Economic growth is necessary to keep the promise - enormously important to individual Americans - that each generation will have the opportunity to become more prosperous than the preceding one, the popular term for which is 'the American dream.

The United States contributes to peace in both by serving as a buffer between and among regional powers that, while not preparing for armed conflict, do not fully trust one another.

The American political system is so porous, it's so open, it's so frustrating for those who are trying to make policy.

Certainly, protecting oppressed people, stopping ethnic conflict and promoting responsible governance are worthy goals. But none is as important for American security and prosperity as keeping the peace in the Middle East, Europe and East Asia.

Let me remind you all that the first task of American foreign policy is to reduce threats to the United States.

All policy is a matter of gains and losses, upsides and downsides.

The United States doesn't do what it does in the world for altruistic reasons. Nobody set out to be the world's government.