When the tyrant has disposed of foreign enemies by conquest or treaty, and there is nothing more to fear from them, then he is always stirring up some war or other, in order that the people may require a leader.

We cannot be both the world’s leading champion of peace and the world’s leading supplier of the weapons of war.

America’s promises do not come with a price tag. We meet our commitments. We bear our burdens. That’s one of the reasons why almost every country on Earth sees America as stronger and more respected today than they did eight years ago when I took office.

As a leader, you have to have the ability to assimilate new information and understand that there might be a different view.

The trouble with Nixon is that he’s a serious politics junkie. He’s totally hooked and like any other junkie, he’s a bummer to have around, especially as President.

Anything important is never left to the vote of the people. We only get to vote on some man; we never get to vote on what he is to do.

He who has great power should use it lightly.

I just think it is important that you realize, that you’re the best in the world. Whether you are a Democrat or Republican or whether you’re libertarian or whatever, you are the best. And we should not ever forget that. And when somebody does not do the job, we got to let them go.

Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.

I was not an anthropology student prior to the war. I took it up as part of a personal readjustment following some bewildering experiences as an infantryman and later as a prisoner of war in Dresden, Germany. The science of the Study of Man has been extremely satisfactory from that personal standpoint.

It is pretty ironic that the so-called ‚least advanced‘ people are the ones taking the lead in trying to protect all of us, while the richest and most powerful among us are the ones who are trying to drive the society to destruction.

They wrote in the old days that it is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country. But in modern war, there is nothing sweet nor fitting in your dying. You will die like a dog for no good reason.

The Nihilistic Troll might pretend to be acting in the service of some cause or leader, but don’t be fooled. The cause and their supposedly strong convictions are simply a way to justify and provide cover for their abusive behavior.

I came, I saw, I conquered.

Love is like war: easy to begin but very hard to stop.

It’s amazing, the culture Coach Belichick has been able to create in our system.

A company is a group organized to create a product or service, and it is only as good as its people and how excited they are about creating. I do want to recognize a ton of super-talented people. I just happen to be the face of the companies.

Now from a distance, I look back on what the Corps taught me: to think like men of action, and to act like men of thought!

Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.

My great-grandfather and his two brothers fought at Gettysburg. They were in artillery, and they survived the war, thank goodness. So I revere what they did. I think their motivations were honorable when they undertook the war and participated in it along with other Southerners.

The action we take and the decisions we make in this decade will have consequences far into this century. If America shows weakness and uncertainty, the world will drift toward tragedy. That will not happen on my watch.

A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.

The U.S. military is not war weary. Our military draws strength from confronting our enemies when clear policy objectives are set and we are fully resourced for the fight.

We herd sheep, we drive cattle, we lead people. Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way.

I can not believe that war is the best solution. No one won the last war, and no one will win the next war.

In my heart, I’m confident I could make a good president.

I did my utmost to ensure that everyone below me in the chain of command felt comfortable approaching me with concerns, ideas, thoughts, and even disagreements.

Of course we all know Biden is the intellect of the Democratic Party. Kind of a grin with a body behind it.

The real and lasting victories are those of peace, and not of war.

We have practiced diplomacy since the very beginning of the nation. Sometimes it has not worked, and we’ve had to go to war. I always believe you should try to find peace and reconciliation before conflict. That has been the approach I’ve taken.

People who add value to others do so intentionally. I say that because to add value, leaders must give of themselves, and that rarely occurs by accident.

War will never cease until babies begin to come into the world with larger cerebrums and smaller adrenal glands.

In various countries and times, leaders of groups that lagged behind, economically and educationally, have taught their followers to blame all their problems on other people – and to hate those other people.

Clever tyrants are never punished.

The argument that resistance to the war should remain strictly nonviolent seems to me overwhelming.

I have no ambition to govern men; it is a painful and thankless office.

I’m no longer just a candidate. I’m the President. I know what it means to send young Americans into battle, for I have held in my arms the mothers and fathers of those who didn’t return. I’ve shared the pain of families who’ve lost their homes, and the frustration of workers who’ve lost their jobs.

Being prime minister is a lonely job… you cannot lead from the crowd.

Morality is contraband in war.

I think war is so incredibly backward, and I don’t think it’s intelligent, and it’s not sane. So why would you want to support it?

Once we have a war there is only one thing to do. It must be won. For defeat brings worse things than any that can ever happen in war.

It is wise to persuade people to do things and make them think it was their own idea.

I don’t run restaurants that are out of control. We are about establishing phenomenal footholdings with talent.

You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war.

I don’t oppose all wars. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war.

I find capitalism repugnant. It is filthy, it is gross, it is alienating… because it causes war, hypocrisy and competition.

I think our democracy has it exactly right: two terms, eight years. It’s enough. Because it’s important to have one foot in reality when you have access to this kind of power.

William Gladstone has not a single redeeming defect.

If you lead a country like Britain, a strong country, a country which has taken a lead in world affairs in good times and in bad, a country that is always reliable, then you have to have a touch of iron about you.

The public is not to see where power lies, how it shapes policy, and for what ends. Rather, people are to hate and fear one another.

I want a president with a record of public service, someone whose life’s work shows our children that we don’t chase fame and fortune for ourselves: we fight to give everyone a chance to succeed.

You don’t lead by hitting people over the head – that’s assault, not leadership.

Many people, including some conservatives, have been very impressed with how brainy the president and his advisers are. But that is not quite as reassuring as it might seem.

Take off your bedroom slippers. Put on your marching shoes,‘ he said, his voice rising as applause and cheers mounted. ‚Shake it off. Stop complainin‘. Stop grumblin‘. Stop cryin‘. We are going to press on. We have work to do.

World War II broke out in 1939, and many people credit that war with saving the economy.

I once told Nixon that the Presidency is like being a jackass caught in a hail storm. You’ve got to just stand there and take it.

If I made a commitment, I stood by that commitment – and try to make it real. Because when you become leaders, the most important thing you have is your word, your trust. That’s where respect comes from.

Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers, who can cut through argument, debate and doubt, to offer a solution everybody can understand.

The events of October 1962 are widely hailed as Kennedy’s finest hour.

A war is a horrible thing, but it’s also a unifier of countries.

A good model of how to ‚work with the enemy‘ internally is presented by the Dalai Lama, in his endless caretaking of his soul as he confronts the Chinese government that invaded Tibet.