"We cannot be any stronger in our foreign policy for all the bombs and guns we may heap up in our arsenals than we are in the spirit which rules inside the country. Foreign policy, like a river, cannot rise above its source"
- Adlai Stevenson
About this Quote
This quote by Adlai Stevenson is stressing the value of the spirit of a country in determining its diplomacy. He is stating that no matter how many weapons a country has, it can not be strong in its diplomacy if the spirit of the country is weak. He is comparing diplomacy to a river, which can not increase above its source. This implies that the strength of a country's diplomacy is identified by the strength of its internal spirit. To put it simply, a nation's diplomacy is only as strong as the spirit of its individuals. Therefore, a country should have a strong spirit in order to have a strong diplomacy.
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