Quotes About Diplomacy

it is a mark of the kingdom's political maturity that in times of crisis its leading men would generally come together to debate their differences rather than immediately reaching for their swords.

after the viking leader's submission in 878.

Kings raised armies by looking to the support of other powerful men

Æthelwulf decided to marry Charles' daughter, Judith

These companies reap huge profits, a few local elite business owners benefit from the improved infrastructure, and everyone else suffers because funds are diverted from health services, education, and other public sectors to pay interest on the loans. The debts are so large they can't be repaid. The lower-income countries default on their loans. This process is sometimes referred to as debt-trap diplomacy.

Alliances are based upon mutual need, not love

François Mitterrand is credited with saying that the most essential quality for any statesman is indifference

Dannon had tried to catch her eye, but she'd resolutely moved on to the next Important Person.

Dirk Moeller didn't know if he could fart his way into a major diplomatic incident. But he was ready to find out.

It was interesting what you could do, when your enemy was officially your ally. And unaware you knew it was your enemy.

Again I ask permission to be blunt." "Ambassador Abumwe, at this point I cannot imagine you being otherwise.

I've met a lot of people in the diplomatic corps who were in love with the sound of their own voice, but this guy. He and his voice should just get a room.

In politics as in high school, who you are is to a large extent defined by who you sit with at lunch, and there was no doubt about it, the Earth was sitting at the loser table. It was not, Bob Pope thought, the true destiny of the Earth in our universe to be counted among the diplomatic equivalent of the acne-ridden and the furtively masturbating.

Try to be nice. And if you can't be nice, then shut the hell up and go stand in the corner with your drink and leave all the rest of us alone. Yes, yes, you're right and everyone else is wrong. That—like your immense talent—is a given. But just because you're right doesn't mean you should be a dick about it.

Pope was aware there were other ways to get more diplomatic respect than bigger guns, of course. But while other diplomatic maneuvers sometimes worked and sometimes didn't, ultimately a big damn gun always commanded respect.

The short version is 'Yes, but.' The slightly longer version is 'No, and.' Which version would you like?

Fear enters the room and sits down in a chair and with a polite smile asks to open negotiations.

It was risky," Wilson said. "But the alternative was worse." "You mean us breaking off our diplomatic relationship with you," said the other Icheloe. "Well, I was actually thinking of a dead dog," Wilson said. "But yes, that, too.

But my car upholstery was a small price to pay for interplanetary peace.

On the other side of the door, literally and figuratively, were ambassadorial staff and experts and advisors, from Earth, from the Colonial Union, and from the Conclave. If one was quiet, one could feel their combined howling frustration at not being in the room at the moment.

You're very good with children," the woman said, noting Sorvalh's responses and tone. "I spend my days dealing with human diplomats," Sorvalh said. "Children and diplomats can be remarkably similar.

Which means I will have failed because of you. I may be low on the diplomatic totem pole, but I am sufficiently high enough on it that when I push you, you will die from the fall." She looked over to Schmidt. "And he'll kill you when he lands.

I can't believe you just quoted a Steve Miller tune to the leader of an alien race, Van Doren, standing next to me, muttered under his breath. Shut up, I muttered back. It worked.

Sometimes it seems that the leaders of nations are little boys with chips on their shoulders, daring each other to knock them off.