"In the face of this situation we would be better off to dispense now with a number of the concepts which have underlined our thinking with regard to the Far East. We should dispense with the aspiration to "be liked" or to be regarded as the repository of a high-minded international altruism. We should stop putting ourselves in the position of being our brothers' keeper and refrain from offering moral and ideological advice. We should cease to talk about vague and—for the Far East—unreal objectives such as human rights, the raising of the living standards, and democratization. The day is not far off when we are going to have to deal in straight power concepts. The less we are then hampered by idealistic slogans, the better."
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George Kennan, Head of the US State Department Policy Planning Staff, "Memo PPS23", written 28 February 1948, declassified 17 June 1974
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Aftermath_of_World_War_II
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Aftermath of World War II
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