--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Foreign policy must be about priorities…" description: "\"Foreign policy must be about priorities. The United States cannot do everything everywhere.\" — Richard N. Haass" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/749/richard-n-haass-3803_everything_foreign-policy-must-be-about-priorities_2565676.jpg" --- # Foreign policy must be about priorities. The United States… ![“Foreign policy must be about priorities. The United States cannot do everything everywhere.” quote by Richard N. Haass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/749/richard-n-haass-3803_everything_foreign-policy-must-be-about-priorities_2565676.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/749/richard-n-haass-3803_everything_foreign-policy-must-be-about-priorities_2565676.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/749/richard-n-haass-3803_everything_foreign-policy-must-be-about-priorities_2565676.jpg) > “Foreign policy must be about priorities. The United States cannot do everything everywhere.” [Richard N. Haass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-n-haass/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. U.S. must prioritize interests, as resources are limited for global involvement. **In simple terms:** Prioritize wisely. Key Takeaway Focus on core priorities. Themes foreign policy prioritization resources Mood analytical cautious Type policy strategic When to use this quote - budget allocation - diplomatic missions - military engagements Key Concepts political science strategic planning Questions to Reflect On - Which interests should dominate? - How to balance global duties? A Different Perspective Prioritizing may neglect moral responsibilities. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Foreign policy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreign-policy/) [Priorities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/priorities/) ## Related quotes > [We are aware that in 2005 our efforts to preserve the stability and prestige of the Republic of Bulgaria in the area of foreign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/we-are-aware-that-in-2005-our-efforts-to-preserve-the-stability-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I don't think I will ever write about politics or foreign policy. I feel like there is so much good writing in those areas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/i-don-t-think-i-will-ever-write-about-politics-or-foreign-policy-i/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [With a foreign policy appropriately rooted in some sense of humanitarian decency, the Central African crisis will not be easily ignored by American policymakers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-johns/with-a-foreign-policy-appropriately-rooted-in-some-sense-of/) Michael Johns > [I'm not supposed to know anything about foreign policy. Just thought I'd throw that out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-cain/i-m-not-supposed-to-know-anything-about-foreign-policy-just-thought-i/) [Herman Cain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-cain/) > [Fear is not the basis for foreign policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/fear-is-not-the-basis-for-foreign-policy/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [During his presidency, Truman and the Republicans were locked in a series of furious assaults on each other that outraged him and made Truman…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-dallek/during-his-presidency-truman-and-the-republicans-were-locked-in-a/) [Robert Dallek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-dallek/) > [We have come a long way in terms of foreign policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-pierre-raffarin/we-have-come-a-long-way-in-terms-of-foreign-policy/) [Jean-Pierre Raffarin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-pierre-raffarin/) > [•“I don’t have the foggiest idea about what I think about international, foreign policy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/i-don-t-have-the-foggiest-idea-about-what-i-think-about-international/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [On foreign policy, President Obama has kept our nation safe from terrorism and restored our standing in the world. When it comes to one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-schumer/on-foreign-policy-president-obama-has-kept-our-nation-safe-from/) [Chuck Schumer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-schumer/) > [You don't need a foreign policy expert to tell you empty threats and hollow promises don't work. Ask any parent of a rebellious teenager.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-troia-mcfarland/you-don-t-need-a-foreign-policy-expert-to-tell-you-empty-threats-and/) [Kathleen Troia McFarland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-troia-mcfarland/) > [Many Americans, and many more people around the world, have been outraged by what they see as President George W. Bush's radical reordering of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/many-americans-and-many-more-people-around-the-world-have-been/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Foreign policy isn't something that is great and big, it's common sense and humanity as it applies to my affairs and yours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-bevin/foreign-policy-isn-t-something-that-is-great-and-big-it-s-common/) [Ernest Bevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-bevin/) > [One of the characteristics of New Labour - and Miliband is irredeemably of that species - is that, in the guise of a new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-jacques/one-of-the-characteristics-of-new-labour-and-miliband-is-irredeemably/) [Martin