Stephen A. Schwarzman Quotes

The Middle East does not follow Las Vegas rules. Whatever happens in the Middle East affects the rest of the world.

In dealing with the China problem, the British and American side, which had particularly strong interests in China, should have based its judgments about the origins of the problem on direct observation of the actual circumstances at the time.

Diplomacy is not an end in itself if it does not advance U.S. interests.

In international relations, in foreign policy, a great deal has to do with historical circumstances, a great deal has to do with the sense and perception of people.

Foreign interventions always end badly.

When the Egyptians decide something, probably it is not appropriate for the U.S. When the Americans decide something, this, of course, is not appropriate for Egypt.

The economic and political roots of the conflicts are too strong for us to pretend to create a lasting state of harmonious understanding between men.

I've been to China and Russia, and I don't know anything about Chinese or Soviet relations.

I think if you're going to master policy, especially world affairs, you've got to know history.

The West hasn't reached its universal state as yet, although its close to it, but it certainly has evolved out of its warring state phase, which it was in for a couple of centuries.

Today's global landscape is increasingly interconnected. China and the Middle East play critical roles towards international peace and security.

The West will have to choose: either to come to terms with Russians, or to receive a retaliatory blow. This retaliatory blow will not be by means of war. We will resort to the same weapon: nationalism.

Everything that could produce a clash between the Arab world and the West seemed dangerous to me.

The international community lies at the center of the Obama foreign policy. Unfortunately, it is a fiction. There is no such thing. Different countries have different histories, geographies, necessities, and interests. There's no natural, inherent, or enduring international community.

Our ability to effectively engage China and the Arab world rests on shared economic and political interests and mutual understanding.

America's relations with complex Middle Eastern states such as Egypt are often difficult.

Is Turkey one of the Ayrab countries with which you don't get on very well?

Russia has been too weak, and the weak get beaten.

The only things that matter in the world are Japan and China, Russia and Europe. Latin America doesn’t matter…. And … there’s nothing you can do about the Middle East.

Conflicts have to be resolved. That is the responsibility of leadership. And globalization is the biggest conflict today.

The diplomatic relations upon which our present system of international comity is based are being encountered by new forces and combinations which are fast rendering them impotent and antiquated

The peace treaties of…Western nations…no more fit the Asian governments than a stove pipe hat would fit an African savage.

There are two things that are very expensive in international relations: promises when they succeed and threats when they fail

Once nations get emotional, their relationships can change at bewildering speed.

You should never make alliances with a decadent nation like France and a semi-barbarous nation like Russia