--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Americans, in foreign policy, are torn to…" description: "\"“Americans, in foreign policy, are torn to the point of schizophrenia. They are reluctant, than aggressive; asleep at the switch, then quick on the tri..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eed/robert-kagan-27474_americans_americans-in-foreign-policy-are-torn-to_892596.jpg" --- # Americans, in foreign policy, are torn to the point of… ![“Americans, in foreign policy, are torn to the point of schizophrenia. They are reluctant, than aggressive; asleep at the switch, then quick on the trigger; indifferent, then obsessed, then indifferent again. They act out of a sense of responsibility and then resent and fear the burden of…” quote by Robert Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eed/robert-kagan-27474_americans_americans-in-foreign-policy-are-torn-to_892596.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eed/robert-kagan-27474_americans_americans-in-foreign-policy-are-torn-to_892596.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eed/robert-kagan-27474_americans_americans-in-foreign-policy-are-torn-to_892596.jpg) > ““Americans, in foreign policy, are torn to the point of schizophrenia. They are reluctant, than aggressive; asleep at the switch, then quick on the trigger; indifferent, then obsessed, then indifferent again. They act out of a sense of responsibility and then resent and fear the burden of responsibility they have taken on themselves. Their effect on the world, not surprisingly, is often the opposite of what they intend. Americans say they want stability in the international system, but they are often the greates disrupters of stability. They extol the virtues of international laws and institutions but then violate and ignore them with barley a second thought. They are recolutionary power but think they are a status quo power. They want to be left alone but can't seem to leave anyone else alone. They are continually surprising the world with their behavior, but not nearly as much as they are continually surprising themselves.”” [Robert Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kagan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. American foreign policy is contradictory, oscillating between intervention and isolation, causing unintended global instability. **In simple terms:** U.S. actions often contradict stated goals. Key Takeaway Seek consistent, realistic policies. Themes politics foreign policy contradiction Mood critical analytical Type analysis political commentary When to use this quote - diplomacy - military engagement - international law Key Concepts realism strategic inconsistency Questions to Reflect On - What drives these contradictions? - How can the U.S. align actions with intentions? A Different Perspective Complex motivations make policy predictability difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans/) [Burden of responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burden-of-responsibility/) [Foreign policy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreign-policy/) [Sense of responsibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sense-of-responsibility/) [Status quo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/status-quo/) ## Related quotes > [We do not intend to part from the Americans and we do not intend to be satellites. 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Sinclair Lewis’s novel It Can’t Happen Here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-snyder/fyodor-dostoevsky-s-the-brothers-karamazov-and-milan-kundera-s-the/) [Timothy Snyder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-snyder/) > [The footnote would seem to be the smallest detail in a work of history. Yet it carries a large burden of responsibility, testifying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-himmelfarb/the-footnote-would-seem-to-be-the-smallest-detail-in-a-work-of/) [Gertrude Himmelfarb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-himmelfarb/) ## More by Robert Kagan > [International order is not an evolution; it is an imposition. It is the domination of one vision over others- in this case, the domination…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kagan/international-order-is-not-an-evolution-it-is-an-imposition-it-is-the/) [Robert Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kagan/) > [Americans are from Mars, Europeans are from Venus: they agree on little and understand each other less and less.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kagan/americans-are-from-mars-europeans-are-from-venus-they-agree-on-little/) [Robert Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kagan/) > [The thing that I would say is that U.S. power is not eternal. I am not saying that it won't come to an end.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kagan/the-thing-that-i-would-say-is-that-u-s-power-is-not-eternal-i-am-not/) [Robert Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kagan/) > [If a caterpillar doesn't know its future has wings, it hardly experiences itself as land-bound.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kagan/if-a-caterpillar-doesn-t-know-its-future-has-wings-it-hardly/) [Robert Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kagan/) > [Obviously the administration intends to publicize all the weapons of mass destruction U.S. forces find - and there will be plenty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kagan/obviously-the-administration-intends-to-publicize-all-the-weapons-of/) [Robert Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kagan/) > [Under our Constitution, military leaders have no choice but to endorse the president's decision after giving him their best advice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kagan/under-our-constitution-military-leaders-have-no-choice-but-to-endorse/) [Robert Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kagan/) > [“Foreign policy is like hitting a baseball: if you fail 70 percent of the time, you go to the Hall of Fame.