Moderation is a virtue only in those who are thought to have an alternative. Henry A. Kissinger More Quotes by Henry A. Kissinger More Quotes From Henry A. Kissinger Historically when there is a rising power like China, it has usually led to confrontations between the rising power and the existing dominant powers. And when you have a shift of the center of gravity of world affairs from the Atlantic to the Pacific, then you have an additional element. Henry A. Kissinger risingelementsworld I was always convinced that decent people in the case of Vietnam, highly intelligent, decent people, got us involved because they had made, in part, a misjudgment about the nature of the communist system and the unity of the communist world and the degree to which the experience of Europe could be repeated in Vietnam. Henry A. Kissinger intelligenteuropepeople I think an appeal to American idealism and willingness to sacrifice would be an important contribution, because what is happening now in many countries, not yet in the United States, but in many European countries, it's the inability of government to ask for sacrifices of its people. Henry A. Kissinger sacrificecountrythinking We are used to dealing with problems that have a solution and that can be solved in a finite period. But we're at the beginning of a long period of adjustment that does not have a clear-cut terminal point, and in which our wisdom and sophistication and understanding has to be one of the key elements. Henry A. Kissinger cuttingkeyslong In Asia, the nation state still is extremely vital, and of course, then in Africa, a whole new pattern is emerging because the states in Africa reflected the preferences of the colonial powers when they were established. Henry A. Kissinger preferenceasiapatterns We're at a moment when the international system is in a period of change like we haven't seen for several hundred years. In some parts of the world, the nation state, on which the existing international system was based, is either giving up its traditional aspects, like in Europe, or as in the Middle East, where it was never really fully established, it is no longer the defining element. So in those two parts of the world, there is tremendous adjustment in traditional concepts. Henry A. Kissinger giving-upeuropeyears From a geo-strategic point of view, I consider Iran a bigger problem than the Islamic State. ISIS is a group of adventurers with a very aggressive ideology. But they have to conquer more and more territory before they can became a geo-strategic, permanent reality. I think a conflict with ISIS - important as it is - is more manageable than a confrontation with Iran. Henry A. Kissinger islamicrealitythinking I do not believe that Putin intends to leave office in a Cold War atmosphere with the United States. Henry A. Kissinger officewarbelieve I know Hillary Clinton as a person. And as a personal friend, I would say yes, she'd be a good president. But she'd put me under a great conflict of interest if she were a candidate because I intend to support the Republicans. Henry A. Kissinger republicansupportpresident The attitude of the West and of Russia towards a crisis like Ukraine is diametrically different. The West is trying to establish the legality of any established border. For Russia, Ukraine is part of the Russian patrimony. A Russian state was created around Kiev about 1,200 years ago. Ukraine itself has been part of Russia for 500 years, and I would say most Russians consider it part of Russian patrimony. The ideal solution would be to have a Ukraine like Finland or Austria that can be a bridge between these two rather than an outpost. Henry A. Kissinger differentattitudetrying The problem is Russia is a country that has lost 300 years of its history, in terms of most of what was part of the Russian Empire in Europe, towards Europe, since Peter the Great, has been the territory that is no longer under Russian rule. Henry A. Kissinger europecountryyears The members of the Islamic Staye have cut the throat of an American on television. This is an insult to the United States, which requires that we demonstrate that this is not an act that is free. I would strongly favor a strong attack on ISIS for a period that is related to the murder of the American. Henry A. Kissinger islamiccuttingstrong One of the hardest things for the president is to distinguish the routine issues that come through from the essential issues that affect the long term, and not to let himself get sucked into the battles of the bureaucracy for marginal issues, and to keep them focused and to keep his mind clear on what the fundamental things are that he has to accomplish. Henry A. Kissinger battlemindlong Iraq has to be made an international, and not just a national American problem. Henry A. Kissinger iraqproblemmade The defining issue is that the government in Taiwan was considered to be the government of all of China, and the authorities in Beijing were not recognized as a government of China. So Taiwan was the residuary for all of China. Henry A. Kissinger taiwanissuesgovernment One has to remember that every progress that has been made towards peace in the Middle East has come under American leadership. Henry A. Kissinger middle-eastprogressremember The American formal position has been that we oppose violence by governments against their people. That principle should not be abandoned. Henry A. Kissinger violencegovernmentpeople In the 1960s, I would have considered China with its CPC an ideologically more dynamic country than the Soviet Union. But the Soviet Union was strategically more threatening. Henry A. Kissinger threateningunionscountry We attempted to try to solve every problem in the world, out of a sense of moral obligations, and attitudes, and our history. But no country can solve every problem without exhausting itself. Therefore, we have to establish priorities. Henry A. Kissinger prioritiesattitudecountry Whenever a new president comes in, people that are used to the previous president wonder if he has the same capacity. Henry A. Kissinger presidentwonderpeople
