--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Understanding clearly that what they were…" description: "\"“Understanding clearly that what they were doing was illegal, Nixon and Kissinger did it anyway.”\" — Gary J. Bass" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28f/gary-j-bass-105875_kissinger_understanding-clearly-that-what-they-wer_3210119.jpg" --- # Understanding clearly that what they were doing was… ![“Understanding clearly that what they were doing was illegal, Nixon and Kissinger did it anyway.” quote by Gary J. Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28f/gary-j-bass-105875_kissinger_understanding-clearly-that-what-they-wer_3210119.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28f/gary-j-bass-105875_kissinger_understanding-clearly-that-what-they-wer_3210119.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/28f/gary-j-bass-105875_kissinger_understanding-clearly-that-what-they-wer_3210119.jpg) > ““Understanding clearly that what they were doing was illegal, Nixon and Kissinger did it anyway.”” Gary J. Bass ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It highlights the conscious choice to commit illegal acts despite awareness, underscoring moral compromise in power. **In simple terms:** People knowingly break laws for personal or political gain. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge unethical authority. Themes ethics politics law Mood critical serious Type historical political When to use this quote - government decisions - corporate lobbying - historical analysis Key Concepts moral compromise power dynamics Questions to Reflect On - Why do leaders rationalize illegal actions? - What safeguards can prevent this? A Different Perspective Legal consequences may be downplayed, obscuring accountability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) ## Related quotes > [“President Nixon and Kissinger were joined for the promotion ceremony by CIA director Richard Helms and Defense Secretary Laird; all the men were in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garrett-m-graff/president-nixon-and-kissinger-were-joined-for-the-promotion-ceremony/) [Garrett M. Graff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garrett-m-graff/) > [What Nixon and Kissinger began, Pol Pot completed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pilger/what-nixon-and-kissinger-began-pol-pot-completed/) [John Pilger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pilger/) > [What Americans cant face is that one of the reasons that the Russians and the Chinese were so impressed with us during the Cold…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-d-kaplan/what-americans-cant-face-is-that-one-of-the-reasons-that-the-russians/) [Robert D. Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-d-kaplan/) > [I love stories about two people who are doing illegal things, who we really enjoy watching despite the fact that we know they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/famke-janssen/i-love-stories-about-two-people-who-are-doing-illegal-things-who-we/) [Famke Janssen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/famke-janssen/) > [I think there's nothing wrong with eating all the time. At least i'm not doing anything illegal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/niall-horan/i-think-there-s-nothing-wrong-with-eating-all-the-time-at-least-i-m/) [Niall Horan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/niall-horan/) > [I wouldn't suggest that being resourceful has anything to do with doing something illegal or unethical, but I've definitely noticed a pattern of being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-weiss/i-wouldn-t-suggest-that-being-resourceful-has-anything-to-do-with/) [Scott Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-weiss/) > [The trouble when you're doing something illegal is that you know what you're doing. You're lying to your parents, you're lying to your kids.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-chong/the-trouble-when-you-re-doing-something-illegal-is-that-you-know-what/) [Tommy Chong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-chong/) > [I tried partying and going out, doing drugs and even dealing drugs to support my habit. I was hanging out with people from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-hosoi/i-tried-partying-and-going-out-doing-drugs-and-even-dealing-drugs-to/) [Christian Hosoi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-hosoi/) > [I learned that the political is above the legal, that's why when my advisors tell me, Evo, what you are doing is illegal, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evo-morales/i-learned-that-the-political-is-above-the-legal-that-s-why-when-my/) [Evo Morales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evo-morales/) > [ There's a great quote from Henry Kissinger, which I became aware of from reading \[Joseph\] Heller's Good As Gold. 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Bass > [“This book is about how two of the world’s great democracies—the United States and India—faced up to one of the most terrible humanitarian crises…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-j-bass/this-book-is-about-how-two-of-the-world-s-great-democracies-the/) Gary J. Bass Explore all 2 Gary J. Bass quotes ## More Kissinger quotes > [Henry Kissinger may have wished I had presented him as a combination of Charles DeGaulle and Disraeli, but I didn't…out of respect for DeGaulle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oriana-fallaci/henry-kissinger-may-have-wished-i-had-presented-him-as-a-combination/) [Oriana Fallaci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oriana-fallaci/) > [Love is when you realize that he's as sexy as Woody Allen, as smart as Jimmy Connors, as funny as Ralph Nader, as athletic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-viorst/love-is-when-you-realize-that-he-s-as-sexy-as-woody-allen-as-smart-as/) [Judith Viorst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-viorst/) > [I was fourteen when Kissinger made his secret trip to China, and then there was subsequently Nixon's trip to China, and I was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-pomfret/i-was-fourteen-when-kissinger-made-his-secret-trip-to-china-and-then/) [John Pomfret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-pomfret/) > [“So many of the professional foreign policy establishment, and so many of their hangers-on among the lumpen academics and journalists, had become worried by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/so-many-of-the-professional-foreign-policy-establishment-and-so-many/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [If you watch the evening news, Dr. Kissinger is very often brought on to sort of be the statesman of his age and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/if-you-watch-the-evening-news-dr-kissinger-is-very-often-brought-on/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) > [ There's a great quote from Henry Kissinger, which I became aware of from reading \[Joseph\] Heller's Good As Gold. 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How the hell are we going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-golub/people-say-but-photographs-are-all-lies-that-s-not-the-point-the-lie/) [Leon Golub](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-golub/) > [ President \[Ronald\] Reagan never has tried to become an expert on military matters. He never has endeavored to learn the most important details in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helmut-schmidt/president-ronald-reagan-never-has-tried-to-become-an-expert-on/) [Helmut Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helmut-schmidt/) > [I don't really remember the day when I stood behind my camera with Henry Kissinger on the other side. I am sure he doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-avedon/i-don-t-really-remember-the-day-when-i-stood-behind-my-camera-with/) [Richard Avedon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-avedon/) Browse all 83 Kissinger quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Understanding clearly that what they were doing was illegal, Nixon and Kissinger did it anyway.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Gary J. 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