Jacques](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-jacques/) > [Congress has shortchanged not only foreign aid but foreign policy. A mistaken notion that diplomats are unimportant and hence undeserving of support grips conservative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-lewis/congress-has-shortchanged-not-only-foreign-aid-but-foreign-policy-a/) [Anthony Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-lewis/) > [Foreign policy is inseparable from domestic policy now. Is terrorism foreign policy or domestic policy? It's both. It's the same with crime, with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-miliband/foreign-policy-is-inseparable-from-domestic-policy-now-is-terrorism/) [David Miliband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-miliband/) ## More by Richard N. Haass > [Terrorists and terrorism cannot be eliminated any more than we can rid the world of disease. There will always be those who will resort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-n-haass/terrorists-and-terrorism-cannot-be-eliminated-any-more-than-we-can/) [Richard N. Haass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-n-haass/) > [There is no way to know for certain what accounts for North Korean decisionmaking, given how closed a country it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-n-haass/there-is-no-way-to-know-for-certain-what-accounts-for-north-korean/) [Richard N. Haass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-n-haass/) > [Security is the absolute precondition for sustainable recovery from conflict; without it, people cannot rebuild their country or return to school or work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-n-haass/security-is-the-absolute-precondition-for-sustainable-recovery-from/) [Richard N. Haass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-n-haass/) > [When great powers fade, as they inevitably must, it's normally for one of two reasons. Some powers exhaust themselves through overreach abroad, underinvestment at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-n-haass/when-great-powers-fade-as-they-inevitably-must-it-s-normally-for-one/) [Richard N. Haass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-n-haass/) > [Americans never would alter the way entitlement programs are funded or education administered without serious study and widespread debate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-n-haass/americans-never-would-alter-the-way-entitlement-programs-are-funded/) [Richard N. Haass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-n-haass/) > [Sovereignty must be redefined if states are to cope with globalisation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-n-haass/sovereignty-must-be-redefined-if-states-are-to-cope-with-globalisation/) [Richard N. Haass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-n-haass/) > [America's armed forces are an essential background to much of what the U.S. accomplishes internationally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-n-haass/america-s-armed-forces-are-an-essential-background-to-much-of-what/) [Richard N. Haass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-n-haass/) > [No amount of sanctioning will persuade North Korea to give up nuclear weapons, nor will China step up and solve the problem for us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-n-haass/no-amount-of-sanctioning-will-persuade-north-korea-to-give-up-nuclear/) [Richard N. Haass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-n-haass/) > [Weapons of mass destruction - nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons - are just that, and no cause can excuse their use.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-n-haass/weapons-of-mass-destruction-nuclear-biological-and-chemical-weapons/) [Richard N. Haass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-n-haass/) > [No one pursuing reasonable goals and who is prepared to compromise can argue that terrorism is his or his group's only option.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-n-haass/no-one-pursuing-reasonable-goals-and-who-is-prepared-to-compromise/) [Richard N. Haass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-n-haass/) > [The rise of populism is in part a response to stagnating incomes and job loss, owing mostly to new technologies but widely attributed to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-n-haass/the-rise-of-populism-is-in-part-a-response-to-stagnating-incomes-and/) [Richard N. Haass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-n-haass/) > [We all have some basic obligation to one another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-n-haass/we-all-have-some-basic-obligation-to-one-another/) [Richard N. Haass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-n-haass/) > [What countries must do to join the World Trade Organization is precisely what they must do to become productive and democratic: accept the rule…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-n-haass/what-countries-must-do-to-join-the-world-trade-organization-is/) [Richard N. Haass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-n-haass/) > [I believe in diplomacy; I don't believe in talking to... that talking to Iran somehow constitutes a concession or a favour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-n-haass/i-believe-in-diplomacy-i-don-t-believe-in-talking-to-that-talking-to/) [Richard N. Haass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-n-haass/) > [I've worked for four presidents, and I've concluded that almost nothing is inevitable. History is to a significant extent the result of the interaction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-n-haass/i-ve-worked-for-four-presidents-and-i-ve-concluded-that-almost/) [Richard