John Kerry Quotes
Diplomacy takes time.
John F. Kerry, U. S. Secretary of State (Democrat), U.S. Senator (Democrat, MA), Speech, Geneva, Switzerland, November 9, 2013
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
The first Jew to run for the Vice Presidency on a major party ticket.
The Russians were breaking diplomatic relations with Israel.
When there is a serious problem with another country and it appears that military force may have to be used, he and most sophisticated policy makers argue that we should always try diplomacy first. If that does not work, then the military option is still open. If it does work, war or other military action is always available as an option. When politicians do not want to try diplomacy, it is usually that they have an ulterior motive for war and/or military force. Some urge caution with this principle in all cases as sometimes it gives the enemy time to regroup and rearm and he gets stronger by stringing out the negotiations with no intention of a diplomatic solution. In some other cases, as Iran in the second decade of the 21st century when they were suspected of developing a nuclear weapon. The Israeli right wing and some American conservatives wanted no delay in use of military force as that might allow the Iranians to complete an operational message. President Obama and most Americans favored strong economic sanctions with diplomacy first.
Often diplomats and negotiators, coming from different cultures and different counties, and having different points of view and previous experiences, don't even have the same view of that they are there for, what is the object of their negotiations, what the problem or problems are. Sullivan observes that this often takes more time than the actual negotiations.
John Forbes Kerry is an American politician and diplomat serving as the United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate. He previously served as the 68th United States Secretary of State from 2013 to 2017. An attorney and former naval officer, Kerry first drew public attention as a decorated Vietnam veteran turned anti-war activist. He went on to serve as a prosecutor and as Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts, before serving as United States Senator from Massachusetts from 1985 to 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the Democratic nominee for President of the United States in the 2004 election, which he lost to incumbent President George W. Bush. He is the last Democratic presidential candidate to date to lose the popular vote.
