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Madeleine Albright Quotes

Former United States Secretary of State

Former United States Secretary of State, born on May 15, 1937. Madeleine Albright was a key figure in American foreign policy during the Cold War and served as the first female Secretary of State under the Clinton administration.

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Famous Madeleine Albright Quotes

“I felt that America's duty was not to try to do everything itself, but to foster a sense of commitment that would bring out the best in every country.”

Trying Country America Felt Policy Duty Commitment Foreign Policy

Author:Madeleine Albright

“the purpose of foreign policy is to persuade others to do what we want or, better yet, to want what we want.”

Want Purpose Policy Foreign Policy

Book:Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat's Jewel Box

Source: Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat's Jewel Box

“The reason I made women's issues central to American foreign policy, was not because I was a feminist, but because we know that societies are more stable if women are politically and economically empowered.”

Ifs Knows Made Reason Issues Policy Feminist Foreign Policy Stable Empowered American Foreign Policy

Author:Madeleine Albright

“There are an awful lot of things going on that need understanding and explanation, but - to put it mildly - the world is a mess.”

World Needs Reality Politics Understanding Community Violence Generations Policy Spring Terrorism Ideology Awful Mess Explanation Foreign Policy Arab Spring

Author:Madeleine Albright

“I went to a girls high school and I went to a women's college and when I first started teaching at Georgetown it had been a single sex school and so they wanted to have some women professors when they went co-ed, and so I originally was hired to start a program there, and really encourage women to go into foreign policy. I always have done that, and I really do think that things are better when women are involved.”

Thinking Firsts Done Wanted School Girl Sex Teaching Policy College Involved High School Program Professors Foreign Policy Georgetown

Author:Madeleine Albright

“Foreign policy is now a huge field. It isn't just people who are studying political science. There are so many aspects to it in terms of understanding hard science for people who are studying climate change, or people who are interested in health policy or food security, or people who care about education.”

People Hard Care Political Understanding Term Study Security Policy Fields Huge Aspect Climate Climate Change Foreign Policy Who Cares Political Science Food Security

Author:Madeleine Albright

“Hate, emotionalism, and frustration are not policies.”

Hate Policy Frustration

Author:Madeleine Albright

“It's one thing to be religious, but it's another thing to make religion your policy.”

Religious One Thing Policy

Author:Madeleine Albright

“I hope I'm wrong, but I am afraid that Iraq is going to turn out to be the greatest disaster in American foreign policy - worse than Vietnam, not in the number who died, but in terms of its unintended consequences and its reverberation throughout the region.”

Turns Term Numbers Policy Consequence Died Iraq Disaster Regions Vietnam Foreign Policy Unintended Consequences American Foreign Policy Reverberation

Author:Madeleine Albright

“The day-to-day making of policy is arguing all the time. You're trying to get the right approach and the right answer, and there are moments that aren't very pleasant. But in the end, you look at the overall product.”

Trying Looks Ends Moments Answers Policy Products Approach Arguing Pleasant Day To Day Right Answers

Author:Madeleine Albright

“For somebody who loves foreign policy, being Secretary is the best job in the world - but it doesn't happen twice.”

World Happens Jobs Policy Foreign Policy Secretary Best Job

Author:Madeleine Albright

“People are finding it harder and harder to relate to foreign policy.”

People Policy Findings Harder Relate Foreign Policy

Author:Madeleine Albright

“I think the personal relationships I established mattered in terms of what I was able to get done. And I did bring women's issues to the center of our foreign policy.”

Thinking Done Able Term Issues Policy Foreign Policy Personal Relationships

Author:Madeleine Albright

“We have the most generous immigration policy, but what is a concern is when illegal immigrants come and undermine a variety of the systems that work in order to make our society function.”

Order Policy Concern Function Immigration Variety Generous Our Society Immigrants Illegal Illegal Immigrants Immigration Policy

Author:Madeleine Albright

“Our predecessors understood that the ties that bind America are far stronger than disagreements over any particular policy and far more durable and profound than any party affiliation.”

America Party Policy Particular Understood Stronger Profound Ties Disagreement Predecessors Affiliation Bipartisanship Ties That Bind

Author:Madeleine Albright

“I was not only the first woman to become secretary of state, I was the first [U.S.] secretary of state of the 21st century. I was the first secretary of state to own a Web site, to visit Internet cafes, and to make Internet access a part of policy.”

Firsts States Politics Century Policy Internet Access Secretary Site 21st Century Cafes Internet Access

Author:Madeleine Albright

“Armageddon is not a foreign policy.”

Policy Foreign Policy Armageddon

Author:Madeleine Albright

About the Author

Born: May 15, 1937
Known for: Former United States Secretary of State
Quotes: 231

Books & Sources

Madam SecretaryRelated source material

Prague Winter: A Personal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937-1948Related source material

De hel en andere bestemmingen: Memoires 2001-2019Related source material

Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat's Jewel BoxRelated source material

The Mighty and the Almighty: Reflections on America, God, and World Affairs – A Bold Critique and Call for Moral Consensus in an Era of Religious TerrorismRelated source material

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