Where position is felt to be a birthright, generosity is possible (though not guaranteed); flexibility is not inhibited by a commitment to perpetual success.
Henry A. KissingerNo one will ever win the battle of the sexes; there's too much fraternizing with the enemy.
Henry A. KissingerThe American formal position has been that we oppose violence by governments against their people. That principle should not be abandoned.
Henry A. KissingerIn his essay, โPerpetual Peace,โ the philosopher, Immanuel Kant, argued that perpetual peace would eventually come to the world in one of two ways, by human insight or by conflicts and catastrophes of a magnitude that left humanity no other choice. We are at such a juncture.
Henry A. KissingerThe defining issue is that the government in Taiwan was considered to be the government of all of China, and the authorities in Beijing were not recognized as a government of China. So Taiwan was the residuary for all of China.
Henry A. KissingerOur concern for human rights comes to the fore when there are gross violations of human decencies. Then other countries, including China, must recognize that this affects the American attitude towards their country. But towards what precise institutions will it evolve? I think we ought to leave something to history.
Henry A. Kissinger