Madeleine Albright Quotes & Sayings

Though I am flattered that Governor Palin has chosen to cite me as a source of wisdom, what I said had nothing to do with politics. This is yet another example of McCain and Palin distorting the truth, and all the more reason to remember that this campaign is not about gender, it is about which candidate has an agenda that will improve the lives of all Americans, including women. The truth is, if you care about the status of women in our society and in our troubled economy, the best choice by far is Obama-Biden. — Madeleine Albright

When Hillary served in the Senate, I saw her work day and night as a member of the Armed Services Committee - working with Republicans and Democrats to keep our military strong and protect our troops and their families. — Madeleine Albright

Mahmoud Abbas is a puppet. — Madeleine Albright

To be safe at the expense of the liberty of other people is a difficult equation. — Madeleine Albright

I'm for democracy, but imposing democracy is an oxymoron. People have to choose democracy, and it has to come up from below. — Madeleine Albright

I love being a woman and I was not one of these women who rose through professional life by wearing men's clothes or looking masculine. I loved wearing bright colors and being who I am. — Madeleine Albright

NATO has been a thread throughout my life. — Madeleine Albright

I have always seen the United States as a force of good. And I have learned that there is the idealistic part about what we can do at the U.N. and there is a doable part. And I have learned what is more doable. — Madeleine Albright

Leaders are made by the situations they are involved in. I think that some rise to the occasion and some do not. — Madeleine Albright

My mind-set is Munich. Most of my generation's is Vietnam. — Madeleine Albright

Saddam's goal is to achieve the lifting of U.N. sanctions while retaining and enhancing Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programs. We cannot, we must not and we will not let him succeed. — Madeleine Albright

It's one thing to be religious, but it's another thing to make religion your policy. — Madeleine Albright

What distinguishes Americans from many people in the world is our kind of endemic optimism. — Madeleine Albright

We are very hip on the fact that America's always No. 1. On this we are not, in terms of the number of women in our legislative branches and obviously as head of state. We need to push on that. I hate to say this: It isn't all men's fault. I think some of it is our own attitude and approach. Some of it very healthy, that women want to make choices about their lives and how they want to spend their time, and what they value. — Madeleine Albright

This is pure speculation, but for a period of time, a lot of getting into a party was through fundraising and volunteer work, and Republican women had more time to do that than democratic women, who were out there getting jobs. — Madeleine Albright

I have to tell you, my seven-year-old granddaughter said to my daughter, her mother, 'So what's the big deal about Grandma Maddy having been Secretary of State? Only girls are Secretaries of State.' Most of her lifetime, it's true. But at the time it really was a big deal. — Madeleine Albright

To understand Europe, you have to be a genius - or French. — Madeleine Albright

Really, I have to laugh because there was a whole set of stories that made me sound like the Dragon Lady, you know, 'tough this and tough that.' Then there is this business about 'gooey.' The bottom line is I am a pragmatic idealist. — Madeleine Albright

I loved being Secretary of State, that's probably evident to everyone who watched me. — Madeleine Albright

No one has done what Saddam Hussein has done, or is thinking of doing. He is producing weapons of mass destruction, and he is qualitatively and quantitatively different from other dictators. — Madeleine Albright

What a blast it is to be here with Michael Moore. — Madeleine Albright

There are a lot of similar aspects in all the religions. The question is which side of it you hold up. — Madeleine Albright

The U.N. bureaucracy has grown to elephantine proportions. Now that the Cold War is over, we are asking that elephant to do gymnastics. — Madeleine Albright

People didn't think that a woman could be the Secretary of State, when my name was out there ... but then the Arab Ambassadors at the UN said 'We have no problem dealing with Ambassador Albright, and we would have no problem dealing with Secretary Albright.' — Madeleine Albright

You think that the heads of state only have serious conversations, but they actually often begin really with the weather or, 'I really like your tie.' — Madeleine Albright

Iraq is a long way from the U.S., but what happens there matters a great deal here. For the risks that the leaders of a rogue state will use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against us or our allies is the greatest security threat we face. — Madeleine Albright

I am a beneficiary of the American people's generosity, and I hope we can have comprehensive immigration legislation that allows this country to continue to be enriched by those who were not born here. — Madeleine Albright

If you look at my life, generally, I've been put in situations which were difficult and which I conquered. — Madeleine Albright

Take it from someone who fled the Iron Curtain: I know what happens when you give the Russians a green light. — Madeleine Albright

I was in Europe and it was at this stage that I fell in love with Americans in uniform. And I continue to have that love affair. — Madeleine Albright

