---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Diminish us across the board. They…"
description: "\"Diminish us across the board. They [Russians] do not wish us well.\" — Daniel Fried"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d15/daniel-fried-8925_boards_diminish-us-across-the-board-they-russia_2823991.jpg"
---

#  Diminish us across the board. They \[Russians\] do not wish…

![“Diminish us across the board. They &#91;Russians&#93; do not wish us well.” quote by Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d15/daniel-fried-8925_boards_diminish-us-across-the-board-they-russia_2823991.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d15/daniel-fried-8925_boards_diminish-us-across-the-board-they-russia_2823991.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d15/daniel-fried-8925_boards_diminish-us-across-the-board-they-russia_2823991.jpg)

> “Diminish us across the board. They \[Russians\] do not wish us well.”

[Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote suggests a belief that Russians collectively act against our interests, implying a broad antagonism.

**In simple terms:** Russians are portrayed as hostile.

Key Takeaway

Question assumptions.

Themes

politics conflict stereotype

Mood

critical analytical

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- diplomatic negotiations
- media literacy
- policy analysis

Key Concepts

geopolitics media bias

Questions to Reflect On

- What evidence supports this view?
- How can we avoid sweeping judgments?

A Different Perspective

Overgeneralization can fuel prejudice.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Russia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russia/) [Russians](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/russians/) [Wish](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wish/)

## Related quotes

> [ They \[Russians\] are the adversary, they - we're the adversary they love to hate. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/they-russians-are-the-adversary-they-we-re-the-adversary-they-love-to/)

[Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/)

> [ \[Russians would like to\] undermine the West and its institutions, create doubts about NATO, create doubts about the European Union, support nationalists on the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/russians-would-like-to-undermine-the-west-and-its-institutions-create/)

[Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/)

> [ \[Russians\] want to bring us down to make them feel better about the failure of the Soviet Union. I don't mean bring us down… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/russians-want-to-bring-us-down-to-make-them-feel-better-about-the/)

[Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/)

> [“Russia’s biggest downside, for me at least, is its lack of color. Being in Russia is like breathing different oxygen, and I can feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-lindstrom/russia-s-biggest-downside-for-me-at-least-is-its-lack-of-color-being/)

[Martin Lindstrom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-lindstrom/)

> [I think you see a clear pattern of people in the Trump campaign coordinating with Russians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-quigley/i-think-you-see-a-clear-pattern-of-people-in-the-trump-campaign/)

[Mike Quigley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-quigley/)

> [The one thing that I remember from all of my intelligence briefings and my dealings with the Russians is that when you deal with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/the-one-thing-that-i-remember-from-all-of-my-intelligence-briefings/)

[Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/)

> [“Neither the Russians nor the Americans were the cleverest people, or the most experienced, in the world that followed 1945. The French were rather…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-fehrenbach-2/neither-the-russians-nor-the-americans-were-the-cleverest-people-or/)

[T.R. Fehrenbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-fehrenbach-2/)

> [My parents were angry, but they were relieved that I was in good condition. They had been afraid the Russians would torture me. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mathias-rust/my-parents-were-angry-but-they-were-relieved-that-i-was-in-good/)

[Mathias Rust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mathias-rust/)

> [I can see why the Russians love Robert Burns, I think that Russians and Koreans have a very similar outlook to Scots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/i-can-see-why-the-russians-love-robert-burns-i-think-that-russians/)

[Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/)

> [I'm not sure the Russians would be happy that their iconic wooly mammoth has North American origins.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hendrik-poinar/i-m-not-sure-the-russians-would-be-happy-that-their-iconic-wooly/)

[Hendrik Poinar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hendrik-poinar/)

> [The Russians train; they do not dare educate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lerner/the-russians-train-they-do-not-dare-educate/)

[Max Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lerner/)

> [Russians not only vehemently despise blacks, they believe Africa begins at the Ukraine border.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/russians-not-only-vehemently-despise-blacks-they-believe-africa/)

[P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/)

