The Vietnamese see their history as an unending series of struggles of resistance to aggression, by the Chinese, the Mongols, the Japanese, the French, and now the Americans.

You beat him verbally. You beat him mentally, and then finally, you beat him physically. That’s the three ways to beat a man.

In the early 1940s, as a young teenager, I was utterly appalled by the racist and jingoist hysteria of the anti-Japanese propaganda. The Germans were evil, but treated with some respect: They were, after all, blond Aryan types, just like our imaginary self-image. Japanese were mere vermin, to be crushed like ants.

My aim is to create a happy society with genuine friendship. Friendship between Tibetan and Chinese peoples is very essential.

This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny.

My message to the Americans is the same as to everyone – that is to unite behind the science and to act on the science.

I think when the president of the United States calls for military action, he should do it for a united people, especially when the methods have been so cruel, so explicitly directed at Americans.

The English are predisposed to pride, the French to vanity.

While I take inspiration from the past, like most Americans, I live for the future.

A large majority of Americans believe that the U.N., not the U.S., should take the lead in working with Iraqis to transfer authentic sovereignty as well as in economic reconstruction and maintaining civic order.

America is not just a country, it’s an idea, and real Americans are getting busy.

As long as I am alive, I am fully committed to amity between Tibetans and Chinese. Otherwise there’s no use.

Americans are rising to the tasks of history, and they expect the same of us.

In fact, the best thing we could do on taxes for all Americans is to simplify the individual tax code. This will be a tough job, but members of both parties have expressed an interest in doing this, and I am prepared to join them.

I don’t know why you use a fancy French word like detente when there’s a good English phrase for it – cold war.

Sometimes, reading a blog, which I do infrequently, I see that generations of Americans have been wilfully crippled, and can no longer spell or write a sentence.

Fortunately there is more wealth in the world than there was at the time of the global economic crisis of 1929 – Chinese, Indian, Arab and Russian.

Football changed my life and it gave me a platform to get out my aggression and it gave me a sense of value.

We know that dictators are quick to choose aggression, while free nations strive to resolve differences in peace.

The prescription for endless war poses a far greater danger to Americans than perceived enemies do, for reasons the terrorist organisations understand very well.

I think Canadians are more interested in international events than Americans because it is such a small country, so politics affect it more.

Palestine belongs to the Arabs in the same sense that England belongs to the English or France to the French.

Being ‚contented‘ ought to mean in English, as it does in French, being pleased. Being content with an attic ought not to mean being unable to move from it and resigned to living in it; it ought to mean appreciating all there is in such a position.

Aggression unopposed becomes a contagious disease.

Americans love to fight. All real Americans love the sting of battle.

Americans play to win at all times. I wouldn’t give a hoot and hell for a man who lost and laughed. That’s why Americans have never lost nor ever lose a war.

I was a little girl in World War II and I’m used to being freed by Americans.

I don’t know why they gave me a knighthood – though it’s very nice of them – but I only ever use the title in the U.S. The Americans insist on it and get offended if I don’t.

A man who is not afraid is not aggressive, a man who has no sense of fear of any kind is really a free, a peaceful man.

Whatever I am, it’s natural… I don’t have to pretend to be aggressive, don’t have to show the opposition that I am on the field. Being aggressive comes naturally to me, helps me perform.

History teaches that war begins when governments believe the price of aggression is cheap.

I’ll beat him so bad he’ll need a shoehorn to put his hat on.

Tobacco exports should be expanded aggressively because Americans are smoking less.

I think I should learn French and be a better cook – basic, really good life stuff.

Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence. In other words, it is war minus the shooting.

Americans are far more remarkable than we give ourselves credit for. We’ve been so busy damning ourselves for years. We’ve done it all, and yet we don’t take credit for it.

The average Hollywood film star’s ambition is to be admired by an American, courted by an Italian, married to an Englishman and have a French boyfriend.

Death and genitals are things that frighten people, and when people are frightened, they develop means of concealment and aggression. It is common sense.

The emotions in a song – the anger, aggression – have got to be legitimate.

We don’t believe in planners and deciders making the decisions on behalf of Americans.

The United States is afraid of China; it is not a military threat to anyone and is the least aggressive of all the major military powers.

Chimps are very quick to have a sudden fight or aggressive episode, but they’re equally as good at reconciliation.

In the late Fifties and early Sixties, opposition to state terror and aggression and torture and so on was zero. That was a horrible time: the massive Kennedy terror operation against Cuba, the first attacks on Vietnam in 1962, the imposition of national security states in South America.

Spaniards were condemned for appeasing terrorism by voting for withdrawing troops from Iraq in the absence of U.N. authorization – that is, for taking a stand rather like that of 70 percent of Americans, who called for the U.N. to take the leading role in Iraq.

The problem with Yanks is they are wimps.

In defense of our persons and properties under actual violation, we took up arms. When that violence shall be removed, when hostilities shall cease on the part of the aggressors, hostilities shall cease on our part also.

Americans adore me and will go on adoring me until I say something nice about them.

When I was a teenager, I thought how great it would be if only I could write novels in English. I had the feeling that I would be able to express my emotions so much more directly than if I wrote in Japanese.

If I hit a man, his head is gonna go into the bleachers.

I never had to learn English, French and German because I was brought up as all three languages. I had a private French teacher before I even went to school. That helped a lot.

I know that there are millions of Americans who are content with their health care coverage – they like their plan and, most importantly, they value their relationship with their doctor.

When good Americans die they go to Paris.

Given a fair shot, given a fair chance, Americans have never, ever, ever, ever let their country down. Never. Never. Ordinary people like us. Who do extraordinary things.

Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.

A president can ask for reconciliation in the racial conflict that divides Americans. But reconciliation comes only from the hearts of people.

The world is full of people with different characters and temperaments. We all have a dark side, a tendency to manipulate, and aggressive desires. The most dangerous types are those who repress their desires or deny the existence of them, often acting them out in the most underhanded ways.

There are only two occasions when Americans respect privacy, especially in Presidents. Those are prayer and fishing.

Certainly, if you look at human behavior around the world, you have to admit that we can be very aggressive.

On the field, aggression can sometimes be a positive emotion. It boosts performance and can lift your game. But over the years, I have learnt that restrained aggression is a better animal. That way, you will conserve your energy and won’t spend yourself quickly.

The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender, or submission.

All the kids are learning different languages. I asked them what languages they wanted to learn, and Shi is learning Khmai, which is a Cambodian language; Pax is focusing on Vietnamese, Mad has taken to German and Russian, Z is speaking French, Vivienne really wanted to learn Arabic, and Knox is learning sign language.