52 David Ignatius Quotes for You to Enjoy

David Ignatius

American Journalist

Born: May 26, 1950

Intelligence People Sometimes Will World You

Related authors: Ambrose Bierce Dave Barry Erma Bombeck Hunter S. Thompson Mignon McLaughlin Walter Cronkite William F. Buckley, Jr. William Lloyd Garrison

The framers hated the tyranny of King George, but they were also afraid of the mob. That's why they put so many checks and balances into our system, to guard against the excesses of a government that might be inflamed by public passion or perverted by a dictator's whim. David Ignatius

Government Passion Tyranny King Guard Framers Our System Hated Excess Put Checks Checks And Balances Also Balances George Were Mob Dictator Inflamed Afraid Against Whim Public Might Many Why

The worm of paranoia begins to eat into even the hardest adversary. David Ignatius

Worm Paranoia Eat Adversary Begins Even Hardest

Panic is a natural human response to danger, but it's one that severely compounds the risk. David Ignatius

Natural Panic Danger Response Compounds Risk Human

The American experiment has always depended on a measure of tolerance and good sense. David Ignatius

Good Sense Experiment Tolerance Good Sense Always American Depended Measure

Sometimes good countries are so traumatized by events that they lose their bearings and embrace bad leaders. David Ignatius

Good Events Sometimes Lose Bad Embrace Bearing Leaders Countries Traumatized

Bob Gates has unusual standing in the debate about the Obama administration's foreign policy: He was defense secretary for both a hawkish President George W. Bush and a wary President Obama. He understood Bush's desire to project power and Obama's skepticism. David Ignatius

Debate Power Defense President President George W. Bush President Obama Project Secretary Obama Administration About Both He Policy Unusual Foreign Understood Foreign Policy George George W George W. Bush Skepticism Bush Bob Standing Wary Desire Gates

The secret of any kind of reporting is to go with a guide. So if you, you're going to see Hezbollah in Beirut, you go with someone who knows the local people, and you'll be fine. David Ignatius

You People Local Secret Guide Kind Fine See Someone Knows Go Reporting Any Going The Secret Of Who Beirut

A world in which there are no secrets that can be protected at all is going to be a pretty dangerous world. David Ignatius

World Dangerous Secrets Pretty Protected Going Which

The CIA in real life, we know, is looking for new kinds of cover. It's looking for new platforms, as they like to say, and it's trying to use the revolution in communications technology, the ability to use all sorts of corporate entities in ways that are hard to detect to get our spies in the places where they need to be. David Ignatius

Life Technology CIA Looking Real Life Revolution Our Corporate Say Ways Spies Detect Ability Kinds Entities New Like Know Sort Real Cover Get Trying Where Places Communications Use Hard Platforms Need

The world has changed, the CIA is having to change, and again, the challenge for someone like me as a spy novelist is to write realistically about where they're actually going. David Ignatius

Me Change CIA World Challenge Changed About Someone Having Write Like Spy Going Where Again Realistically Novelist Actually

As so many writers know, the experience of creating an imaginary world is closer to dreaming than it is to normal, grit-your-teeth work. It's preconscious rather than conscious. Ideas fall into your head, and the book writes you, rather than the other way around. David Ignatius

Work You Experience Book World Fall Other Way Dreaming Rather Writers Writes Head Ideas Know Around Normal Than Closer Creating Your Many Conscious Imaginary Imaginary World

Middle Eastern wars rarely end with outright victory and permanent stability, so the word 'settlement' may promise too much. At best, for many years, it may simply mean stable ceasefire lines, reduced bloodshed, fewer refugees, and less terrorism. David Ignatius

Best Terrorism Word Victory Too Much Too Settlement Promise Eastern Rarely Outright Simply Permanent Reduced Years Lines End Bloodshed Stability Fewer May Stable Refugees Middle Middle Eastern Mean Much Less Wars Many

Enter the candidates on horseback: While military leaders can sometimes be dangerous in politics, our best generals and admirals embody the democratic values and leadership skills for which the country is yearning. David Ignatius

Politicians often call for sanctions as a way of sounding tough when they don't want to take riskier measures. David Ignatius

Tough Politicians Way Take Call Often Want Sanctions Measures

Experts say that Britain and France have strong spy agencies; Germany's is competent but afraid to level with its public; the rest are relatively weak, and there is no Europe-wide spy agency. David Ignatius

Strong Rest Relatively France Say Weak Spy Germany Afraid Experts Public Agencies Agency Level Competent Britain

Apple chief executive Tim Cook is such a respected figure that it's easy to overlook the basic problem with his argument about encryption: Cook is asserting that a private company and the interests of its customers should prevail over the public's interest as expressed by our courts. David Ignatius

Prevail Problem Argument Our Respected Easy About Over Executive Overlook Courts Tim Private His Encryption Chief Chief Executive Interest Public Customers Interests Should Cook Figure Company Expressed Asserting Apple Basic

Paradoxically, the United States' determination to protect its troops can be self-defeating. Allies and adversaries see U.S. forces living in secure compounds, eating fancy chow and minimizing their exposure to potential terrorist assaults. David Ignatius

As Obama prepares to begin the last year of his presidency, he stands in an unusual position on the national stage: He is the rationalist, a creature of intellect rather than emotion. David Ignatius

Year National Stage Presidency Obama Rather Emotion He Unusual His Intellect Begin Than Stands Prepares Creature Last Last Year Position

Self-proclaimed saviors and other outliers come and go throughout our political history. Occasionally, they're successful; most times, they're not. But the system has rebalanced toward the basic principles of tolerance, freedom and democracy that were set forth by the Founders. David Ignatius

Freedom Democracy History Political Tolerance Other Our System Throughout Toward Come Come And Go Most Occasionally Principles Go Were Political History Times Forth Successful Founders Basic Basic Principles Set

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