Chuck Hagel famous quotes

Politics or ideology must not get in the way of sound planning.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Sound #Way #Planning

There are always consequences to actions that you take. There are consequences to inaction. And thinking through, asking the questions, "Well, then what happens? What comes next?" is critically important.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Thinking #Important #Asking

The United Nations has a critical role to play in promoting stability, security, democracy, human rights, and economic development. The UN is as relevant today as at any time in its history, but it needs reform.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Rights #Play #Democracy

I took an oath of office to the Constitution, I didn't take an oath of office to my party or my president.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Party #Office #President

Palestinians caged up like animals.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Animal #Palestinian

Alliances and international organizations should be understood as opportunities for leadership and a means to expand our influence, not as constraints on our power.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Leadership #Mean #Opportunity

Nations, great nations have limitations. All nations have limitations. Even great powers have limitations.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Great Power #Limitation

Institutions are imperfect. Governments surely are. People are.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Government #People #Imperfect

We must prepare for everything.
-- Chuck Hagel

I have said many times that Iran is a state sponsor of terrorism,
-- Chuck Hagel

#Iran #Terrorism #States

Foreign policy will require a strategic agility that, whenever possible, gets ahead of problems, strengthens U.S. security and alliances, and promotes American interests and credibility.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Alliances #Agility #Problem

I'm not saying my idea is the one and only idea. We should have other ideas, but the president has not laid down a specific plan as to how he's going to get us to solvency. I do that.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Ideas #President #Should

I’m a United States senator. I’m not an Israeli senator.
-- Chuck Hagel

#United States #States #United

The United States can't impose democracies. We can't impose our will. The Russians found that out in Afghanistan.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Democracy #United States #Found

My overall worldview has never changed: that America has and must maintain the strongest military in the world, that we must lead the international community to confront threats and challenges together, and that we must use all tools of American power to protect our citizens and our interests.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Military #America #Community

And this - this board was - was impanelled in 1951. And it's gone through ups and downs in how the secretaries have used it. But I have put a premium on that advisory board.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Military #Boards #Gone

(The) chain of command has failed over the years, obviously, for a lot of reasons.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Military #Years #Reason

There has to be a reason and objective (to air strikes). What does it do to move the effort down the road for a political conversation?
-- Chuck Hagel

#Military #Moving #Air

This current government in Iraq has never fulfilled the commitments it made to form a unity government with the Kurds, the Sunnis and the Shia. We have worked hard with them within the confines of our ability to do that but we can't dictate to them.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Military #Commitment #Government

History has shown that a country most effectively speaks with one voice. When nationally elected officials work together, build consensus, and provide leadership, the American people will follow.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Country #Voice #People

If America is to succeed in responding to these 21st Century challenges, our political system cannot continue to bog down in the mire of partisan gamesmanship.
-- Chuck Hagel

#America #Political #Challenges

We can't ... take that piece of reality in this business and set that aside and say, well, that doesn't count. And the Republicans on my side understand that the majority is in fact up for grabs next year. So there's not a decision made up here that doesn't have that factor coursing through that current.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Reality #Years #Decision

Desperate men do desperate things when you take hope away. And that's where the Palestinians are today.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Men #Today #Desperate

The Israeli people must be free to live in peace and security.
-- Chuck Hagel

#People #Israeli #Peace And Security

We live in a world where there are dangerous people, there are bad people.
-- Chuck Hagel

#People #World #Dangerous

Foreign policy is all about a universe of bad decisions, imperfect decisions; every situation is different. The dynamics, the atmospherics, the people, the pressures, the geopolitical realities shift.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Reality #People #Decision

I have never believed you go to war in Iraq, you go to war in Afghanistan, and believe that you can deal with those battlefields, those countries, in microcosms, or narrow channels.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Country #War #Believe

I would not trade America's position in the world - our ledger, our debts and assets - for any country in the world. There isn't a country in the world even close to America.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Country #America #Debt

In a general way, if one cannot attribute to the Jew the whole responsibility of the situation, economic, political, and social, by which Algeria is being strangled, it is no exaggeration to recognize him as morally guilty, for the great part of his rìle here, still more than elsewhere, has consisted in corrupting, degrading, and disintegrating.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Responsibility #Political #Way

The twenty first century will require a re-affirmation and re-definition of our alliances and international organisations.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Twenties #Alliances #Definitions

I believe, and always have, that America must engage - not retreat - in the world.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Believe #America #World

If you wanted a safe job, go sell shoes. This is a tough business.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Jobs #Shoes #Safe

Peace comes through dealing with people. Peace doesn't come at the end of a bayonet or the end of a gun.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Gun #People #Bayonets

No one individual vote, no one individual quote or no one individual statement defines me, my beliefs, or my record.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Records #Belief #Vote

Well, let's go back to the original intent of Social Security. It is an insurance contract.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Social #Contracts #Wells

You can't just drop the 82nd Airborne into Baghdad and it will all be over.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Baghdad #Airborne

Bogging down large armies in historically complex, dangerous areas ends in disaster.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Army #Disaster #Ends

Engagement is not appeasement. Engagement is not surrender.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Engagement #Surrender #Appeasement

I am fully supportive of 'open service' and committed to LGBT military families.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Military #Supportive #Lgbt

I'm a supporter of Israel, always have been.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Israel #Supporter

Imposing democracy through force is a roll of the dice.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Democracy #Dice #Force

It is easy to get into war, not so easy to get out.
-- Chuck Hagel

#War #Easy

No border that touches Israel is always secure.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Israel #Borders

Deserves some consideration, and I think that should have been done right from the beginning.
-- Chuck Hagel

#Thinking #Done #Consideration