Agree Quote by Noam Chomsky
“George Kennan is another extreme case. He was the American consul in Berlin until the war between Germany and the United States broke out in December 1941. And until then he was writing pretty supportive statements back stressing that we shouldn't be so hard on the Nazis if they were doing something we didn't agree with - basically repeating the idea that they were people we could do business with.”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Lecture “Diplomacy and Moral Choices”, 2015
The quote critiques a diplomat’s willingness to engage with morally questionable regimes, emphasizing pragmatic over ethical considerations.
In simple terms: Engaging with hostile powers for pragmatic reasons can ignore moral costs.
Key Takeaway
Balance pragmatism with ethical responsibility.
Themes
diplomacy
ethics
realpolitik
history
war
Mood
thoughtful
critical
Type
philosophical
analytical
When to use this quote
- foreign policy decisions
- wartime negotiations
- government communications
Key Concepts
Moral philosophy
international relations
strategic compromise
Questions to Reflect On
- When should moral standards override strategic interests?
- How can diplomats maintain integrity?
A Different Perspective
Pragmatism may enable complicity in wrongdoing.
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