Stephen Walt quotes

Israel has a sizeable nuclear arsenal and could retaliate if it were attacked. (Stephen Walt)

The thing that makes countries want to pursue some kind of nuclear deterrent is precisely the fact that they feel threatened.

Stephen Walt

So here's my challenge to Rupert Murdoch, Jeff Bezos, the Sulzberger family, and anyone else who runs a major media operation: Why not hire a realist? If you're looking for some suggestions, how about Paul Pillar, Chas Freeman Jr., Robert Blackwill, Steve Clemons, Michael Desch, Steve Chapman, John Mearsheimer, Barry Posen, Andrew Bacevich, or Daniel Larison? Give one of them a weekly column, and then you could genuinely claim to be offering your readers a reasonably comprehensive and balanced range of opinion on international affairs. I mean: What are you folks so afraid of?

Stephen Walt

Far from making ‘America great again,' this epic policy failure will further tarnish the United States' reputation as a country that knows how to do things effectively.

Stephen Walt

So here's the puzzle: Realist advice has performed better than its main rivals over the past two-and-a-half decades, yet realists are largely absent from prominent mainstream publications.

Stephen Walt

Our Cuba policy didn't make much sense during the Cold War and makes even less sense now.

Stephen Walt

To the extent that Israel does face threats, like from say Hamas or Hezbollah, those are threats that do not jeopardise Israel's existence.

Stephen Walt

Well, a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East would be a wonderful thing.

Stephen Walt

Right now, [the Israel lobby] has become a subject that you can barely talk about without people immediately trying to silence you, immediately trying to discredit you in various ways, such that no American politicians will touch this, which is quite remarkable when you consider how much Americans argue about every other controversial political issue. To me, this is a national security priority for us, and we ought to be having an open debate on it, not one where only one side is being heard from.

Stephen Walt

We may not know who the next president is for some time. But there are a few things we do know.

Stephen Walt

Polarization will continue to hamper efforts to address the pandemic. It will encourage and facilitate foreign interference in U.S. domestic politics (or even the mere suspicion of the same)....and it makes other states warier of making long-term agreements with the United States because they cannot be sure that any promises that U.S. officials make will survive the next election cycle. (Stephen Walt)

It is obvious that this approach failed, which is why U.S. leaders now worry about unfavorable power trends in Asia and are actively trying to build a balancing coalition to contain Chinese power. I share their concerns and agree with this prescription (and said so in the book), yet Gavin apparently regards the policies that led to this worrisome situation as a great success. They surely were for China-but not for the United States.

Stephen Walt