America has made it very clear in several administrations that if there is an attack by China on Taiwan, the United States is very likely to resist. Henry A. Kissinger More Quotes by Henry A. Kissinger More Quotes From Henry A. Kissinger The emergence of a unified Europe is one of the most revolutionary events of our time. Henry A. Kissinger events revolutionary europe I don't read books, I write them. Henry A. Kissinger explanation writing book One theory is that we will make war look so attractive that we undermine the deterrent. That's Never Never Land. What we have now would have been enough to deter Hitler. But we are talking in a different order of reality. Henry A. Kissinger war order reality Any international system must have two key elements for it to work. One, it has to have a certain equilibrium of power that makes overthrowing the system difficult and costly. Secondly, it has to have a sense of legitimacy. Henry A. Kissinger elements keys two Most high officials leave office with the perceptions and insights with which they entered. Henry A. Kissinger intellectual-capital office perception It is barely conceivable that there are people who like war. Henry A. Kissinger war people Peace depends ultimately not on political arrangements but on the conscience of mankind. Henry A. Kissinger depends mankind political You should not think that you can shape history only by your will. This is also why I'm against the concept of intervention when you don't know its ultimate implications. Henry A. Kissinger shapes should thinking We must learn to distinguish morality from moralizing. Henry A. Kissinger morality liberty fear Obama is like a chess player who is playing simultaneous chess and has opened his game with an unusual opening. Henry A. Kissinger player games chess I also do not believe that the United States can let itself be driven into a political role by escalating terrorism, and therefore, the leaders of the Arab world and Arafat should do their utmost to put an end to this and then the United States should do its utmost to produce a political solution. Henry A. Kissinger political leader believe I think that his [Obama's] task will be to develop an overall strategy for America in this period, when really a New World Order can be created. Henry A. Kissinger nwo order thinking It is always easy to divide the world into idealists and power-oriented people. The idealists are presumed to be the noble people, and the power-oriented people are the ones that cause all the world's trouble. Henry A. Kissinger noble people world China is a one party state. Sooner or later China will get to the point when the new social classes, which have emerged thanks to economic success, will have to be integrated into the political system. There is no guarantee that this process will run smoothly. Henry A. Kissinger guarantees-that party running Americans believe that you can alter people by conversion, and that everybody in the world is a potential American. The Chinese also believe that their values are universal, but they do not believe that you can convert to becoming a Chinese unless you are born into it. Henry A. Kissinger chinese believe people What China would do, I cannot predict. China has all but given up the claim to the use of force, except in the circumstance of Taiwan declaring its independence. That is a huge step forward over what the situation was many years ago. Henry A. Kissinger taiwan independence years Of course, in principle, they're against it. We are the ones that keep asking them what they think about it. I think their basic concern is a land-based missile defense of Taiwan hooked into the American communications and other systems, which in effect would make Taiwan then an outpost of the United States. That is a concern they frequently express. A missile defense shield of the United States, while they may not like it, it is not a big obstacle to our relationship. Henry A. Kissinger communication land thinking Leaders are responsible not for running public opinion polls but for the consequences of their actions. Henry A. Kissinger romance leader running Statesman create; ordinary leaders consume. The ordinary leader is satisfied with ameliorating the environment, not transforming it; a statesman must be a visionary and an educator. Henry A. Kissinger politics leader ordinary I believe that without Watergate we would have had an extraordinary period of success with a strong Nixon and a still vital Brezhnev in power. Henry A. Kissinger brezhnev strong believe