Because of my parents' love of democracy, we came to America after being driven twice from our home in Czechoslovakia - first by Hitler and then by Stalin.

One of the things I write about a bit in my Madam Secretary memoir is on Rwanda, where I was an instructed ambassador at the U.N., and my instructions were to not vote for increased forces there, and I didn't like my instructions. So I got up and called Washington and said, "Change my instructions," and they didn't.

History is written backwards but lived forwards.

There are a lot of similar aspects in all the religions. The question is which side of it you hold up.

It takes more than one dove to make peace in the Middle East.

I think that the Middle East is the largest piece of unfinished business that we all have. I happen to believe in the democratization process.

I do think that one needs to have respect for people who are older. And I really do love the idea that one can respect generations.