When Hillary served as Secretary of State, I watched her partner with President Obama to restore our country's reputation around the world. — Madeleine Albright

I did go to Wellesley, a women's college. And I am of a kind of strange generation which is transitional in terms of women who wanted to go out and get jobs. — Madeleine Albright

People are finding it harder and harder to relate to foreign policy. — Madeleine Albright

Whatever the job you are asked to do at whatever level, do a good job because your reputation is your resume. — Madeleine Albright

I never dreamed about one day becoming Secretary of State. It's not that I was modest; it's just that I had never seen a Secretary of State in a skirt. — Madeleine Albright

I think women are really good at making friends and not good at networking. Men are good at networking and not necessarily making friends. That's a gross generalization, but I think it holds in many ways. — Madeleine Albright

The purpose of foreign policy is to persuade others to do what we want or, better yet, to want what we want. — Madeleine Albright

The system he (President Hosni Mubarak) is recommending would make it virtually impossible for truly independent parties to participate. Sham democracy should be exposed for what it truly is. — Madeleine Albright

Glass ceilings have been broken, but more have to be broken. — Madeleine Albright

When Hillary was First Lady, we went to the Beijing Women's Conference. She courageously stood up and spoke out on behalf of human rights and women's rights, inspiring millions to fight for a better future. — Madeleine Albright

I felt that America's duty was not to try to do everything itself, but to foster a sense of commitment that would bring out the best in every country. — Madeleine Albright

Unfortunately for the Iraqi people, instead of meeting these requirements, for six years, Saddam Hussein has lied, delayed, obstructed and tried to deceive — Madeleine Albright

We must help women in every society to have their voices heard. — Madeleine Albright

I think the personal relationships I established mattered in terms of what I was able to get done. And I did bring women's issues to the center of our foreign policy. — Madeleine Albright

As you go along your road in life, you will, if you aim high enough, also meet resistance ... But no matter how tough the opposition may seem, have courage still and persevere. — Madeleine Albright

So there really was a whole series of things that took the women of my generation a little bit of time to push forward. — Madeleine Albright

It takes more than one dove to make peace in the Middle East. — Madeleine Albright

There is plenty of room in the world for mediocre men but there is no room for mediocre women. — Madeleine Albright

I have said this many times, that there seems to be enough room in the world for mediocre men, but not for mediocre women, and we really have to work very, very hard. — Madeleine Albright

Jewelry and pins have been worn throughout history as symbols of power, sending messages. Interestingly enough, it was mostly men who wore the jewelry in various times, and obviously crowns were part of signals that were being sent throughout history by people of rank. — Madeleine Albright

Embrace the faith that every challenge surmounted by your energy; every problem solved by your wisdom; every soul stirred by your passion; and every barrier to justice brought down by your determination will ennoble your life, inspire others, serve your country, and explode outward the boundaries of what is achievable on this earth. — Madeleine Albright

And frankly, I don't understand - I mean, I'm obviously a card-carrying Democrat - but I can't understand why any woman would want to vote for Mitt Romney, except maybe Mrs. Romney. — Madeleine Albright

Don't make me into this airy-fairy, moralist, idealist because I'm not. — Madeleine Albright

We will not be intimidated or pushed off the world stage by people who do not like what we stand for, and that is, freedom, democracy and the fight against disease, poverty and terrorism. — Madeleine Albright

I get up every morning and I'm grateful for everything that has happened. I go through my list about being grateful for my children and grandchildren, and for the really remarkable life that I have been able to have. — Madeleine Albright

I got married, I really waited a long time - three days after I graduated. — Madeleine Albright

The Framework Agreement is one of the best things the [Clinton] Administration has done because it stopped a nuclear weapons program in North Korea. — Madeleine Albright

I can't go out with a Republican. — Madeleine Albright

I have had fun being who I became, so to speak. — Madeleine Albright

Our life comes in segments, and we have to understand that we can have it all if we're not trying to do it all at once. — Madeleine Albright

I think there has to be the sense that once you have climbed the ladder of success, that you don't push it away from the building. — Madeleine Albright

Women have to be active listeners and interrupters - but when you interrupt, you have to know what you are talking about. — Madeleine Albright

Well, the thing that I learned as a diplomat is that human relations ultimately make a huge difference. — Madeleine Albright

I loved what I did. I could've been secretary of state for ever. — Madeleine Albright

Women can't do everything at the same time, we need to understand milestones in our lives comes in segments. — Madeleine Albright

The only thing I have to go by is what my mother and father told me, how I was brought up. — Madeleine Albright

