vroeg zich af hoe hij een dreiging om het Iberische volk uit te hongeren, hun handel te vernietigen en hun leider aan de bedelstaf te brengen in diplomatieke bewoordingen kon omschrijven.

You have to take chances for peace, just as you must take chances in war…. The ability to get to the verge without getting into the war is the necessary art. If you try to run away from it, if you are scared to go to the brink, you are lost.

The ability to get to the verge without getting into the war is the necessary art. If you try to run away from it, if you are scared to go to the brink, you are lost.

The world will never have lasting peace so long as men reserve for war the finest human qualities. Peace, no less than war, requires idealism and self-sacrifice and a righteous and dynamic faith.

the Spanish ambassador in England, Guzman de Silva, reported to Philip II

as Lord Reading, a viceroy of India.

The greatest ability in business is to get along with others and to influence their actions.

It hurteth not the tongue to give fair words.

Of all the important relationships that Australia has with other countries, none has been more greatly transformed over the last 10 years than our relationship with China.

The sad fact is that international politics has always been a ruthless and dangerous business, and it is likely to remain that way.

The aim of states is to be the biggest and baddest dude on the block because if you're the biggest and baddest dude on the block, then it is highly unlikely that any other state will challenge you simply because you're so powerful.

those who believe in facts and logic will quickly discover that the United States and its Allies are mainly responsible for this trainwreck. the April 2008 decision to bring Ukraine and Georgia into Nato was destined to lead to conflict with Russia. the Bush administration was the principal architect of that fateful choice, but the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations have doubled down on that policy at every turn...

If you really want to wreck Russia, encourage them to try and swallow Ukraine. That's like swallowing a porcupine.

we made all the necessary rhetorical changes to make it look like we were aligning ourselves with a burgeoning democracy...

Leaders lie to each other and to their own people because they believe that doing so serves the national interest. And the sad fact is that lying sometimes does make good strategic sense.

he had violently opposed—as had the entire Curia—the foundation of the State of Israel.

A great power has to have the discipline not only to go when necessary but to know when not to go. Getting involved in ethnic, religious civil wars is a recipe for disaster.

There are few ironclad rules of diplomacy but to one there is no exception. When an official reports that talks were useful, it can safely be concluded that nothing was accomplished.

The Cold War was over long before it was officially declared dead.

And you must be the ambassador." "Charlotte Sanchez, UFP Diplomatic Service. Pleased." "Why?" Flyter said innocently. Without missing a beat, Sanchez said "Because meeting new individuals gives me great intellectual pleasure. That's why I became a diplomat." "Oh, good! There are almost fourteen thousand of us, you know. We should be able to make you really, really happy.

The argument that Saddam Hussein was a bad man and had to be removed simply won't do. There are many bad men around the world who run countries and we don't topple them, and, indeed, in earlier years we actually supported Saddam Hussein when he was fighting Iran. The argument that someone is a bad man is an inadequate argument for war and an unacceptable argument for regime change.

Duta Besar, betapa senangnya bertemu dengan Anda! Para pelarian? Upeti? Semuanya dalam kondisi baik. Kita akan berbincang setelah makan malam. Mari kami tunjukkan ruangan Anda. Ya, karpetnya dan sutranya bagus, bukan?ini yang terbaik. Segelas anggur, mungkin? Anda suka gelasnya? Ini semua milik Anda. Oh, dan setelah makan malam, para gadis menari. Anda sudah melakukan perjalanan panjang. Gadis-gadis ini khusus dipilihkan untuk mengembalikan semangat para pejuang besar seperti Anda.

He [Woodrow Wilson] could write Notes from Sinai or Olympus; he could remain unapproachable in the White House or even in the Council of Ten and be safe. But if he once stepped down to the intimate equality of the Four, the game was evidently up.