I was always convinced that decent people in the case of Vietnam, highly intelligent, decent people, got us involved because they had made, in part, a misjudgment about the nature of the communist system and the unity of the communist world and the degree to which the experience of Europe could be repeated in Vietnam.

For any student of history, change is the law of life. Any attempt to contain it guarantees an explosion down the road; the more rigid the adherence to the status quo, the more violent the ultimate outcome will be.

I do not stand on protocol. If you just call me Excellency, it will be okay.

When you travel as secretary, one problem you have is that the press comes with you and wants an immediate result because it justifies their trip. And sometimes the best result is that you don't try to get a result but try to get an understanding for the next time you go to them.

America has made it very clear in several administrations that if there is an attack by China on Taiwan, the United States is very likely to resist.

I don't see why we need to stand by and watch a country go communist due to the irresponsibility of its own people.

You can't make war in the Middle East without Egypt and you can't make peace without Syria.