William Cohen Quotes & Sayings

I believe the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction presents the greatest threat that the world has ever known. We are finding more and more countries who are acquiring technology - not only missile technology - and are developing chemical weapons and biological weapons capabilities to be used in theater and also on a long range basis. So I think that is perhaps the greatest threat that any of us will face in the coming years. — William Cohen

The opportunities and threats existing in any situation always exceed the resources needed to exploit the opportunities or avoid the threats. Thus, strategy is essentially a problem of allocating resources. If strategy is to be successful, it must allocate superior resources against a decisive opportunity. — William Cohen

Others [terrorists] are engaging even in an eco-type of terrorism whereby they can alter the climate, set off earthquakes, volcanoes remotely through the use of electromagnetic waves — William Cohen

I am absolutely convinced that there are weapons ... I saw evidence back in 1998 when we would see the inspectors being barred from gaining entry into a warehouse for three hours with trucks rolling up and then moving those trucks out. — William Cohen

Government is the enemy until you need a friend. — William Cohen

Taxpayers have spent more than $200 billion in the last decade on computer systems that are antiquated, incompatible, and not doing the job. — William Cohen

The miracle of Grenada is how quickly the Cuban workers beat their plowshares into Soviet AK-47s. — William Cohen

My research debunks the myth that many people seem to have ... that you become a leader by fighting your way to the top. Rather, you become a leader by helping others to the top. Helping your employees is as important, and many times more so, than trying to get the most work out of them. — William Cohen

We have to yet really seriously debate the constitutional issues and whether or not we're willing to give up more freedom in order to have more security. — William Cohen

No on should pass an American in uniform without saying "Thank you, we are grateful." Always mindful that they are prepared to risk all their dreams so that all of us can reach ours. — William Cohen

First, we must continually reaffirm the principle that the security of the United States is not, and should never be, a partisan matter. The United States can best defend its national security interests abroad by uniting behind a bipartisan security policy at home. — William Cohen

A firm that continues to employ a previously successful strategy eventually and inevitably falls victim to a competitor. — William Cohen

Others are engaging even in an eco- type of terrorism whereby they can alter the climate, set off earthquakes, volcanoes remotely through the use of electromagnetic waves. So there are plenty of ingenious minds out there that are at work finding ways in which they can wreak terror upon other nations. It's real, and that's the reason why we have to intensify our efforts, and that's why this is so important. — William Cohen