Afghanistan's borders are arbitrary, drawn to meet 19th-century political needs rather than to respect ethnic or religious patterns.
Stephen KinzerRead
Every nation, like every individual, would like to believe it owes 'no apology' to anyone. Adults realise, however, that few among us are purely innocent or utterly blameless.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that both nations and individuals tend to deny wrongdoing, yet honesty about our flaws is essential.
Stephen Kinzer's quote reflects on the tendency of both nations and individuals to avoid taking responsibility for their actions. It highlights the human inclination to perceive oneself as blameless while acknowledging that true innocence is rare. The quote serves as a reminder that maturity involves recognizing our imperfections and being accountable rather than clinging to the notion of having nothing to apologize for.
Themes
AccountabilityResponsibilityInnocenceMaturityBlame
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about national accountability, one could use this quote to highlight the importance of admitting mistakes.
More from Stephen Kinzer
All quotes βGuerrilla leaders win wars by being paranoid and ruthless. Once they take power, they are expected to abandon those qualities and embrace opposite ones: tolerance, compromise and humility. Almost none manages to do so.
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Rwanda has emerged from the devastation of genocide and become more secure and prosperous than anyone had a right to expect.
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Accepting that Arabs have the right to elect their own leaders means accepting the rise of governments that do not share America's pro-Israel militancy.
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After installing friendly leaders in Iran and Guatemala, the United States lost interest in promoting democracy in either country.
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Want to depose the government of a poor country with resources? Want to bash Muslims? Want to build support for American military interventions around the world? Want to undermine governments that are raising their people up from poverty because they don't conform to the tastes of Upper West Side intellectuals? Use human rights as your excuse!
Stephen KinzerRead
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