George Shultz quotes

George Shultz was an American economist, statesman, and diplomat who held several key cabinet positions. His career spanned both business and government, serving under multiple U.S. presidents. He played a crucial role in shaping U.S. economic and foreign policy during the late twentieth century. Here are 25 of his quotes:

Many of today's trading relationships actually make America more globally competitive. . . . Raising tariffs among the United States, Canada and Mexico will only weaken a well-oiled manufacturing machine that is driven by the high level of integration the three economies have in their supply chains. This integration makes the region as a whole more competitive vis-à-vis the world. (George Shultz)
[A] revenue-neutral carbon tax would benefit all Americans by eliminating the need for costly energy subsidies while promoting a level playing field for energy producers. View quote
George Shultz
We should say we think a big element in the process of seeking peace [in the Middle East] is the acceptance of Israel's existence and so we´re going to go around to all our friends in Europe and Asia and elsewhere and say let´s accept Israel´s right to exist - and a way of doing that is to move our embassy to west Jerusalem. As long as the embassy is in Tel Aviv, it sort of says we´re camping out. View quote
George Shultz
He who walks in the middle of the road gets hit from both sides. View quote
George Shultz
Negotiations are a euphemism for capitulation if the shadow of power is not cast across the bargaining table. View quote
George Shultz
Terrorism is not a matter that can be left to law enforcement, with its deliberative process, built-in delays, and safeguards that may let the prisoner go free on procedural grounds. View quote
George Shultz
You don't get gushers of revenue by raising tax rates. You get it through expansion. View quote
George Shultz
Obama seems to want to do something to damage rich people. View quote
George Shultz
World Affairs Councils are great organizations. They help keep people throughout our country alive to important developments in world affairs and underscore that, in the country, we stay engaged and we are part of the world. View quote
George Shultz
We have struggled with terrorism for a long time. In the Reagan administration, I was a hawk on the subject. I said terrorism is a big problem, a different problem, and we have to take forceful action against it. Fortunately, Ronald Reagan agreed with me, but not many others did. View quote
George Shultz
The minute you start talking about what you're going to do if you lose, you have lost. (George Shultz)
I learned in business that you had to be very careful when you told somebody that's working for you to do something, because the chances were very high he'd do it. In government, you don't have to worry about that. View quote
George Shultz
The civilized world has a common stake in defeating the terrorists. View quote
George Shultz
Between 1980 and 1990, the number of countries that were classified as 'free' or 'mostly free' increased by about 50%. View quote
George Shultz
The higher the classification of secrecy, the quicker you will report it. View quote
George Shultz
I don't know how you define 'neoconservatism,' but I think it's associated with trying to spread open political systems and democracy. View quote
George Shultz
Increasingly, the state system has been eroding. Terrorists have exploited this weakness by burrowing into the state system in order to attack it. View quote
George Shultz
It was an attempt to stick the Congress's finger in King Hussein's eye. View quote
George Shultz
Nothing ever gets settled in this town. a seething debating society in which the debate never stops, in which people never give up, including me. And so that's the atmosphere in which you administer. View quote
George Shultz
Oh, you know. I am secretary of state. My trips aren't successful. I just talk to people. View quote
George Shultz
My experience is that if the military didn't want to use force and was confronted with a president that did, the military would come back with what I would call the 'bomb Moscow' scenario. They would say it had to be done with conditions that were so extreme, you obviously wouldn't do it. (George Shultz)
You've got to dream a little bit if you're going to get somewhere. View quote
George Shultz
There is no prospect that the United States will say to Israel, 'You do such and such and we'll not support you in your security.' View quote
George Shultz
I think the idea that you would do everything you can to prevent what is coming at you by way of something very disruptive - a 9/11 - it's a no-brainer. View quote
George Shultz
Open political and economic systems have been gaining ground and there's a good reason for it. They work better. View quote
George Shultz