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Zbigniew Brzezinski

Zbigniew Brzezinski Quotes

Former National Security Advisor

Zbigniew Brzezinski was a Polish-American political scientist and diplomat who served as the United States National Security Advisor under President Jimmy Carter from 1977 to 1981. He is known for his influential role in shaping U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War and his advocacy for a multi-polar world.

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Famous Zbigniew Brzezinski Quotes

“We have to make a really cold judgement. Would the consequence of civil war be more devastating than the consequences of staying the course?.”

War Courses Cold Consequence Judgement Civil War Staying

Author:Zbigniew Brzezinski

“With the more endowed nations constrained by their own higher technological capacity for self-destruction as well as by self interest, war may have become a luxury that only the poor peoples of this world can afford.”

World Wells May War Self Nations Interest Poor This World Higher Capacity Destruction Luxury Technological Poor People Self Interest Self Destruction

Book:The Grand Chessboard

Source: The Grand Chessboard

“I don't feel I was "born American," but my homeland was denied to me after the end of World War II and I craved something I could identify with.”

World Feels War Ends Born War Of The Worlds World War Ii Denied World War I Homeland

Author:Zbigniew Brzezinski

“The United States can certainly defeat North Vietnam, but the United States cannot defeat a guerrilla war which is being raged from a sanctuary through a pattern of penetration, intervention, evasion, which is very difficult for a technologically advanced country like the United States to combat.”

War Country States Difficult United United States Defeat Patterns Combat Vietnam Intervention Sanctuary Evasion Guerrillas Penetration

Author:Zbigniew Brzezinski

“I'm perfectly willing to say no more Iraqs, which means no more unilateral starting of the war on false claims, false information, and a complete misunderstanding of the nature of the situation in the region.”

Mean War Situation Information Willing Claims Starting Iraq Regions Misunderstanding

Author:Zbigniew Brzezinski

“I think it is essential that America does not stumble into a stupid war with Iran.”

Thinking Doe War America Stupid Essentials Iran

Author:Zbigniew Brzezinski

“We shouldn't overdramatize the current disagreements with the Russians. They are real, but they're not really all that threatening. And the notion that we're moving back to some Cold War I think is really an exaggerated judgment.”

Thinking War Real Moving Cold Judgment Notion Currents Cold War Threatening Disagreement Exaggerated Moving Back

Author:Zbigniew Brzezinski

“The day that the Soviets officially crossed the border of Afghanistan, I wrote to President Jimmy Carter: We now have the opportunity of giving to the USSR its Vietnam war.”

Giving War Opportunity President Afghanistan Vietnam War Jimmy Ussr

Author:Zbigniew Brzezinski

“Indeed, for almost 10 years, Moscow had to carry on a war in Afghanistan, unsupportable by the government, a conflict that brought about the demoralization and finally the breakup of the Soviet empire.”

War Conflict Breakup Afghanistan Soviet

Author:Zbigniew Brzezinski

“If a new president personalizes a rather different concept of America and a different sense of America's mission in the world than has been the case with president George W. Bush, then that almost automatically will help to improve America's global image. But the tangibles involving the war and the economy are not going to be easy to fix.”

World Different War Helping Easy President Economy

Author:Zbigniew Brzezinski

“War on terrorism defines the central preoccupation of the United States in the world today, and it does reflect in my view a rather narrow and extremist vision of foreign policy of the world's first superpower, of a great democracy, with genuinely idealistic traditions.”

“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.”

“What is most important to the history of the world? The Taliban or the collapse of the Soviet empire? Some stirred-up Moslems or the liberation of Central Europe and the end of the cold war?”

World Important War Ends Cold Europe Liberation Empires Soviet Collapse Cold War World History Taliban Mujahideen American Hegemony

Author:Zbigniew Brzezinski

“The attitude of the American public toward the external projection of American power has been much more ambivalent. The public supported America's engagement in World War II largely because of the shock effect of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.”

World Has Beens War America Attitude Effects War Of The Worlds Shock Engagement World War Ii World War I Pearls Projection Harbors Ambivalent American Power Pearl Harbor Attack

Author:Zbigniew Brzezinski

“Iraq may have been a preview of that, but it's still redeemable if we get out fast. In a war with Iran, we'll get dragged down for 20 or 30 years. The world will condemn us. We will lose our position in the world.”

Ifs World Years May Has Beens Stills War Loses Position Iraq Iran Preview

Author:Zbigniew Brzezinski

“The mistakes of the Iraq war are not only tactical and strategic, but historical. It is essentially a war of colonialism, attempted in the post-colonial age.”

War Age Mistake Historical Iraq Posts Colonialism Strategic Iraq War Tactical

Author:Zbigniew Brzezinski

“I don't think there is an implicit obligation for the United States to follow like a stupid mule whatever the Israelis do. If they decide to start a war, simply on the assumption that we will be automatically drawn into it, I think it is the obligation of friendship to say "you're not going to be making national decisions for us"”

Ifs Thinking War States Decision United United States Stupid Obligation Assumption Implicit Mules

Author:Zbigniew Brzezinski

About the Author

Born: March 28, 1928
Known for: Former National Security Advisor
Quotes: 155

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Books & Sources

The Grand Chessboard: American Primacy And Its Geostrategic ImperativesRelated source material

The Grand ChessboardRelated source material

Strategic Vision: America and the Crisis of Global PowerRelated source material

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