--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When George Bush Senior [George HW Bush]…" description: "\"When George Bush Senior [George HW Bush] was getting his alliance together to go into Iraq - to kick the Iraqis out of Kuwait - he rang me up. I was ve..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ce/bob-hawke-7891_alliances_when-george-bush-senior-george-hw-bush-w_980032.jpg" --- # When George Bush Senior \[George HW Bush\] was getting his… ![“When George Bush Senior [George HW Bush] was getting his alliance together to go into Iraq - to kick the Iraqis out of Kuwait - he rang me up. I was very close to George Bush Senior; I got to know him well as Vice President to Ronald Reagan. And George rang me up and said, "Oh, Bob," he said, "I'm…” quote by Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ce/bob-hawke-7891_alliances_when-george-bush-senior-george-hw-bush-w_980032.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ce/bob-hawke-7891_alliances_when-george-bush-senior-george-hw-bush-w_980032.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ce/bob-hawke-7891_alliances_when-george-bush-senior-george-hw-bush-w_980032.jpg) > “When George Bush Senior \[George HW Bush\] was getting his alliance together to go into Iraq - to kick the Iraqis out of Kuwait - he rang me up. I was very close to George Bush Senior; I got to know him well as Vice President to Ronald Reagan. And George rang me up and said, "Oh, Bob," he said, "I'm having trouble with Brian \[Mulroney\]." He said, "He's got a big wheat trade with Iraq, and he doesn't want to upset that." I said, "You leave it with me."” [Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Political negotiations involve personal relationships and hidden trade interests. **In simple terms:** Leaders balance diplomacy with economic ties. Key Takeaway Consider hidden motives in negotiations. Themes politics diplomacy economics personal networks Mood analytical cautious Type historical inspirational When to use this quote - foreign policy decisions - business deals - conflict resolution - government meetings Key Concepts power dynamics trade policy Questions to Reflect On - How do personal ties affect policy? - What safeguards protect impartial decisions? A Different Perspective Economic interests may compromise moral choices. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Alliances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alliances/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Bob](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bob/) [Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brian/) [Bush Getting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bush-getting-1939483/) [Bush Senior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bush-senior-1939481/) [Close George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/close-george-1939484/) [George bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/george-bush/) [George Hw Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/george-hw-bush-227230/) [Hw Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hw-bush-1939482/) [Iraq](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/iraq/) [Kicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kicks/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Kuwait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kuwait/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Said](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said/) [Senior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/senior/) [Together](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/together/) [Trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade/) [Trouble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trouble/) [Upset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/upset/) [Vice president](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vice-president/) [Vices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vices/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wells/) [Wheat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wheat/) ## Related quotes > [“He looked like a kid caught making an angel in the snow, except his glasses had been blown off and one of his hands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-stroud/he-looked-like-a-kid-caught-making-an-angel-in-the-snow-except-his/) [Jonathan Stroud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-stroud/) > [Bush senior used to say that we have more will than wallet. So he urged the country to attack poverty with a thousand points…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barney-frank/bush-senior-used-to-say-that-we-have-more-will-than-wallet-so-he/) [Barney Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barney-frank/) > [What's happened recently in Pakistan, India and Kuwait only goes to show that it's futile to imitate Western democracy. They've ended up exactly where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohammed-reza-pahlavi/what-s-happened-recently-in-pakistan-india-and-kuwait-only-goes-to/) [Mohammed Reza Pahlavi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohammed-reza-pahlavi/) > [In Kuwait there is already a real, elected parliament with genuine power, but the prime minister is always a member of the ruling al-Sabah…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-abrams/in-kuwait-there-is-already-a-real-elected-parliament-with-genuine/) [Elliott Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-abrams/) > [It took the Gulf War to demonstrate that America did want more than one friend in the Mideast, and also was willing to take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caspar-weinberger/it-took-the-gulf-war-to-demonstrate-that-america-did-want-more-than/) [Caspar Weinberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caspar-weinberger/) > [When I lose my marbles which is never, when I lose my energy, I travel the world today for Viacom, China, Turkey, Dubai, Kuwait.