Stephen Kinzer quotes - page 3

Iran, in its former incarnation as Persia, created the world's first empire, produced titanic figures like Cyrus, Darius, and Xerxes, and is one of the great fonts of world culture. (Stephen Kinzer)
Rwanda has emerged from the devastation of genocide and become more secure and prosperous than anyone had a right to expect. View quote
Stephen Kinzer
No authoritarian leader cedes power easily or turns it over to bodies he cannot control. View quote
Stephen Kinzer
Guerrilla 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. View quote
Stephen Kinzer
One of the immutable patterns of history is the rise and fall of great powers. Those that survive are the ones that adapt as the world changes. View quote
Stephen Kinzer
For many years as a foreign correspondent, I not only worked alongside human rights advocates, but considered myself one of them. To defend the rights of those who have none was the reason I became a journalist in the first place. Now, I see the human rights movement as opposing human rights. View quote
Stephen Kinzer
Saudi Arabia supplies much oil to the U.S. And it is the world's largest consumer of American weaponry. View quote
Stephen Kinzer
Castro has lived almost his entire life as a clandestine revolutionary. To such figures, truth is always malleable, always subservient to political goals. View quote
Stephen Kinzer
For decades, Turkey was widely viewed as a reliable NATO ally: prickly at times, but safely in America's corner. View quote
Stephen Kinzer
The key to Turkey's success has been its ability to reinvent itself as times change. View quote
Stephen Kinzer
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. (Stephen Kinzer)
Most Pakistani politics is conducted within a narrow spectrum. Politicians spend much time debating the best ways to fight India, or take Kashmir, or dominate Afghanistan, or punish the United States for its real and imagined sins. View quote
Stephen Kinzer
During the 19th century, Iranians lost vast territories in disastrous wars, and corrupt monarchs sold everything of value in the country to foreigners. View quote
Stephen Kinzer
As British and French imperialism ebbed following the end of the Second World War, America became the main outside player in Arab affairs. View quote
Stephen Kinzer
The long-term strategic goals of Iran and the long-term strategic goals of Turkey are close to the long-term strategic goals of the United States. View quote
Stephen Kinzer
Washington sees the various local and national conflicts in the Middle East as part of a battle for regional hegemony between the U.S. and Iran. View quote
Stephen Kinzer
Eagles rarely fail to catch their prey. They usually kill it quickly by breaking its neck with their powerful claws. View quote
Stephen Kinzer
A decision by Germany's highest court that banned the display of crosses or crucifixes in classrooms has sparked widespread outrage and protest. View quote
Stephen Kinzer
The capture, taming, training and keeping of eagles is highly ritualized. Most of the birds, which have a life span of about 40 years, are caught when very young - either snatched from a nest or trapped in a baited net. View quote
Stephen Kinzer
Mehmet was the first sultan, and one of the first Muslims anywhere, to defy religious tradition by allowing his portrait to be made. View quote
Stephen Kinzer
Americans overthrew governments only when economic interests coincided with ideological ones. (Stephen Kinzer)
The reason that Americans have not been able to see the great strategic benefit that could accrue from a closer relationship with Iran is emotion. View quote
Stephen Kinzer
Foreign interventions always end badly. View quote
Stephen Kinzer
Not all eagles can be trained, but those who take to life with a master display intense loyalty. Although they are not tethered, they always return after killing their prey. View quote
Stephen Kinzer
The two largest oil-producing countries in Latin America, Mexico and Venezuela, sold petroleum to Nicaragua at concessional rates for several years beginning in 1980. The program was curtailed because Nicaragua could not make even reduced payments. View quote
Stephen Kinzer