Henry A. Kissinger Quotes

The principal instances of mass violence in the world today are those committed by governments within their own legally recognized borders.

International affairs will be placed on a better footing when it is understood that there is no way of punishing a people for the crimes of its rulers.

You just have to come to grips with the fact that people don't like to be invaded or bombed by anybody. And America has been engaged in that.

Military activities (are) not a role for the United States. There needs to be a number of steps that Maliki and his government must take to demonstrate that he is committed to an inclusive Iraq, something he has not done up to date.

There are both things in international law: the principle of territorial integrity and right to self-determination.

In the long term, Germany didn't need a finance minister who was absent during important negotiations in the European Council. But the chancellor strongly encouraged me to stay. And everything did work out for the best in the end.

I was never convinced that war was the best system to bring democracy to the country.

The predominant yardstick of your government is not human rights but national interests.

I think it's in the hands of each head of state: the future of peace in his own country.

Venezuelan interests are to be defended by Venezuela. The U.S. should defend the interests of the U.S. Where are the U.S. people, where are the intellectuals, who could put limits on their government?

Not all political actors share our vision of fighting terrorism, lessening tensions in the region and focusing on building the economy. It is natural that they would challenge the government, but we have fought every challenge effectively. The daily ups and down of democracy should not be interpreted as lack of stability.

Indiscriminate firing by police on people is absolute barbarism. Instead of solving their problems, the government is trying to suppress the people by force.

I wholeheartedly support the aspirations of the Ukrainian people for a democratic, free and just society where the rule of law prevails without corruption or government violence directed against citizens.

I think that it's always appropriate for Americans and for American foreign policy to make clear why we feel that self-government is most compatible with peace, the well-being of people, and human dignity.

We must not allow the practices of an anti-democratic State that abuses the powers of government to violate the human rights of Venezuelans.

Even to observe neutrality you must have a strong government.

Unless your government is respectable, foreigners will invade your rights; and to maintain tranquillity, it must be respectable - even to observe neutrality, you must have a strong government.

When the government violates the people's rights, insurrection is, for the people and for each portion of the people, the most sacred of the rights and the most indispensible of duties.

International Law

A government that is brutal to its own people will be brutal to its neighbors and its enemies.

We [Arabs] export not only oil but techniques and tools of torture. Our states, run by ministries of the interior and the security services, are regimes bereft of legitimacy and based on violations of dignity and human rights.

Those who try to give us advice on matters of human rights do nothing but provoke an ironic smile among us. We will not permit anyone to interfere in our affairs.

Japan has no intention of ever attempting to dictate to another country how it should regulate its internal affairs, but our normal human pride would always be irritated by specific legal discrimination against us as Japanese

Our fundamental principle is that people come before their government as equals.

The Government of the United States is not entitled to affirm as a universal proposition, with reference to a number of independent States for whose conduct it assumes no responsibility, that its interests are necessarily concerned in whatever may befall those States simply because they are situated in the Western Hemisphere.