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Look for what's missing. Many advisors can tell a President how to improve what's proposed or what's gone amiss. Few are able to see what isn't there.

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
President
Tell
Amiss
Able
Advisors
Look
Proposed
Looks
Observation
Many
Improve
Missing
Gone

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There are a lot of people who lie and get away with it, and that's just a fact.
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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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Well, so be it. Nothing's perfect in life, so you have an election that's not quite perfect. Is it better than not having an election? You bet.
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Plan backwards as well as forward. Set objectives and trace back to see how to achieve them. You may find that no path can get you there. Plan forward to see where your steps will take you, which may not be clear or intuitive.
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You go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time.
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I stand for 8-10 hours a day. Why is standing limited to four hours?
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It's a difficult thing today to be informed about our government even without all the secrecy.
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... something under $50 billion for the cost. How much of that would be the U.S. burden, and how much would be other countries, is an open question.
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In unanimity there may well be either cowardice or uncritical thinking.
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Don't blame the boss. He has enough problems.
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Let your family, staff, and friends know that you're still the same person, despite all the publicity and notoriety that accompanies your position.
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I think we ought to have a new rule: You can ask two questions, and then we can pick the one we want to answer.
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I tend over the years to have developed a certain hesitancy about believing that headlines tell the whole story.
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Have a deputy and develop a successor. Don't be consumed by the job or you'll risk losing your balance. Keep your mooring lines to the outside world - family, friends, neighbors, people out of government, and people who may not agree with you.
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There are known knowns there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns - the ones we don't know we don't know.
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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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Listening to both sides does not necessarily bring about a correct judgment.
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The United States isn't going to do anything that it's not capable of doing. And if we do something, we'll be capable of doing it.
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When you raise issues with the President, try to come away with both that decision and also a precedent. Pose issues so as to evoke broader policy guidance. This can help to answer a range of similar issues likely to arise later.
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When cutting staff at the Pentagon, don't eliminate the thin layer that assures civilian control.
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