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Don't automatically obey Presidential directives if you disagree or if you suspect he hasn't considered key aspects of the issue.
Donald Rumsfeld
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Donald Rumsfeld
Age: 88 †
Born: 1932
Born: July 9
Died: 2021
Died: June 29
Author
Businessperson
Diplomat
Former U.S. Secretary Of Defense
Military Officer
Politician
Chicago
Illinois
Donald Henry Rumsfeld
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Automatically
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Suspect
Keys
Obey
Aspect
Suspects
Issues
Aspects
Hasn
Disagree
Presidential
Directives
More quotes by Donald Rumsfeld
I didn't advocate invasion...I wasn't asked.
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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.
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Don't be a bottleneck. If a matter is not a decision for the President or you, delegate it. Force responsibility down and out. Find problem areas, add structure and delegate. The pressure is to do the reverse. Resist it.
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Be precise. A lack of precision is dangerous when the margin of error is small.
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If you try to please everybody, somebody's not going to like it.
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Success tends to go not to the person who is error-free, because he also tends to be risk-averse. Rather it goes to the person who recognizes that life is pretty much a percentage business. It isn't making mistakes that's critical it's correcting them and getting on with the principal task.
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We do have a saying in America: if you're in a hole, stop digging ..... erm, I'm not sure I should have said that.
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I am not going to give you a number for it because it's not my business to do intelligent work.
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Most US presidents since World War II have led military actions without a declaration of war by Congress, though most, if not all, have properly consulted and sought support from Congress. That is the wise thing to do.
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Don't do or say things you would not like to see on the front page of The Washington Post.
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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.
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We'll have to deal with the networks. One of the ways to do that is to drain the swamp they live in. And that means dealing not only with the terrorists, but those who harbor terrorists. This will take a long, sustained effort. It will require the support of the American people as well as our friends and allies around the world.
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General Boykin has requested that an inspector general review this matter. And I have indicated that if that's his request, I think it's appropriate.
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Any country on the face of the Earth with an active intelligence program knows that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction.
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I don't believe anyone that I know in the administration ever said that Iraq had nuclear weapons.
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Amidst all the clutter, beyond all the obstacles, aside from all the static, are the goals set. Put your head down, do the best job possible, let the flak pass, and work towards those goals.
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Listening to both sides does not necessarily bring about a correct judgment.
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Do you have any regrets? Of course I do.
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Many people around the President have sizeable egos before entering government, some with good reason. Their new positions will do little to moderate their egos.
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When cutting staff at the Pentagon, don't eliminate the thin layer that assures civilian control.
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