Quotes About Diplomacy

The art of looking at the problem from the other person's point of view, identifying his opportunities and his interests, an art that has traditionally been practiced by diplomats, lawyers, and chess players, is at the center of strategic analysis.

American presidents send a million Russians back to Stalin

The lingering effects of war can inspire callousness even after the guns have fallen silent. Many of us have seen the notorious clip from 60 Minutes in which Madeleine Albright, then U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and soon to be U.S. Secretary of State, declared that the price of half a million dead children as a result of the sanctions against Iraq during the 1990s had been "worth it.

Republicans throughout the twentieth century have been advocates of prudence and restraint in the conduct of foreign affairs.

Was that job offer you worked into the blessing? I never saw such tact.

Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations...entangling alliances with none

Commerce with all nations, alliance with none, should be our motto.

Peace and friendship with all mankind is our wisest policy, and I wish we may be permitted to pursue it.

Whatever enables us to go to war, secures our peace

It was one of the rules which above all others made Doctr. Franklin the most amiable of men in society, never to contradict anybody.

My general plan would be to make the states one as to every thing connected with foreign nations, and several as to every thing purely domestic. But with all the imperfections of our present government, it is without comparison the best existing or that ever did exist.

A letter arrives stamped with the slogan "The U. S. Army, key to peace." No army is the key to peace, neither the U. S. Army nor the Soviet Army nor any other. No "great" nation has the key to anything but war. Power has nothing to do with peace. The more men build up military power, the more they violate peace and destroy it.

Have you ever thought about going into politics, Mr. Maxwell?" she asked archly as she snapped open her fan. She cooled herself in a manner that had no secret meaning that she knew of. Whoever invented the "language" of the fan should have been slapped. What if a lady simply wanted to cool herself and not send a message? "I fancy you'd be quite good at it." Kellan only smiled, taking no offense. Obviously he was too pleased with himself to regret the remark.

Trained by the KGB to spread confusion and doubt, actual diplomacy was not part of the Russian's repertoire.

Stay here til I come to fetch you." I no longer recognize you in the Republic of Joy," I loftily informed him. "Our diplomatic ties are severed." Unsever them," he growled, "or the Country of Raphael will be forced to declare your republic a protectorate." Dictator," I muttered. For life," he agreed.

The language of sword is less powerful than the language of word, but most of the people understand the language of sword with greater power than the language of word.

It's a time-honored truism of diplomacy that the most resented epithet is the one most accurately depicting the deficiencies of the recipient.

It's hard to put a foot in a shut mouth.

Cooperation and conflict are two sides of the same coin, neither of which can be understood properly without taking account of the other.

President Wilson says a leader must treat public opinion the way a sailor deals with the wind, using it to blow the ship in one direction or another, but never trying to go directly against it.

Weakness and ambivalence lead to war.

I'll be glad to reply to or dodge your questions depending on what I think will help our election most.

Any government that chooses to be an ally of terror has also chosen to be an enemy of civilization.

No President has ever done more for human rights than I have.