Quotes About Diplomacy

The most important thing for me is to have real friendship between Egyptians and Americans.

You know and we know, as practical men that the question of justice arises only between parties equal in strength and that the strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must.

when these matters are discussed by practical people, the standard of justice depends on the equality of power to compel...

it is not so much your hostility that injures us; it is rather the case that, if we were on friendly terms with you, our subjects would regard that as a sign of weakness in us, whereas your hatred is evidence of our power.

Goodwill shown by the party that is asking for help does not mean security for the prospective ally. What is looked for is a positive preponderance of power in action.

You know well as I do that when we are talking on the human plane, questions of justice only arise when there is equal power to compel: in terms of practicality the dominant exact what they can and the weak concede what they must. (Said by Athenian envoy to the Melians)

The growth of the power of Athens, and the alarm which this inspired in Sparta, made war inevitable.

prevent your taking the wrong course on matters of great importance by yielding too readily to the persuasions of your allies.

Thus spoke the Lacedaemonians, thinking that the Athenians, who had formerly been desirous of making terms with them, and had only been prevented by their refusal, would now, when peace was offered to them, joyfully agree and would restore their men. But the Athenians reflected that, since they had the Lacedaemonians shut up in the island, it was at any time in their power to make peace, and they wanted more.

since you know as well as we do that right, as the world goes, is only in question between equals in power, while the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.

But here, as on so many other occasions, the Lacedaemonians proved the most convenient people in the world for the Athenians to be at war with.

By Thucydides 431 BC

Phalius son of Eratocleides

Translated by Richard Crawley

but of a large part of the barbarian world

During this communication, Höglund learned that world peace was threatened because the USA and the USSR supposedly planned a war against China, and that he should go to the Bahamas to act as

Talk like an ambassador (Eph 4:29-30). 1)Consider the person (only what is helpful for building others up) 2) Consider the problem (according to their needs) 3) Consider the process (that it may benefit those who listen)

Besides, it is often wise to conceal one's full capabilities from potential enemies.

You have to understand that Bothans think in terms of political and persuasive influence, not military power. The typical Bothan's goal is to go through life getting more and more people to listen to what he has to say.

Henry Kissinger once said of this former World War II Marine, "If I had to entrust the United States to one man, George Shultz would be my choice." Schlesinger

he had saved his country with a pact negotiated with Hitler at Munich. He returned to England to declare, "I believe it is peace for our time . . . peace with honor." It was neither. At home, Roosevelt was in his second term, trying to balance the continuing need for extraordinary efforts to revive the economy with what he knew was the

Politicians are more concerned with "issues" than "principles," but talked as though the two nouns had the same meaning.

Diplomacy was like a card game. The difference was that you never really knew the value of the cards in your own hand.

Clifford Rutledge II was the perfect diplomat. He believed in little beyond his own career, some vague notions of international amity, and his personal ability to make it come about and to avoid war through the sheer force of his brilliance.