David Low Quotes

There are little games that go on in politics.

Everything in politics is so stage-managed.

A prince... must learn from the fox and the lion... One must be a fox in order to recognize traps, and a lion to frighten off wolves. Those who act simply as lions are stupid. So it follows that a prudent ruler cannot, and must not, honour his word when it places him at a disadvantage and when the reasons for which he made his promise no longer exist.

A real diplomat is one who can cut his neighbor's throat without having his neighbor notice it.

I've gotten to believe it's more fun to play politicians than actually be them.

War is the continuation of politics by other means.

There are no friends at cards or world politics.

I can talk a lot and not reveal anything; I would make a great politician.

Foreign policy - dealing as it does with the most charged political subjects of all, the safety and dignity of the nation - will always be political terrain particularly vulnerable to distortion and demagoguery.

Politics is the business of managing perceptions.

Diplomacy: The patriotic art of lying for one's country.

[Politics in America is:] A chess tournament disguised as a circus.

Too often ... in statecraft the object is to reach an agreement, which is only sometime—not always—the way to reach a result.

You have to be a demagogue on a lot of little things if you want to be around to have your way on the big things.

Sometimes heads of state have to make statements for [local] public consumption.

Military men are just dumb stupid animals to be used as pawns in foreign policy.

Deception is the knowledge of kings.

The practice of politics in the East may be defined by one word: dissimulation

In general, I think it's an advantage politically to keep people guessing.

I'm well aware of the pragmatism of politics.

We are always in favour of diplomacy and talks... but talks need honesty. Trump's call for direct talks is only for domestic consumption in America ahead of elections... and to create chaos in Iran.

I'm not into political gamesmanship.

While the Obama White House is completely incompetent and weak, they know how to spin everyday Americans.

In politics things change, in politics timing is important, and in politics, how I move, I don't tell you.

I don't employ Talleyrand when I want a thing done, but only when I want to have the appearance of wanting to do it.