Arthur Goldberg Quotes

My style in diplomacy is my style as a human being - I'm very direct and very honest.

We always have hoped that American diplomacy deploys itself in dialogue and persuasion rather than by ultimatums. That is the path we want in international relations.

I don't think that anybody should be ruling in or ruling out anything while we are conducting diplomacy.

You can’t outsource diplomacy. You can’t do it unless you do it.

The art of diplomacy is to take your humiliations in private.

There was no authority with which diplomacy could deal.

I'm simply saying that there are advantages in sending a skilled diplomat who can always say, 'I'll get back to you on that, Mr. Minister'.

Someone needs to talk sense to the president. But these people are not world travelers. This president, much as I like him, had all the opportunities in the world.

My diplomatic position will not consist of going and kneeling down in front of George Bush.

American diplomacy is easy on the brain but hard on the feet.

Part of the genius of diplomacy is to resolve issues before crises come along.

Cool, realistic diplomats are prepared to try to negotiate with any type of regime whenever the national interest calls for it; the last thing that should ever be done to turn emotional or "demonize" another foreign leader no matter how nasty he may be.

Negotiating in the classic diplomatic sense assumes parties more anxious to agree than to disagree.

When we put our trust in diplomacy, it is not because it is an inspiring or uplifting discourse or because it helps us see the common humanity in others. The stylized circumlocutions of diplomats can make them seem ridiculous or irrelevant: they never seem to be talking about what is really going on.

Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock.

By the way, if you do your job on behalf of your country, you have meetings where you put your position forward strongly, and the other side does the same thing. And I've had plenty of meetings in my career that really were heated, people yelling at each other.

If you operate any kind of major diplomacy, you must run some risk.

You have to speak diplomatically. I don't.

When diplomats meet, they are, of necessity, ambiguous, in order to get an agreement.

There isn't any rule in diplomacy that can't be broken.... There are times when diplomatic principles should be violated, but when you violate them you ought to know you're violating them.

It is doubtful if anyone could recount a single instance in which a rupture of diplomatic relations has ever brought any benefit to the government that initiated the break.

The history of diplomacy is the history of relations among rival powers which did not enjoy political intimacy and did not respond to appeals to common purposes. Nevertheless, ... to think that rival and unfriendly powers cannot be brought to a settlement is to forget what diplomacy is about.

Negotiations are the most essential tool of statecraft.

I'm convinced there's a small room in the attic of the Foreign Office where future diplomats are taught to stammer

We have normal relations with lots of countries whose leadership we do not like..