“There can be no crisis”: Henry Kissinger’s most famous phrases

Henry Kissinger

Photo: NOTICIAS DEL ESTE

The late patriarch of American politics, Henry Kissinger, who at various times served as Secretary of State and National Security Advisor to the American President, left a special legacy: much of what he said and wrote became slogans.

“KP” has collected the most famous quotes from Kissinger’s speeches and articles.

– In my autobiographical book I am very frank from the first lines, and I talk about my first mistake on page 850.

– In a crisis, the boldest path is usually the safest.

– Anything that needs to happen ultimately can happen immediately.

– If you don’t know where you are going, none of the roads will take you anywhere.

– The important thing is not what the truth is, but what is perceived as truth.

– Diplomacy is the art of restraining force.

– We do what is illegal immediately. What is unconstitutional takes a little longer.

– Being an enemy of the United States can be dangerous, but being a friend can be deadly.

– The United States has no friends or enemies, only interests.

– Americans tend to believe that foreign policy is carried out by patients in a psychiatric clinic.

– Americans tend to believe that if there is a problem, there must be a solution. And this is not always the case.

– No foreign policy, no matter how brilliant, has a chance of success if it is born in the minds of a few and does not penetrate the hearts of others.

– For most of humanity and for the longest periods of history, empire was a typical form of government.

– A diamond is an ordinary piece of coal that has withstood high pressures well.

– The task of a leader is to take people from where they are now to where they have not yet been.

– Don’t be too ambitious. Do the most important thing you can think of each year and his career will take care of itself.

– Behind the slogans there is usually an intellectual vacuum.

– Russia has been an important part of Europe for 400 years and has always helped it maintain its balance at critical moments.

– The West must continue to participate in talks with Russia and not allow wars against the Russian state.

Kissinger also had quite the sense of humor; Otherwise, it is unlikely that he would have uttered the words included in many history textbooks:

“There can’t be a crisis next week.” My work schedule is completely full.