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sumner-redstone/when-i-lose-my-marbles-which-is-never-when-i-lose-my-energy-i-travel/) [Sumner Redstone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sumner-redstone/) > [Since the last tour I have done a lot of extensive travel to Iraq, Kuwait, Siberia, South Korea and other places and picked up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/since-the-last-tour-i-have-done-a-lot-of-extensive-travel-to-iraq/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [Kuwait City is not gorgeous, actually, but it's got a kind of Epcot Center thing going for it. It's not pretty. But it's striking,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/kuwait-city-is-not-gorgeous-actually-but-it-s-got-a-kind-of-epcot/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [I went to Kuwait, Baghdad, you know all through Iraq. I went to Qatar, Afghanistan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-wall/i-went-to-kuwait-baghdad-you-know-all-through-iraq-i-went-to-qatar/) [Paul Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-wall/) > [The liberation of Kuwait has begun. In conjunction with the forces of our coalition partners, the United States has moved under the code name…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/the-liberation-of-kuwait-has-begun-in-conjunction-with-the-forces-of/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) > [We are all the siblings of Kuwait. She is the mother and the father, and we are the shield that protects her from her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaber-al-ahmad-al-sabah/we-are-all-the-siblings-of-kuwait-she-is-the-mother-and-the-father/) [Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaber-al-ahmad-al-sabah/) > [Kuwait will continue to be the final goal, her words will keep being the standing point.. Who works for her, nurtures her rights, protects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaber-al-ahmad-al-sabah/kuwait-will-continue-to-be-the-final-goal-her-words-will-keep-being/) [Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaber-al-ahmad-al-sabah/) > [Tibet is not like Kuwait. Kuwait has oil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/tibet-is-not-like-kuwait-kuwait-has-oil/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [We have to go massively, like we did in the first Gulf War where we destroyed Saddam's ability to take Kuwait. We need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/we-have-to-go-massively-like-we-did-in-the-first-gulf-war-where-we/) [John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/) > [The building of Kuwait and her Eminence, it's defense and protection, is primarily a responsibility by her people and the efforts of her children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jaber-al-ahmad-al-sabah/the-building-of-kuwait-and-her-eminence-it-s-defense-and-protection/) [Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jaber-al-ahmad-al-sabah/) ## More by Bob Hawke > [ Brian Mulroney, myself, \[and\] Rajiv Gandhi; I think that was the real core \[of the Commonwealth \]. That was the engine room, I reckon. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/brian-mulroney-myself-and-rajiv-gandhi-i-think-that-was-the-real-core/) [Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/) > [While society cannot provide employment for its members, the production/work/income nexus has to be abandoned as a justification for our present parsimony to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/while-society-cannot-provide-employment-for-its-members-the/) [Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/) > [ We \[ with Brian Mulroney and Rajiv Gandhi\] went to the meeting in Canada \[the 1987 Vancouver CHOGM\] and I said to them there… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/we-with-brian-mulroney-and-rajiv-gandhi-went-to-the-meeting-in-canada/) [Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/) > [ I told \[ David Lange\] he was crazy, because you can't have an alliance relationship if you refuse access to their ships. And the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/i-told-david-lange-he-was-crazy-because-you-can-t-have-an-alliance/) [Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/) > [I find a fence a very uncomfortable place to squat my bottom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/i-find-a-fence-a-very-uncomfortable-place-to-squat-my-bottom/) [Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/) > [ There is a reciprocal respect for \[ Elizabeth II\], for her interest in the Commonwealth. The members of the Commonwealth recognise that here is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/there-is-a-reciprocal-respect-for-elizabeth-ii-for-her-interest-in/) [Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/) > [We are building together a nation in which there are no second-class Australians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/we-are-building-together-a-nation-in-which-there-are-no-second-class/) [Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/) > [I had no time for Indira Gandhi. She was too much in the Russian camp for my liking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/i-had-no-time-for-indira-gandhi-she-was-too-much-in-the-russian-camp/) [Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/) > [I wrote a letter to our Australian newspaper about three weeks before the invasion and I said, "Osama bin Laden must be on his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/i-wrote-a-letter-to-our-australian-newspaper-about-three-weeks-before/) [Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/) > [I can't speak with authority about Emeka Anyaoku. I just didn't know him that well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/i-can-t-speak-with-authority-about-emeka-anyaoku-i-just-didn-t-know/) [Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/) > [ George Bush Junior \[George W Bush\] was a religious fanatic, and Tony Blair wasn't far behind in a way. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/george-bush-junior-george-w-bush-was-a-religious-fanatic-and-tony/) [Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/) > [I felt completely ready to become prime minister. I came to office better equipped, in terms of knowledge of economics and of the Australian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/i-felt-completely-ready-to-become-prime-minister-i-came-to-office/) [Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/) > [I went along with it, and wanted to appoint a significant figure in Malcolm Fraser. I didn't have high hopes that they'd be able…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/i-went-along-with-it-and-wanted-to-appoint-a-significant-figure-in/) [Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/) > [ One of the features of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings was \[that\] she \[ Elizabeth II\] would have a meeting with each of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/one-of-the-features-of-the-commonwealth-heads-of-government-meetings/) [Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/) > [The greatest stain upon this great Australian nation's character, without any question, is the great gaps that exist between our Aboriginal brothers and sisters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/the-greatest-stain-upon-this-great-australian-nation-s-character/) [Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/) [Explore all 86 Bob Hawke quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/) ## More Alliances quotes > [ \[U\]nless oppressed groups stick together, and on alliances