The real threat to world stability is not too much American power. It is too little American power. Michael Mandelbaum More Quotes by Michael Mandelbaum More Quotes From Michael Mandelbaum While analogies are useful, however, they can also be misleading. They smuggle in assumptions that can be wrong. Michael Mandelbaum misleadassumptionanalogies Certainly, protecting oppressed people, stopping ethnic conflict and promoting responsible governance are worthy goals. But none is as important for American security and prosperity as keeping the peace in the Middle East, Europe and East Asia. Michael Mandelbaum goaleuropepeople People do not change when you tell them they should; they change when they tell themselves they must. Michael Mandelbaum shouldpeople The government can give citizens opportunity and it's their responsibility to take advantage of it. Michael Mandelbaum governmentresponsibilityopportunity One thing worse than an America that is too strong, the world will learn, is an America that is too weak. Michael Mandelbaum strongamericaworld The values, the programs, the formula, the determination, and the patriotism responsible for America's past success are still here to be tapped. Michael Mandelbaum determinationamericapast The main division in the world is between democratic and undemocratic countries. Michael Mandelbaum divisioncountryworld The less oil the world uses, the less important the region that has so much of it becomes. Michael Mandelbaum oilimportantuse The windfall of great riches can, if mismanaged, make things worse, not better, for the recipients. Michael Mandelbaum richesifs The American political system is so porous, it's so open, it's so frustrating for those who are trying to make policy. Michael Mandelbaum frustratingpoliticaltrying The American empire will not disappear... because America does not have an empire. Michael Mandelbaum empiresdoeamerica The United States doesn't do what it does in the world for altruistic reasons. Nobody set out to be the world's government. Michael Mandelbaum united-statesgovernmentdoe Let me remind you all that the first task of American foreign policy is to reduce threats to the United States. Michael Mandelbaum united-statestasksfirsts If architecture is, as is sometimes said, music set in concrete, then football and basketball may be said to be creativity embodied in team sports. Michael Mandelbaum basketballinspirationalsports After all, the past is our only real guide to the future, and historical analogies are instruments for distilling and organizing the past and converting it to a map by which we can navigate. Michael Mandelbaum historicalrealpast First of all, the world criticizes American foreign policy because Americans criticize American foreign policy. We shouldn't be surprised about that. Criticizing government is a God-given right - at least in democracies. Michael Mandelbaum democracygovernmentworld The world needs a strong America. Michael Mandelbaum strongamericaneeds Great wars can only be fought by great powers. Michael Mandelbaum great-wargreat-powerwar All policy is a matter of gains and losses, upsides and downsides. Michael Mandelbaum gainsmatterloss Inequality of any kind, once considered a normal, natural part of human existence, came to be seen in the course of the twentieth century as increasingly illegitimate. Michael Mandelbaum normalkindnatural
