"If we had made it clear from the very beginning that we were not going to tolerate another nuclear power on the face of the earth, and had done it in Korea, where we could have accomplished it militarily, if necessary, I would put a stop to it and would have put a stop to it there"

This quote by Lawrence Eagleburger recommends that the United States need to have taken a more proactive position in preventing the spread of nuclear weapons. He believes that if the US had made it clear from the start that they would not endure another nuclear power, and had actually done so in Korea, then the spread of nuclear weapons could have been stopped. He indicates that the US should have wanted to use military force if required to avoid the spread of nuclear weapons. This quote reflects the US's commitment to non-proliferation and its desire to take a strong position versus the spread of nuclear weapons. It also suggests that the United States ought to have been more proactive in preventing the spread of nuclear weapons, rather than waiting on them to spread prior to acting.