There will be no room, here, for the smug myopia which views American civilization as the final solution to all world problems; which recommends our institutions for universal adoption and turns away with contempt from the serious study of the… — George F. Kennan Copy Share Image
We should not lose ourselves in vainglorious sohemes for changing human nature all over the planet. Rather, we should learn to view ourselves with… — George F. Kennan Copy Share
Forms of government are forged mainly in the fire of practice, not in the vacuum of theory. They respond to national character and to… — George F. Kennan Copy Share
“In the face of this situation we would be better off to dispense now with a number of the concepts which have underlined our… — George F. Kennan Copy Share
“If you accept a democratic system, this means that you are prepared to put up with those of its workings, legislative or administrative, with… — George F. Kennan Copy Share
The jealous and intolerant eye of the Kremlin can distinguish, in the end, only vassals and enemies, and the neighbors of Russia, if they… — George F. Kennan Copy Share
Do people ever reflect, one wonders, that the best way to protect against the penetration of one's secrets by others is to have the… — George F. Kennan Copy Share
Actually, the inability of any society to resist immigration, the inability to find other solutions to the problem of employment at the lower, more… — George F. Kennan Copy Share
There is more respect to be won in the opinion of this world by a resolute and courageous liquidation of unsound positions than by… — George F. Kennan Copy Share
The nuclear bomb is the most useless weapon ever invented. It can be employed to no rational purpose. It is not even an effective… — George F. Kennan Copy Share
The United States cannot reshape other countries in its own image and that, with a few exceptions, its efforts to police the world are… — George F. Kennan Copy Share
Whenever you have a possibility of going in two ways, either for peace or for war, for peaceful methods of for military methods, in… — George F. Kennan Copy Share
Perfect discipline requires recognition of infallibility. Infallibility requires the observance of discipline. — George F. Kennan Copy Share
Anyone who has ever studied the history of American diplomacy, especially military diplomacy, knows that you might start in a war with certain things… — George F. Kennan Copy Share