> [We Russians are already living, not getting ready to live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boris-yeltsin/we-russians-are-already-living-not-getting-ready-to-live/)

[Boris Yeltsin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boris-yeltsin/)

> [“As one Finn put it after the battle of Kuhmo, ‘There were more Russians than we had bullets.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-roberts/as-one-finn-put-it-after-the-battle-of-kuhmo-there-were-more-russians/)

[Andrew Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-roberts/)

> [The Russians have held my title for ten years and they're going to be in for it when I win the Championship. They're going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bobby-fischer/the-russians-have-held-my-title-for-ten-years-and-they-re-going-to-be/)

[Bobby Fischer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bobby-fischer/)

## More by Daniel Fried

> [We're a little bit low in the 1970s, right, post-Vietnam, Watergate era, malaise, all that, but this is more like the 1930s where the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/we-re-a-little-bit-low-in-the-1970s-right-post-vietnam-watergate-era/)

[Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/)

> [I think, Russia is pushing against the West in general, not just the United States but the institutions of the West, the key governments…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/i-think-russia-is-pushing-against-the-west-in-general-not-just-the/)

[Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/)

> [ \[Russians\] want to bring us down to make them feel better about the failure of the Soviet Union. I don't mean bring us down… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/russians-want-to-bring-us-down-to-make-them-feel-better-about-the/)

[Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/)

> [It was my honor to have done what I could do to help. I learned to never underestimate the possibility of change, that values…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/it-was-my-honor-to-have-done-what-i-could-do-to-help-i-learned-to/)

[Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/)

> [I think that Hillary Clinton has an appreciation that American power needs to be put in the service of American values, which is an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/i-think-that-hillary-clinton-has-an-appreciation-that-american-power/)

[Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/)

> [The West in its modern form since 1945 is a miracle, and that's in our American interests. It's its good that the West is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/the-west-in-its-modern-form-since-1945-is-a-miracle-and-that-s-in-our/)

[Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/)

> [Nothing can be taken for granted and this great achievement is now under assault by Russia. But what we did in my time is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/nothing-can-be-taken-for-granted-and-this-great-achievement-is-now/)

[Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/)

> [Two World Wars are sufficient and we are the ones who supported this notion of a united Europe, so there would never be another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/two-world-wars-are-sufficient-and-we-are-the-ones-who-supported-this/)

[Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/)

> [George W. Bush tried working with the Russians after 9/11; Obama had the reset. Both presidents achieved less than they wanted, but they both…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/george-w-bush-tried-working-with-the-russians-after-9-11-obama-had/)

[Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/)

> [I am not one of these people that believes that Russia is doomed, or somehow, you know, inevitably disposed to act according to its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/i-am-not-one-of-these-people-that-believes-that-russia-is-doomed-or/)

[Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/)

> [I think that President George W. Bush was ahead of most of his government, in realizing that Putin was not the person we thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/i-think-that-president-george-w-bush-was-ahead-of-most-of-his/)

[Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/)

> [ In my view, \[Vladimir\] Putin despises the West in general and the United States in particular, both for who we are, our liberal values,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/in-my-view-vladimir-putin-despises-the-west-in-general-and-the-united/)

[Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/)

> [ \[Russians would like to\] undermine the West and its institutions, create doubts about NATO, create doubts about the European Union, support nationalists on the… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/russians-would-like-to-undermine-the-west-and-its-institutions-create/)

[Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/)

> [Republicans - Reagan but also George W. Bush - believed in freedom, and they believed in America's role. To have the governing party speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/republicans-reagan-but-also-george-w-bush-believed-in-freedom-and/)

[Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/)

> [At least in my country, we have come to accept the flags burning, but what we cannot accept is violence, burning of embassies and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/at-least-in-my-country-we-have-come-to-accept-the-flags-burning-but/)

[Daniel Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/)

[Explore all 77 Daniel Fried quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/)

## More Boards quotes

> [One of the worst things to come out of the Consumer Protection Board's misleading claims is the impression that government resources are to hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lesko/one-of-the-worst-things-to-come-out-of-the-consumer-protection-board/)

[Matthew Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lesko/)

