Edmund Allenby Quotes

In all history there is no war which was not hatched by the governments, the governments alone, independent of the interests of the people, to whom war is always pernicious even when successful.

Foreign policy can be the undoing of absolute rulers, tempted to foreign adventure in order to compensate for failure at home or spurred on by domestic adulation.

... you may be sure there will be no jingo nonsense under my administration.

In order to manage such affairs as war and peace, treaties, alliances, marriage, the means of increasing one’s territories, the loyalty of the people, parties and other business of the kingdom, it seems to me that there is no more useful knowledge than the study of history.

When foreign affairs were ruled by autocracies or oligarchies the danger of war was in sinister purpose. When foreign affairs are ruled by democracies the danger of war will be in mistaken beliefs.

Politics is fate.

Now, and ever, I shall do all in my power for peace, consistently with the maintenance of government.

Politics and war are remarkably similar situations.

Politics is the science of urgencies.

To rule is easy, to govern difficult.

The world cannot be governed without juggling.

The most fundamental purpose of government is defense, not empire.

Politics is activity in relation to power.

Nobody has trusted the Iranian government from day one, but the idea of just refusing to have any kind of talks is dangerous in the extreme. Every administration says at least that we're trying to have talks between Israel and Palestine and solve the Middle East peace problem.

The government would have preferred not to take a stand, but the constant presence of the Israeli-Arab conflict on our television screens made it an issue that could no longer be avoided.

No government, no head of state, made any attempt to avert or arrest the Boer War.

Wars of aggression are popular nowadays with those nations convinced that only victory and conquest could improve their material well-being.

And, of course, it must be asked: is it proper to transact with the Turks for the most reassured of Greek possessions when Greece is under Turkish invasion and subjugation?

I believe the government of the United States should re-examine its policies in the Middle East and adopt a more balanced stance toward the Palestinian cause.

So with the end of the Cold War, it became increasingly obvious that there was no basis upon which any decision was being made, not in the White House, and certainly because of that, not in the Congress.

Politics is the art of controlling your environment.

I built Kosovo for 10 years.

Here is my first principle of foreign policy: good government at home.

To craftsmanship we shall add statesmanship in the capitol of peace.

Statesmanship is harder than politics. Politics is the art of getting along with people, whereas statesmanship is the art of getting along with politicians.