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kagan/foreign-policy-is-like-hitting-a-baseball-if-you-fail-70-percent-of/) [Robert Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kagan/) > [Based on all criteria - military power, economic influence, cultural dominance - America remains number one, even though other, new players are increasingly challenging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kagan/based-on-all-criteria-military-power-economic-influence-cultural/) [Robert Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kagan/) > [It is true that I have known Straussians almost all my life. And the one thing I was taught about them from the earliest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kagan/it-is-true-that-i-have-known-straussians-almost-all-my-life-and-the/) [Robert Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kagan/) > [I believe it is still true that conflicts among major powers usually stem from geopolitical rivalries but rarely from economic competition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kagan/i-believe-it-is-still-true-that-conflicts-among-major-powers-usually/) [Robert Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kagan/) > [Well, I think he's right to notice that there is a difference in attitudes and even in the broadest sense of world view between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kagan/well-i-think-he-s-right-to-notice-that-there-is-a-difference-in/) [Robert Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kagan/) > [When you have a hammer, all problems start to look like nails. But nations without great military power face the opposite danger: When you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kagan/when-you-have-a-hammer-all-problems-start-to-look-like-nails-but/) [Robert Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kagan/) > [I left Russia in 1993 optimistic that democracy had taken hold despite the obstacles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kagan/i-left-russia-in-1993-optimistic-that-democracy-had-taken-hold/) [Robert Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kagan/) > [When you have a hammer, all problems start to look like nails.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kagan/when-you-have-a-hammer-all-problems-start-to-look-like-nails/) [Robert Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kagan/) > [In my view, America has never had the opportunity to enter paradise. Europe enjoys the paradise it enjoys, in part because the United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kagan/in-my-view-america-has-never-had-the-opportunity-to-enter-paradise/) [Robert Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kagan/) [Explore all 20 Robert Kagan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kagan/) ## More Americans quotes > [“People – Americans, mostly – realise how attached they are to material comforts when they arrive in India.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-william-roberts/people-americans-mostly-realise-how-attached-they-are-to-material/) Paul William Roberts > [Music has an intrinsic value that touches Americans - they love their music, and want more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-rosen/music-has-an-intrinsic-value-that-touches-americans-they-love-their/) [Hilary Rosen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-rosen/) > [Americans are very friendly and very suspicious, that is what Americans are and that is what always upsets the foreigner, who deals with them,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/americans-are-very-friendly-and-very-suspicious-that-is-what/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [“Medical studies have shown that cursing reduces levels of stress and pain. Repressing your anger is not healthy. It's much better to verbalize it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/medical-studies-have-shown-that-cursing-reduces-levels-of-stress-and/) [Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/) > [Just because the Americans are so good at rattling out accessible and cheap junk food, nobody looks twice when it comes to their food.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-oliver/just-because-the-americans-are-so-good-at-rattling-out-accessible-and/) [Jamie Oliver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-oliver/) > [My parents don't care what Americans think of us; we just care what the other Indian people in our community think of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/himanshu-suri/my-parents-don-t-care-what-americans-think-of-us-we-just-care-what/) [Himanshu Suri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/himanshu-suri/) > [When Americans, who have no idea who I am, laugh at my jokes, it's exactly the same if someone loves you even if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gad-elmaleh/when-americans-who-have-no-idea-who-i-am-laugh-at-my-jokes-it-s/) [Gad Elmaleh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gad-elmaleh/) > [So Americans understand the costs of war. 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Americans say they want stability in the international system, but they are often the greates disrupters of stability. They extol the virtues of international laws and institutions but then violate and ignore them with barley a second thought. They are recolutionary power but think they are a status quo power. They want to be left alone but can't seem to leave anyone else alone. 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