Today's headlines and history's judgment are rarely the same.
Condoleezza RiceRead
This is not 1968 and the invasion of Czechoslovakia, where Russia can threaten its neighbors, occupy a capital, overthrow a government, and get away with it. Things have changed.
Interpretation
The quote highlights the changed geopolitical landscape and the diminishing tolerance for aggressive actions by powerful nations.
In this quote, Condoleezza Rice emphasizes that the international response to acts of aggression, such as Russia's actions in Czechoslovakia in 1968, has evolved over time. She suggests that current geopolitical realities do not allow for such unchecked invasions and that the world is now more vigilant and interconnected, making it difficult for any nation to act without facing consequences.
In practice
In a discussion about current global politics, one could quote this to illustrate the importance of historical context.
Today's headlines and history's judgment are rarely the same.
I think my father thought I might be president of the United States. I think he would've been satisfied with secretary of state. I'm a foreign policy person and to have a chance to serve my country as the nation's chief diplomat at a time of peril and consequence, that was enough.
What the United States has done is to be open to people who are fleeing tyranny, who are fleeing danger, but we have done it in a very careful way that has worked for us.
For the United States, supporting international development is more than just an expression of our compassion. It is a vital investment in the free, prosperous, and peaceful international order that fundamentally serves our national interest.
Today's headlines and history's judgment are rarely the same. If you are too attentive to the former, you will most certainly not do the hard work of securing the latter.
Does anybody think these people were just sitting around drinking tea?
Government actually grew during the Reagan years.
Engaging Iran won't guarantee improved U.S.-Iranian relations or a more stable Gulf region. But not engaging means more of the same.
If you're worried about the deficit, pay attention to the fact that it's almost all attributable to military spending and the totally dysfunctional health program.
Politics, as a practise, whatever its professions, has always been the systematic organization of hatreds.
It is a fine game to play - the game of politics - and it is well worth waiting for a good hand before really plunging.
The people are the government, administering it by their agents; they are the government, the sovereign power.
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