A biography for Richard N. Haasshasn’t been written yet.
“The benefits of freer trade, such as job creation, lower inflation, and greater consumer choice, are often invisible or only partly visible.”
“The vote in the United Kingdom in favor of leaving the E.U. attested to the loss of elite influence.”
“Any time you use military force, you have got to have a clear purpose that military forces can achieve.”
“It is neither feasible nor desirable for Europe to establish itself as a geopolitical equal or competitor of the U.S.”
“Trump's foreign policy is not so much immoral as it is amoral.”
“There is no getting around the reality that the second Iraq war was a war of choice; had it been carried out differently, it still would have been an expensive choice and almost certainly a bad one.”
“Foreign policy must be about priorities. The United States cannot do everything everywhere.”
“The decision to attack Iraq in March 2003 was discretionary; it was a war of choice.”
“Campaigning and governing are two very different activities, and there is no reason to assume that how Trump conducted the former will dictate how he approaches the latter.”
“There is no way to know for certain what accounts for North Korean decisionmaking, given how closed a country it is.”
“The first Iraq War was one of necessity because vital U.S. interests were at stake, and we reached the point where no other national-security instruments were likely to achieve the necessary goal, which was the reversal of Saddam Hussein's invasion and occupation of Kuwait.”
“On occasion, terrorists will succeed despite our best efforts. That is part of the legacy of 9/11. But 9/11 also shows us that while terrorists can destroy, they are unable to create.”
“Indeed, the big U.S. error after 9/11 was to treat Pakistan as if it were an ally. With an ally, it is possible to assume a large degree of policy overlap. With Pakistan, no such assumption can be made.”
“If you assume away most or all of the questions or difficulties, you can persuade yourself of just about anything.”
“America must reduce its fiscal deficit, modernize its infrastructure, and improve its schools.”
“Success in foreign policy, as in carpentry, requires the right tools for the job.”
“Trade is the all-but-forgotten weapon in the battle against poverty, but it can provide more help to the poor than aid can.”
“I believe in diplomacy; I don't believe in talking to... that talking to Iran somehow constitutes a concession or a favour.”
“The United States emerged from the Cold War with unprecedented absolute and relative power. It was truly first among unequals.”
“Weapons of mass destruction - nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons - are just that, and no cause can excuse their use.”