Robert Taft Quotes

America remains the indispensable nation. There are times when America, and only America, can make a difference between war and peace, between freedom and repression.

We need a foreign policy that distinguishes America's friends from her enemies, and recognizes the true threats that we face.

The principles that should guide American foreign policy are simple: the world is safer when America leads, only strength ensures peace and freedom, and America must stand with its allies and challenge its adversaries.

Too often in Washington we tend to see foreign policy as an abstraction, with little understanding of what we are committing our country to: the complications and consequences of endeavors.

American foreign policy had still not recovered from its victory over communism when George W. Bush and Condoleezza Rice took over at the White House in 2001.

So I think that our foreign policy, the president's strong and principled leadership when it comes to the war against terror and foreign policy is going to be an asset.

Foreign policy will require a strategic agility that, whenever possible, gets ahead of problems, strengthens U.S. security and alliances, and promotes American interests and credibility.

When the commander-in-chief sends Americans to fight and die, it should be only to protect our vital national interests, not for his own personal, political gain.

There's no way in the world that the United States does not want to spread democratic ideals, but the first thing we have to do is that which is the interest of our security.

That is where American foreign policy begins—with the interest, the aspirations, and the values of the American people.

You always have more than one goal in foreign policy.

For nearly 7 decades United States has been the anchor of global security. This is meant more than forging international agreements. It has meant enforcing them.

There's no sense in using surrogates to pursue United States national interests.

The United Nations is a means. It is not an end for American foreign policy.

It is just as important to define the limit beyond which we will not intervene as it is to convince our people that we cannot find security in an isolationist party.

As long as Americans believe that their country has vital interests everywhere on earth, they will behave the same.

Making the case for sustained U. S. [world] leadership is not always easy. Unilateralism or isolationism often make for better sound bites.

You have an administration which understands America's international responsibilities and interests, but you have a population which is anxious, tired, and doesn't want to bear any burden and pay any price. And that's very difficult for whoever becomes president.

In the aftermath of September 11, it has been made clear to us that our foreign policy can no longer afford to narrowly focus on short-term benefits. For our nation's long-term security, we must be active in promoting American values abroad through our foreign policy.

Unlike President Obama, I would say that I support the long-standing bipartisan post-war belief that American global strength and leadership secures our national-security interests, and it also promotes order and stability in the world. And it gives us immense influence in the world and deters our adversaries and reassures our allies.

There is an issue of what does the U.S. expect abroad and what does the U.S. give at home. I think there's a reconciliation there that needs to be done.

U.S. foreign aid must be used more strategically to achieve our national security goals.

Our safety at home and the cause of freedom abroad is largely contingent upon our success in Iraq.

The National Security Council's real role is to coordinate the various activities of the government of the United States in the furtherance of American foreign policy.

I challenge anybody to say that I wouldn't know how to approach foreign policy because, unlike some of the other people, I at least have a foreign policy philosophy, which is an extension of the Reagan philosophy. Peace through strength, and my philosophy is peace through strength and clarity.