Acceptable Quote by Henry A. Kissinger
“If a Chinese plane landed at Los Angeles Airport having just bought down an American military plane, he wouldn't be permitted to leave the next day. So then we developed a framework which should have been acceptable as a concept to the Chinese, namely to express regret for the loss of life and maintain our position that we had a right to fly these missions.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Remarks on U.S.-China Relations, 1972
The speaker suggests that expressing regret for casualties can make a controversial military action more acceptable to a rival nation.
In simple terms: Offering regret can ease diplomatic tension after a conflict.
Key Takeaway
Use sincere apology to reduce hostility.
Themes
diplomacy
conflict resolution
military policy
Mood
cautious
reflective
Type
political
strategic
When to use this quote
- international negotiations
- military incidents
- public statements
Key Concepts
strategic communication
ethical responsibility
Questions to Reflect On
- Can regret truly reconcile opposing national interests?
- When is an apology insufficient?
A Different Perspective
Apology may not change underlying strategic interests.
![“Before the Freedom of Information Act, I used to say at meetings "The illegal we do immediately. The unconstitutional takes a little longer." [...] But since the Freedom of Information Act, I'm afraid to say things like that.” quote by Henry A. Kissinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6dc/henry-a-kissinger-1068_freedom_before-the-freedom-of-information-act-i_25339.jpg)
![“In any case, open-seat presidential elections like 2008 just are different in character from incumbent reelects, and I think that's the most important thing about this election - is that once there's an incumbent running for reelection, most of the debate is about, "Has he [Barack Obama] done a…” quote by William Kristol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0b0/william-kristol-9091_acceptable_in-any-case-open-seat-presidential-elect_36353.jpg)