Counterproductive Quote by William Shawcross
![“Together they [President Nixon and Secretary Kissinger] pursued ends that frequently had a tenuous link with reality, using means that were not merely disproportionate but counterproductive and untrue to those values they were meant to defend. In fact neither man demonstrated much faith in those…” quote by William Shawcross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8b5/william-shawcross-46263_counterproductive_together-they-president-nixon-and-secret_1998765.jpg)
“Together they [President Nixon and Secretary Kissinger] pursued ends that frequently had a tenuous link with reality, using means that were not merely disproportionate but counterproductive and untrue to those values they were meant to defend. In fact neither man demonstrated much faith in those values.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Iron Lady: Margaret Thatcher, the Downfall of British Power, 1990
Political leaders sometimes adopt extreme tactics that betray their professed principles, leading to ineffective outcomes.
In simple terms: Leaders can act against their own values, causing failure.
Key Takeaway
Align actions with stated values.
Themes
politics
ethics
leadership
Mood
cautious
critical
Type
analytical
historical
When to use this quote
- government decisionmaking
- foreign policy
- public trust
Key Concepts
integrity
policy
consequences
Questions to Reflect On
- How do leaders reconcile values with realpolitik?
- What safeguards prevent policy overreach?
A Different Perspective
Idealism may clash with pragmatic constraints.
![“The important point was that whatever errors America had made [in Vietnam] "we are so powerful [according to Secretary Kissinger] that Hanoi is simply unable to defeat us militarily" and must therefore eventually be forced to compromise.” quote by William Shawcross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c34/william-shawcross-46263_america_the-important-point-was-that-whatever-er_553437.jpg)
![“We want accountability. We just buried a president [President Gerald Ford] who did not hold another president [President Nixon] accountable for war crimes and that's why we're in Iraq right now. Our leaders who get us into these messes are the ones who need to be held accountable.” quote by Cindy Sheehan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b1d/cindy-sheehan-4928_accountability_we-want-accountability-we-just-buried-a_627247.jpg)