of self interest rather than do-goodism; nothing can be accomplished in the long run to dismantle… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shulamith-firestone/u-nless-oppressed-groups-stick-together-and-on-alliances-of-self/) [Shulamith Firestone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shulamith-firestone/) > [Men since the beginning of time have sought peace...military alliances, balances of power, leagues of nations, all in turn have failed, leaving the only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/men-since-the-beginning-of-time-have-sought-peace-military-alliances/) [Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/) > [The U.S. always needs an enemy. It comes and goes. Today it is Islam. According to this plan or ideology of the born-again Christians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walid-jumblatt/the-u-s-always-needs-an-enemy-it-comes-and-goes-today-it-is-islam/) [Walid Jumblatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walid-jumblatt/) > [I would be quite happy to see the Northern Alliance steam across northern Afghanistan and take Kabul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-hoon/i-would-be-quite-happy-to-see-the-northern-alliance-steam-across/) [Geoff Hoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-hoon/) > [We are very wrong to think that some fault or other can exclude virtue, or to consider the alliance of good and evil as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-de-clapiers/we-are-very-wrong-to-think-that-some-fault-or-other-can-exclude/) [Luc de Clapiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-de-clapiers/) > [Love and friendship, two of life's abiding rewards, are endangered species in Hollywood. People crave both, mistaking alliance for friendship, lust for love, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynda-obst/love-and-friendship-two-of-life-s-abiding-rewards-are-endangered/) [Lynda Obst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynda-obst/) > [...to befoul the unholy alliance between corrupt business and corrupt politics is the first task of the statesmanship of the day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/to-befoul-the-unholy-alliance-between-corrupt-business-and-corrupt/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [I prayed for the first time in a very long time today. I explained to God that unless he wanted the Marxist-Islamic alliance and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anders-behring-breivik/i-prayed-for-the-first-time-in-a-very-long-time-today-i-explained-to/) [Anders Behring Breivik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anders-behring-breivik/) > [You cannot lead an alliance if you say you're going alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/you-cannot-lead-an-alliance-if-you-say-you-re-going-alone/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [An alliance is like a chain. It is not made stronger by adding weak links to it. A great power like the United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/an-alliance-is-like-a-chain-it-is-not-made-stronger-by-adding-weak/) [Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/) > [Behind the ostensible government sits enthroned an invisible government owing no allegiance and acknowledging no responsibility to the people. To destroy this invisible government,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/behind-the-ostensible-government-sits-enthroned-an-invisible/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Clearly, gay marriage is on the top of the agenda right now. It's pretty amazing, considering where stuff was at when I was in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hanna/clearly-gay-marriage-is-on-the-top-of-the-agenda-right-now-it-s/) [Kathleen Hanna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hanna/) > [America must always be the world's paramount military power, but we can magnify our power through alliances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/america-must-always-be-the-world-s-paramount-military-power-but-we/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [In 1491 the Inka ruled the greatest empire on earth. Bigger than Ming Dynasty China, bigger than Ivan the Great’s expanding Russia, bigger than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-c-mann/in-1491-the-inka-ruled-the-greatest-empire-on-earth-bigger-than-ming/) [Charles C. Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-c-mann/) > [ I told \[ David Lange\] he was crazy, because you can't have an alliance relationship if you refuse access to their ships. And the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/i-told-david-lange-he-was-crazy-because-you-can-t-have-an-alliance/) [Bob Hawke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/) [Browse all 389 Alliances quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alliances/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When George Bush Senior [George HW Bush] was getting his alliance together to go into Iraq - to kick the Iraqis out of Kuwait - he rang me up. I was very close to George Bush Senior; I got to know him well as Vice President to Ronald Reagan. And George rang me up and said, \"Oh, Bob,\" he said, \"I'm having trouble with Brian [Mulroney].\" He said, \"He's got a big wheat trade with Iraq, and he doesn't want to upset that.\" I said, \"You leave it with me.\"", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bob Hawke" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/when-george-bush-senior-george-hw-bush-was-getting-his-alliance/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Alliances" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/when-george-bush-senior-george-hw-bush-was-getting-his-alliance/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ce/bob-hawke-7891_alliances_when-george-bush-senior-george-hw-bush-w_980032.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ce/bob-hawke-7891_alliances_when-george-bush-senior-george-hw-bush-w_980032.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8ce/bob-hawke-7891_alliances_when-george-bush-senior-george-hw-bush-w_980032.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When George Bush Senior [George HW Bush] was getting his alliance together to go into Iraq - to kick the…” — Bob Hawke", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bob Hawke", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-hawke/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When George Bush Senior [George HW...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/when-george-bush-senior-george-hw-bush-was-getting-his-alliance/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-hawke/when-george-bush-senior-george-hw-bush-was-getting-his-alliance/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```