> [I am somewhat influenced by the years that I've spent trying to actually get things done, whether it was reforming education in Arkansas or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-am-somewhat-influenced-by-the-years-that-i-ve-spent-trying-to/)

[Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/)

> [Cows are a lot smarter across the board than bulls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-haden-church/cows-are-a-lot-smarter-across-the-board-than-bulls/)

[Thomas Haden Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-haden-church/)

> [Some guys need to see things on a grease board, ... I like when you can see it in your mind. And that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peyton-manning/some-guys-need-to-see-things-on-a-grease-board-i-like-when-you-can/)

[Peyton Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peyton-manning/)

> [I am formally accountable to the steering board of the PIC, and I meet with nine ambassadors from the PIC every week. I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paddy-ashdown/i-am-formally-accountable-to-the-steering-board-of-the-pic-and-i-meet/)

[Paddy Ashdown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paddy-ashdown/)

> [You are also asked to take an oath, and that's the oath of service. The oath of service is not to secrecy, but to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/you-are-also-asked-to-take-an-oath-and-that-s-the-oath-of-service-the/)

[Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/)

> [When his highness sends a ship to Egypt, does he trouble his head whether the mice on board are at their ease or not?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/when-his-highness-sends-a-ship-to-egypt-does-he-trouble-his-head/)

[Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/)

> [Perhaps we have failed as human beings. Perhaps we have embarrassed ourselves to the natural world. We have been rigorous and willful in all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/perhaps-we-have-failed-as-human-beings-perhaps-we-have-embarrassed/)

[Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/)

> [Once scouting fully opens its doors to all who desire the same experience that so fully enriched me as a young person, I will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/once-scouting-fully-opens-its-doors-to-all-who-desire-the-same/)

[Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/)

> [Politicians should be dedicated to the welfare of the people, but sometimes politics becomes like a game of chess, in which the sole aim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nirmala-srivastava/politicians-should-be-dedicated-to-the-welfare-of-the-people-but/)

[Nirmala Srivastava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nirmala-srivastava/)

> [This world is not a platform where you will hear Thalberg-piano-playing. It is a piano manufactory, where are dust and shavings and boards, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/this-world-is-not-a-platform-where-you-will-hear-thalberg-piano/)

[Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/)

> [He is nothing more than one of my pawns. However, he is not a normal pawn. He is a pawn that can get across…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yana-toboso/he-is-nothing-more-than-one-of-my-pawns-however-he-is-not-a-normal/)

[Yana Toboso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yana-toboso/)

> [Corporations are totalitarian institutions. Board of directors at the top of managers give orders, everyone follows orders… At the very bottom of command, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/corporations-are-totalitarian-institutions-board-of-directors-at-the/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [Our current use of time is not rational. There is therefore no point in seeking marginal improvements in how we spend our time. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-koch/our-current-use-of-time-is-not-rational-there-is-therefore-no-point/)

[Richard Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-koch/)

> [When I was in college, I lost my scholarship one year. I had enough money for tuition, but not room and board. So I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hass/when-i-was-in-college-i-lost-my-scholarship-one-year-i-had-enough/)

[Robert Hass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hass/)

Browse all 1,220 Boards quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Diminish us across the board. They [Russians] do not wish us well.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Daniel Fried"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/diminish-us-across-the-board-they-russians-do-not-wish-us-well/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Boards"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/diminish-us-across-the-board-they-russians-do-not-wish-us-well/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d15/daniel-fried-8925_boards_diminish-us-across-the-board-they-russia_2823991.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d15/daniel-fried-8925_boards_diminish-us-across-the-board-they-russia_2823991.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d15/daniel-fried-8925_boards_diminish-us-across-the-board-they-russia_2823991.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Diminish us across the board. They [Russians] do not wish us well.” — Daniel Fried",
                "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": "Daniel Fried",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-fried/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Diminish us across the board. They...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/diminish-us-across-the-board-they-russians-do-not-wish-us-well/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-fried/diminish-us-across-the-board-they-russians-do-not-wish-us-well/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
