732 Quotes by Donald Rumsfeld

There are a lot of things that are said by people in the military, or civilian life, or in the Congress, or in the Executive Branch, that are their views. And that’s the way we live. We’re a free people. And that’s the wonderful thing about our country.

Think ahead. Don’t let day-to-day operations drive out planning.

Watch the growth of middle level management. Don’t automatically fill vacant jobs. Leave some positions unfilled for 6-8 months to see what happens. You will find you won’t need to fill some of them.

One of your tasks is to separate the ‘personal’ from the ‘substantive.’ The two can become confused, especially if someone rubs the President wrong.

After the German abstention at the UN, Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle commented that Germany doesn’t always have to stand on the side of its traditional allies. Berlin can look for new partners all over the world.

They may have had time to destroy them, and I don’t know the answer.

When business accepts help from the government, it can be like going to bed with a hippopotamus. It’s nice and warm for the moment, but then your bedmate rolls over and crushes you.

If you can’t solve a problem, make it bigger.

Don’t divide the world into ‘them’ and ‘us.’ Avoid infatuation with or resentment of the press, the Congress, rivals, or opponents. Accept them as facts. They have their jobs and you have yours.