Quotes about American Officials

Arthur Sylvester

if you think any American official is going to tell you the truth, then you’re stupid. Did you hear that? Stupid!

He was referring to the Vietnam war. The amount of lying and propaganda to the American people during the Vietnam war was extreme at the time but established a trend where the Department of Defense was less overt about lying but when they did so did it with more impunity.

Tucker Carlson

American officials have bent over backwards to show how sensitive they are to Muslim culture. It didn't seem very effective. They seem to be worried about winning the respect of other people.

Aberto Gonzales

You should declare the Taliban and Al Qaeda outside the coverage of the Geneva Conventions. That would keep American officials from being exposed to the federal War Crimes Act.

The Justice Department had sent a memorandum arguing that since Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups did not represent any state, were not signatories to the Geneva Conventions, and commonly committed atrocities in violation of the Geneva Conventions, then there was no obligation for America, or any signatory nation, to protect captives of these terrorist organizations. See {589866} for a contrary position that was taken.

Richard Grenell

Foreign aid should not be automatic. Countries should have to make their case every year, and American officials should openly decide what, if anything, to fund.

John Paton Davies Jr.

When it became clear that they [the Chinese Communists] were going to take power, … the American officials in China were of different minds: there were some who felt that Chiang should be supported to the last ditch, and there were others who felt that Chiang had served his purpose, he could not rule effectively, the communists would win anyway, and that therefore there had to be established a working relationship with the communists.

The Communists under Mao won the Civil War easily as the Nationalists were not only corrupt and very unpopular, but they were not very interested in the welfare of the Chinese peasants. Further Chiang was a ruthless dictator. At the time there was great pressure for America to support any faction that was anti Communist regardless of how bad they were themselves. Davies and others who thought that we should have communications with the Communists who would soon control China, were viciously attacked by Senator McCarthy who accused Davies of “loosing China” and the Senator and some other Americans thought that the Nationalists could win the Civil War. We now know that they never had a chance, but at the time they did a very good job of promoting their cause and capability in the United States and especially in Washington. None the less, in the Red Scare, Davies was fired, only to thereafter be awarded the highest civilian award in the nation in recognition of his great and patriotic work.

Linda Chavez

Where journalists have gotten themselves in trouble over the last few decades is that their skepticism often extends only to American officials, the U.S. military and Republican politicians.

Countess of Ranfurly

Jimmy Gault, now English aide to General Eisenhower, invited me to dine last night at the Muhammad Ali Club to meet the General and his staff. Being the only outside guest I was placed at dinner next to the General. There were about sixteen people there – all Americans except for Jimmy, Kay Somersby, the General’s very nice English secretary [and mistress] who sat on his right, and myself.

While the American Press ignored Eisenhower’s infidelity and most Americans were ignorant of it, it was common knowledge in England.

Bashir Assad

The American officials should learn to deal with reality. Why did the United States fail in most of its wars ? Because it always based its wars on the wrong information. So, whether they believe or not, this is not reality.

Bashir Assad

This is reality. If [the American officials] want to believe, that's good, that will help them understand the region and be more successful in their policies.

Richard Reeves

The news in Europe, West and East, is still showing America in flames, flood, etc. Cities are shown underwater; befuddled American officials are shown trying to explain why we are winning the war on terrorism.

American Officials Quotes