N. Haass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-n-haass/) [Explore all 121 Richard N. Haass quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-n-haass/) ## More Everything quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [My parents were not musical, and they were not effervescent people; everything was very quiet. The music that I played was loud; it used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-mclean/my-parents-were-not-musical-and-they-were-not-effervescent-people/) [Don McLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-mclean/) > [If you think you're doing everything right, then you have a tendency to stand pat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stockton/if-you-think-you-re-doing-everything-right-then-you-have-a-tendency/) [John Stockton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stockton/) > [The Fringe is by far my favorite time of year; I like everything about it. But there are people I know who are much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-horne/the-fringe-is-by-far-my-favorite-time-of-year-i-like-everything-about/) [Alex Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-horne/) > [You can't force people to feel in a certain way, and the sooner you understand that,the better. I feel everything has its way of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sidharth-malhotra/you-can-t-force-people-to-feel-in-a-certain-way-and-the-sooner-you/) [Sidharth Malhotra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sidharth-malhotra/) > [Of everything I have done, 'The Archers' always gets the most excitement; there's a sort of uncontrollable joy from fans of the program.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/of-everything-i-have-done-the-archers-always-gets-the-most-excitement/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [That's one of my idols, I really look up to Pacquiao. This guy is everything I would want to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-garcia/that-s-one-of-my-idols-i-really-look-up-to-pacquiao-this-guy-is/) [Ryan Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-garcia/) > [The talk shows in the States want celebrities, not authors. In France, it is different; writers are called upon to comment on everything. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/the-talk-shows-in-the-states-want-celebrities-not-authors-in-france/) [Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/) > [Everything I write is highly personal, but put in such a way that it's not dropping everything in someone's lap. Although sometimes I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-siberry/everything-i-write-is-highly-personal-but-put-in-such-a-way-that-it-s/) [Jane Siberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-siberry/) > [Everything I have experienced and learned in football led me towards one day becoming a coach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-carlos/everything-i-have-experienced-and-learned-in-football-led-me-towards/) [Roberto Carlos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-carlos/) > [It's funny, everything is so much easier when you do it yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carine-roitfeld/it-s-funny-everything-is-so-much-easier-when-you-do-it-yourself/) [Carine Roitfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carine-roitfeld/) > [Everything affects hip-hop. The question is, how does it affect the money that corporations are going to invest to put out different kinds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-i-am/everything-affects-hip-hop-the-question-is-how-does-it-affect-the/) [will.i.am](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-i-am/) > [If God is first, and you kind of center everything else around Him being the main focal point, you really can make decisions that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aj-michalka/if-god-is-first-and-you-kind-of-center-everything-else-around-him/) [AJ Michalka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aj-michalka/) Browse all 13,134 Everything quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Foreign policy must be about priorities. The United States cannot do everything everywhere.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard N. Haass" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-n-haass/foreign-policy-must-be-about-priorities-the-united-states-cannot-do/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Everything" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-n-haass/foreign-policy-must-be-about-priorities-the-united-states-cannot-do/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/749/richard-n-haass-3803_everything_foreign-policy-must-be-about-priorities_2565676.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/749/richard-n-haass-3803_everything_foreign-policy-must-be-about-priorities_2565676.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/749/richard-n-haass-3803_everything_foreign-policy-must-be-about-priorities_2565676.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Foreign policy must be about priorities. The United States cannot do everything everywhere.” — Richard N. Haass", "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": "Richard N. Haass", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-n-haass/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Foreign policy must be about priorities....", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-n-haass/foreign-policy-must-be-about-priorities-the-united-states-cannot-do/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-n-haass/foreign-policy-must-be-about-priorities-the-united-states-cannot-do/#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 } } ] } ```