Today's headlines and history's judgment are rarely the same.
Condoleezza RiceRead
We don't want the smoking gun to be a mushroom cloud.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of preventing catastrophic outcomes before they happen.
Condoleezza Rice's quote warns against the dire consequences of inaction or complacency in the face of potential threats, using the metaphor of a 'smoking gun' and a 'mushroom cloud' to illustrate the difference between a minor warning and a devastating disaster. It suggests that one should address and resolve problems before they escalate to a point of irreversible harm.
In practice
In a discussion about international relations, this quote serves as a warning about addressing conflicts early.
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?
It's not about changing people; it's sometimes about changing a situation. How can we build an even better situation for them?
Our goal is to have a country that's not divided by race.
Like the Negro League players, I traveled through the segregated south as a young man. Because I was black, I was denied service at many restaurants and could only drink from water fountains marked 'Colored.' When I went to the movies, I would have to sit in the Colored balcony.
Civilization will end within 15 or 30 years unless immediate action is taken against problems facing mankind.
The survival of the United States of America as we know it is at risk. And even more β if more should be required β the future of human civilization is at stake.
Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?
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