106 Quotes by Bret Stephens

A balance of power may seem plausible in theory. But the nature of power is that it seeks preeminence, not balance.

The debate over the inherent benefits of Pax Americana should have been settled long ago. But history only settles great debates for as long as people can remember the history.

No great power can treat foreign policy as a spectator sport and hope to remain a great power.

Debts and deficits do matter. But they’re not the only things that matter. And they matter to different countries in different ways at different times. The United States emerged from the Second World War with a debt-to-GDP ratio of more than 100 percent. Yet winning the war was an excellent investment of national resources.

Maybe there’s an explanation for why Americans seem congenitally disposed to ask “Why not?” rather than “Why?

This is how we arrive at a broken-windows world: Rules are invoked but not enforced. Principles are idealized but not defended. International law is treated not as a complement to traditional geopolitical leadership but as the superior alternative to it.

People want leaders. Not ideologues. Not people whose life experiences have been so narrow that they've been able to maintain the purity of their youthful ideals. Not people whose principal contact with political life comes in the form of speeches and sound bites rather than decisions and responsibilities.

Did you loathe and detest the Bush administration? If so, you'd probably say its ideas were horrible and their execution worse. Did you not loathe and detest the Bush administration? In that case, you might say its ideas were pretty good - only the execution often left something to be desired.

Generosity is a virtue, but unlimited generosity is a fast route to bankruptcy.