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It is important to ask ourselves, as citizens, whether a world power can provide global leadership on the basis of fear and anxiety.
Zbigniew Brzezinski
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote questions the morality and effectiveness of leadership based on fear and anxiety.

Zbigniew Brzezinski's quote emphasizes the importance of self-reflection among citizens regarding the nature of leadership in the context of global power. It challenges the notion that a country can lead effectively if that leadership is rooted in fear and anxiety rather than trust and cooperation, suggesting that sustainable leadership requires a foundation of positive values rather than negative emotions.

Themes

LeadershipFearAnxietyCitizenshipGlobal Power

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a political speech to advocate for ethical governance.

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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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