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If there are people who yearn for the days when Saddam Hussein was in power, then I am not among them.

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
Yearn
Hussein
Among
Days
Power
People

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Don't divide the world into them and us.
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First rule of politics: you can't win unless you're on the ballot. Second rule: If you run, you may lose. And, if you tie, you do not win.
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I didn't advocate invasion...I wasn't asked.
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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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[on Osama bin Laden] He is either alive and well or alive and not too well or not alive.
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Don't necessarily avoid sharp edges. Occasionally they are necessary to leadership.
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If you can't solve a problem, make it bigger.
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Pieces of intelligence, scraps of intelligence...you run down leads and you run down leads, and you hope that sometimes it works.
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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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If I know the answer I'll tell you the answer, and if I don't I'll just respond cleverly.
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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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Being Vice President is difficult. Don't make it tougher.
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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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Don't 'over-control' like a novice pilot. Stay loose enough from the flow that you can observe it, modify, and improve it.
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You can have a broad popular democracy movement and have it end being taken over by the most vicious people and the result is you don't end up with free political systems or free economic systems, you end up with a handful of radicals controlling the country.
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In our system leadership is by consent, not command. To lead a President must persuade. Personal contacts and experiences help shape his thinking. They can be critical to his persuasiveness and thus to his leadership.
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The natural state of man is to want to be free. To have opportunities. To have choices.
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Be able to resign. It will improve your value to the President and do wonders for your performance.
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There will be good moments, and there will be less good moments.
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You might be a cunning linguist, but I am a master debater.
Donald Rumsfeld