Politics has always been the art of the possible. Today it's too often the art of the probable - tinkering around the edges without any greater vision, without a sense of optimism and imagination. John F. Kerry More Quotes by John F. Kerry More Quotes From John F. Kerry I had a chance to talk with President [Vladimir] Putin and he clearly said to me very directly, "I will think about that. I will think about this challenge of how we win." Look, this is not easy for Putin. Everybody says, "Oh, Putin's made a big move." Well, Putin is [in Syria] now; and if he wants to fight ISIL alone, that's a challenge, folks. John F. Kerry fighting moving thinking We have to create a process which has legitimacy for the people of Syria. And we have to have a process where the Russians and the Iranians and the neighbors - all of them, Saudis, Turks, Qataris, a very complicated brew - that you have to bring them together and they can find agreement. That's the fundamental premise of the Geneva Communique that you will have, by mutual consent, a process of transition. John F. Kerry agreement together people America has an ability to try to make some things happen that other countries don't necessarily have. John F. Kerry trying country america America is the one that has led the effort to strengthen NATO and strengthen the front-line states against Russia's pressures. John F. Kerry effort russia america America is the one that leads the effort to make sure the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea is protected. John F. Kerry effort sea america If you want to be a Jewish state and you want to remain a democracy, you have to have a two-state solution. John F. Kerry democracy want two The fact is that you literally, by definition, cannot have a Jewish state and a democratic state and have a whole bunch of Palestinians in it who are living under military rule while the rest of the country is living under civil rule, and they have different rights and different - it's just not a democracy. John F. Kerry military rights country If you don't have two states, you have one state, already the non-Jewish population outnumbers the Jewish population in one state. John F. Kerry population states two I came into public life during the 1960s when a whole bunch of us believed in our ability to change the world. And we did a lot of things. John F. Kerry ability-to-change bunch world As a public person, I've always tried to reflect what is embodied in our defining ideals as a nation about equality and fairness and justice and so forth. John F. Kerry fairness defining justice I supported Israel 100 percent as a senator for 28 years and I've supported it 100 percent as Secretary of State. John F. Kerry states israel years What is happening is policy in Israel is being driven by the settlers who don't support a two-state solution, who want their settlements to prevent the possibility of two states. They openly say that. John F. Kerry support israel two I think that too far, too much, to a greater degree than is anywhere near appropriate, America and our politics are being governed by more and more powerful interests, by fewer and fewer people in the sense of the amount of money that has controlled access and other kinds of things. John F. Kerry powerful america thinking We still have a lot of work to do to protect our own democracy. John F. Kerry protect democracy stills I'm motivated by my passion for our basic values, protecting our interests, and for protecting the future. John F. Kerry motivated passion interest We are being Americans when we hold our government to account. We are being false to our troops when we send them to a needless war, betraying their trust when we shortchange them on protective equipment, and cheating them when we silently cut their benefits. John F. Kerry cutting war cheating I think the United States is still the indispensable force for positive change and for rule of law and for order and structure. John F. Kerry law order thinking [Bashar] Assad has made a series of choices ever since then that is literally destroying his country. John F. Kerry choices made country Three-quarters of [Bashar Assad] country is displaced. It's in Jordan, it's in Lebanon, it's in Turkey, and in the desert. The threat is that those people in the desert and others could become the next acolytes of ISIL if we don't find a way to join together to go after ISIL. John F. Kerry turkeys country people You can't have responsibility and you can't have us living up to our ideals unless it's based on a fairly common acceptance of truth, of what is true - what is the truth here? John F. Kerry responsibility acceptance common