25 Robert M. Gates Quotes for You to Enjoy

Robert M. Gates

American Politician

Born: Sep 25, 1943

Been Defense Military People Think You

Related authors: Alexander Hamilton Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Benjamin Franklin Bernie Sanders John F. Kerry Nancy Pelosi Robert Kennedy Shirley Chisholm

A wild and crazy weekend involves sitting on the front porch, smoking a cigar, reading a book. Robert M. Gates

Crazy Book Smoking Reading Wild Weekend Involves Sitting Front Porch

One of my favorite little sayings is, 'To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.' Robert M. Gates

Criticism Nothing Say Sayings Favorite Little Avoid

The reality is, the United States has global interests. Our defense budget is about the same as the defense budgets or military budgets of every other country in the world put together. Robert M. Gates

When I was the director of Central Intelligence in the early '90s, I tried to get the Air Force to partner with us in building drones. And they didn't want to, because they had no pilots. Robert M. Gates

Director Air Force Intelligence Partner Building Air Tried Had Drones Force Because Pilots Get Want Central Us Early

I have always that there ought to be some kind of mandatory national service, not necessarily in the military but to show everybody that freedom isn't free, that everybody has an obligation to the nation as a community. Robert M. Gates

Service Freedom Obligation Free Nation National Mandatory Community Military Everybody Ought Kind Some Always Show Necessarily

If Poindexter made a comment to me like that, it would have been in the context of once the authorized program is approved there would be no point in having any of these private benefactors any longer. Robert M. Gates

Me Made Once Approved Would Would-Be Having No Point Point Longer Like Context Private Been Comment Authorized Any Program

Most governments lie to each other. That's the way business gets done. Robert M. Gates

Business Lie Other Way Most Governments Gets Done Each

I mean, when you get down to very low numbers of nuclear weapons, and you contemplate going to zero, how do you deal with the reality of that technology being available to almost any country that seeks to pursue it? And what conditions do you put in place? Robert M. Gates

You Technology Reality Country Down Weapons Seeks Pursue Put Almost Contemplate Deal How Conditions Very Get Any Going Being Place Available Mean Low Zero Nuclear Nuclear Weapons Numbers

Well, Israel, obviously, thinks of the Iranian nuclear program as an existential threat to Israel. Robert M. Gates

Threat Obviously Well Israel Iranian Existential Nuclear Thinks Program

There is no international problem that can be addressed or solved without the engagement and leadership of the United States and everybody in the world knows that, its just fact of life. So sometimes I think we could conduct ourselves with a little more humility. Robert M. Gates

Life Leadership Problem World Sometimes Think Everybody Humility States Ourselves Solved More Fact Could Knows Without Conduct Just Little Engagement International United United States

No president is well-served by groupthink or by everybody singing from the same sheet of music they think he's on. Robert M. Gates

Music Singing Think Everybody President He Sheet Same

I've spent my entire adult life with the United States as a superpower and one that had no compunction about spending what it took to sustain that position. And it didn't have to look over its shoulder because our economy was so strong. Robert M. Gates

Things have gotten so nasty in Washington. Robert M. Gates

Gotten Nasty Washington Things

Health care costs are eating the Defense Department alive. Robert M. Gates

Health Care Defense Alive Eating Costs Health Care Health Care Costs Department Care Costs

Defense is not like other discretionary spending. Robert M. Gates

Defense Other Spending Like Discretionary

I don't think any president that I worked with has ever said 'pretty please.' Robert M. Gates

Think President Please Pretty Said Any Worked Ever

If Iraq and Afghanistan have taught us anything in recent history, it is the unpredictability of war and that these things are easier to get into than to get out of, and, frankly, the facile way in which too many people talk about, 'Well, let's just go attack them.' Robert M. Gates

War History People Too Many People Too Way Easier Frankly Out Unpredictability About Facile Attack Talk Well Go Iraq Than Get Afghanistan Just Taught Anything Which Them Us Many Things Recent Recent History

I have always voted for who I believed was the best person. Robert M. Gates

Best Voted Always Person Who Believed

I've been very sensitive for a long time to the repeated pattern, during economic hard times or after a war, of the United States' essentially unilaterally disarming. Robert M. Gates

War Time Long Long Time States Economic Disarming Repeated Been Very Times Essentially After Sensitive Pattern Hard Hard Times United United States

I had no difficulty as Secretary of Defense moving from the Bush administration to the Obama administration. Robert M. Gates

Difficulty Defense Secretary Obama Administration Obama Administration Had Moving Bush Bush Administration

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