Quotes about Diplomacy

In politics the middle way is none at all.

Let us recollect that peace or war will not always be left to our option; that however moderate or unambitious we may be, we cannot count upon the moderation, or hope to extinguish the ambition of others.

It is my view that we cannot conduct foreign policy at the extremes.

We cannot have four more years apologizing to our enemies and abandoning our friends.

We also can't try to take over and rebuild every country that falls into crisis. That's not leadership; that's a recipe for quagmire, spilling American blood and treasure that ultimately weakens us. It's the lesson of Vietnam, of Iraq - and we should have learned it by now.

There are more pleasant things to do than beat up people.

I'm a friend of Colin Powell. We talk quite often.

Surveys show our standing around the world is higher than when I was elected to this office, and when it comes to every important international issue, people of the world do not look to Beijing or Moscow to lead - they call us.

Frankness is not a license to say anything you want, wherever and whenever you want. It is not rudeness.

You are never persuasive when you're abrasive.

Imagine if you were asked by your country to be an ambassador to an enemy nation. You would probably have to learn a new language and adapt to some customs and cultural differences in order to be polite and accomplish your mission. As an ambassador you would not be able to isolate yourself from the enemy. To fulfill your mission, you would have to have contact and relate to them.

We are the greatest power in the world. If we behave like it.