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I don't approve of the notion that we should be announcing who should step down from the position of a head of a state unless we are seriously prepared to remove that person. But if we are not, if we are being prudent and careful, then let's also be careful with how we talk.
Zbigniew Brzezinski
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Interpretation

What this quote means

One should be cautious about calling for someone's resignation unless action is intended.

Zbigniew Brzezinski highlights the importance of responsibility and prudence in political discourse. He suggests that discussions about a leader's resignation should not be taken lightly and should be backed by serious intentions, implying that careless words can have significant consequences in governance.

Themes

PoliticsResponsibilityLeadershipCautionDiscourse

In practice

Example use cases

In a political debate, one might use this quote to emphasize the need for thoughtful discussion about leadership.

More from Zbigniew Brzezinski

Regret what? That secret operation was an excellent idea. It had the effect of drawing the Russians into the Afghan trap and you want me to regret it? The day that the Soviets officially crossed the border, I wrote to President Carter. We now have the opportunity of giving to the USSR its Vietnam war. Indeed, for almost 10 years, Moscow had to carry on a war unsupportable by the government, a conflict that brought about the demoralization and finally the breakup of the Soviet empire.
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During the twentieth century, men fought on behalf of nationalism. Yet the wars they fought were also engendered by dislocations in world markets and by social revolution stimulated by the coming of the industrial age.
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Constant reference to a 'war on terror' did accomplish one major objective: It stimulated the emergence of a culture of fear.
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Iraq may have been a preview of that, but it's still redeemable if we get out fast. In a war with Iran, we'll get dragged down for 20 or 30 years. The world will condemn us. We will lose our position in the world.
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The congressional role in declaring war is especially important not when the United States is the victim of an attack, but when the United States is planning to wage war abroad.
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There may be circumstances in which damaging our relationship with countries over human rights is counterproductive and the benefits to human rights may be very small because of our limited capacity to enforce our stance. That was the dilemma the United States faced after Tiananmen Square.
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Quote by Zbigniew Brzezinski | QuoteProject