I've never seen America as an imperialist or colonialist or meddling country. — Madeleine Albright

I'm not a person who thinks the world would be entirely different if it was run by women. If you think that, you've forgotten what high school was like. — Madeleine Albright

I think that there is never an indispensable leader, you know? I think that there is a time with dignity that one needs to leave. — Madeleine Albright

I wasn't a normal professor. I had worked in government. I hadn't written nine zillion books. I was a hands-on professor. — Madeleine Albright

The process of education in the oldest profession in the world is like any other educational process, in that it requires time andeffort and patience; it can only be acquired by taking one step at a time, though the steps become accelerated after the first few. — Madeleine Albright

If there's nobody in your way, you're not going anywhere. — Madeleine Albright

I was a little girl in World War II and I'm used to being freed by Americans. — Madeleine Albright

I hope I'm wrong, but I am afraid that Iraq is going to turn out to be the greatest disaster in American foreign policy - worse than Vietnam, not in the number who died, but in terms of its unintended consequences and its reverberation throughout the region. — Madeleine Albright

I've never been to New Zealand before. But one of my role models, Xena, the warrior princess, comes from there. — Madeleine Albright

Women have to work exceptionally hard. — Madeleine Albright

There's Madeleine, and then there's 'Madeleine Albright'. And I sometimes kind of think, who is this person? Once you become 'Madeleine Albright' it doesn't go away. — Madeleine Albright

So people are talking about revolution. What a revolution it would be to have a woman president. — Madeleine Albright

The capability of negotiating ... is something that means you not only have to understand fully what you believe and what your national interests are but in order to be a really good negotiator, you have to try to figure out what the other person on the other side of the table has in mind. — Madeleine Albright

Today, I say that no nation in the world need be left out of the global system we are constructing. — Madeleine Albright

Real leadership comes from the quiet nudging of an inner voice. It comes from realizing that the time has come to move beyond waiting to doing. — Madeleine Albright

My parents were of the generation who thought they were the children of a free Czechoslovakia, the only democracy in central Europe. — Madeleine Albright

Even though there were three newspapers in Chicago at the time, he said 'you wouldn't want to compete with your husband, and so instead of doing what I might do now in that situation, I basically saluted and found other things to do. — Madeleine Albright

For somebody who loves foreign policy, being Secretary is the best job in the world - but it doesn't happen twice. — Madeleine Albright

Our strategic dialogue with China can both protect American interests and uphold our principles, provided we are honest about our differences on human rights and other issues and provided we use a mix of targeted incentives and sanctions to narrow these differences. — Madeleine Albright

Democracy cannot be built on revenge and you will not have the support of the world if you are intolerant and take the law into your own hands. — Madeleine Albright

As strong as the United States is, we can't deal with terrorism alone. — Madeleine Albright

I was struck by the joy of those pilots in committing coldblooded murder ... Frankly, this is not cojones. This is cowardice. — Madeleine Albright

And so I have studied, I have to tell you, revolutions and uprisings for a long time. They are all slightly different, but what they all look for is some kind of a mechanism to go from an authoritarian system to an open, democratic system. — Madeleine Albright

To put it mildly, the world is a mess — Madeleine Albright

Even before I went to the UN, I often would want to say something in a meeting - only woman at the table - and I'd think, 'OK well, I don't think I'll say that. It may sound stupid.' And then some man says it, and everybody thinks it's completely brilliant, and you are so mad at yourself for not saying something. — Madeleine Albright

If you look at U.S. history through religious history, there is very much a motif that shows the importance religion has played in the U.S. We're a very religious country and it affects the way we look at various political issues. — Madeleine Albright

I really do think about the fact that every day counts. I believe that every individual counts, and so I believe that every day counts and I try not to waste it. — Madeleine Albright

I do consider myself a feminist. I know the word has weird implications for people now, but I do think that its important to have women involved, whether its business or public service or ... anything. — Madeleine Albright

We have the most generous immigration policy, but what is a concern is when illegal immigrants come and undermine a variety of the systems that work in order to make our society function. — Madeleine Albright

Often if you don't speak up, whatever you thought was stupid to say some man would say and then everyone would say 'as he said'. — Madeleine Albright

Hussein has chosen to spend his money on building weapons of mass destruction and palaces for his cronies. — Madeleine Albright

The greatest thrill in my life was to represent the United States of America. — Madeleine Albright

Hate, emotionalism, and frustration are not policies. — Madeleine Albright

There are an awful lot of things going on that need understanding and explanation, but - to put it mildly - the world is a mess. — Madeleine Albright