Afghanistan's borders are arbitrary, drawn to meet 19th-century political needs rather than to respect ethnic or religious patterns.
Stephen KinzerRead
After installing friendly leaders in Iran and Guatemala, the United States lost interest in promoting democracy in either country.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights how the U.S. prioritized its interests over democratic values in foreign affairs.
Stephen Kinzer's quote reflects on the actions of the United States in Iran and Guatemala, suggesting that once the U.S. established leadership in these countries that aligned with its interests, it ceased to advocate for their democratic development. This raises questions about the true motivation behind foreign interventions and the genuine commitment to democracy.
Themes
DemocracyLeadershipForeign PolicyInterventionPolitics
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on international relations, this quote can illustrate the complexities of U.S. foreign policy.
More from Stephen Kinzer
All quotes βGuerrilla leaders win wars by being paranoid and ruthless. Once they take power, they are expected to abandon those qualities and embrace opposite ones: tolerance, compromise and humility. Almost none manages to do so.
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Rwanda has emerged from the devastation of genocide and become more secure and prosperous than anyone had a right to expect.
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Accepting that Arabs have the right to elect their own leaders means accepting the rise of governments that do not share America's pro-Israel militancy.
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Want to depose the government of a poor country with resources? Want to bash Muslims? Want to build support for American military interventions around the world? Want to undermine governments that are raising their people up from poverty because they don't conform to the tastes of Upper West Side intellectuals? Use human rights as your excuse!
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Every nation, like every individual, would like to believe it owes 'no apology' to anyone. Adults realise, however, that few among us are purely innocent or utterly blameless.
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