In my particular case foreign policy happens to be my hobby, my consuming interest. I had spent decades studying it.
Henry A. KissingerClearly security without values is like a ship without a rudder. But values without security are like a rudder without a ship.
Henry A. KissingerChina is a country with a record of continuous self-government going back 4,000 years, the only society that has achieved this. One must start with the assumption that they must have learnt something about the requirements for survival, and it is not always to be assumed that we know it better than they do.
Henry A. KissingerThe conventional army loses if it does not win. The guerrilla wins if he does not lose.
Henry A. KissingerCreate the impression of endless willingness to compromise and you almost invite deadlines. That's the challenge we now have in North Korea and have had in North Korea for 10 years. In this sense, diplomacy and foreign policy and other elements of political activity have to be closely linked and have to be understood by the negotiators
Henry A. KissingerIn the hands of a determined Secretary, the Foreign Service can be a splendid instrument, staffed by knowledgeable, discreet, and energetic individuals. They do require constant vigilance lest the convictions that led them into a penurious career tempt them to preempt decision-making.
Henry A. Kissinger