I think this is the biggest lesson a president or any of us who has responsibility to govern have to learn: There are always consequences to actions that you take. There are consequences to inaction.
Chuck HagelWe live in a world of absolute immediacy. It is an interconnected, combustible world, where technology and many other actions have given nonstate actors a reach, into countries and societies, for both good and evil, that we have never seen before. So it isn't a matter of just state versus state challenges or conflict. The bigger problem is nonstate actors.
Chuck HagelAlliances and international organizations should be understood as opportunities for leadership and a means to expand our influence, not as constraints on our power.
Chuck Hagel