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It is not a matter of what is true that counts, but a matter of what is perceived to be true.

Henry Kissinger

In effect, none of the most important countries which must build a new world order have had any experience with the multi-state system that is emerging. Never before has a new world order had to be assembled from so many different perceptions, or on so global a scale.
HENRY KISSINGER

Experience Important World
Policy is the art of the possible, the science of the relative.
HENRY KISSINGER

Art Policy Possible Science
Corrupt politicians make the other ten percent look bad.
HENRY KISSINGER

Appearance Bad Politics
Order always requires a subtle balance of restraint, force, and legitimacy.
HENRY KISSINGER

Force Rule
America has no permanent friends or enemies, only interests
HENRY KISSINGER

Enemy Friendship
The mindset for walking lonely political paths may not be self-evident to those who seek confirmation by hundreds, sometimes thousands of friends on Facebook.
HENRY KISSINGER

Evidence Friendship Lonely Mindset Path Walk
Postcolonial countries. All have sought to overcome the legacy of colonial.
HENRY KISSINGER

Oppression Rule
The absence of alternatives clears the mind marvelously.
HENRY KISSINGER

Absence Mindset
Later I learned to improve my forecasting—if necessary by asking the visitor in advance what subjects he intended to raise with Nixon.
HENRY KISSINGER

Learning Myself Necessary
History is the memory of States.
HENRY KISSINGER

History Memories
In his essay, ‘Perpetual Peace,’ the philosopher, Immanuel Kant, argued that perpetual peace would eventually come to the world in one of two ways, by human insight or by conflicts and catastrophes of a magnitude that left humanity no other choice. We are at such a juncture.
HENRY KISSINGER

Human Humanity Nature Peace Philosophy World
The Art of War articulates a doctrine less of territorial conquest than of psychological dominance; it was the way the North Vietnamese fought America.
HENRY KISSINGER

Art Fight War
The illegal we do immediately. The unconstitutional takes a little longer.
HENRY KISSINGER

Legal Politics Time
It is not a matter of what is true that counts, but a matter of what is perceived to be true.
HENRY KISSINGER

Deep Philosophy True
It’s a pity both sides can’t lose (commenting on Iran-Iraq war, 1980 – 1988)
HENRY KISSINGER

Lose War
A country that demands moral perfection in its foreign policy will achieve neither perfection nor security
HENRY KISSINGER

Moral Perfection Policy Security

It is not a matter of what is true that counts, but a matter of what is perceived to be true.

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It is not a matter of what is true that counts, but a matter of what is perceived to be true.

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