Quotes by Ben Rhodes - Page 2

With the 5-to-4 decision upholding Trump's Muslim ban, arbitrary discrimination is now formal U.S. policy, celebrated by a president who campaigned on a 'total ban' of Muslims entering the United States.
Ben Rhodes /
Arbitrary
Decision
Discrimination
Entering
Formal
Policy
Trump
Ban
Celebrated
Muslim
Muslims
Upholding
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We want to open up more opportunities for U.S. businesses and travelers to engage with Cuba, and we want the Cuban government to open up more opportunities for its people to benefit from that engagement.
Ben Rhodes /
Cuba
Engagement
Government People More
Benefit
Businesses
Engage
Opportunities
Travelers
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All these newspapers used to have foreign bureaus. Now they don't. They call us to explain to them what's happening in Moscow and Cairo. Most of the outlets are reporting on world events from Washington.
Ben Rhodes /
Moscow
Newspapers
Outlets
Explain
Reporting
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The fact of the matter is the West Wing never gets fully renovated because nobody wants to vacate it. And so you have basically patch-up jobs that are being done, but it's a tight and cramped environment.
Ben Rhodes /
Being Done
Environment
Basically
Fully
Tight
West Wing
Wing
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What's interesting about the foreign policy establishment critique is, you know, I think the Blob and I have more in common in some ways than people might think, but also, what I was saying can be misread.
Ben Rhodes /
Critique
Foreign Policy
People Know More
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In the Arab Spring, that obviously came to a head in Syria. I found myself arguing for intervention, mainly just because I wanted things to get better, and I had this germ of liberal humanitarian interventionism.
Ben Rhodes /
Arab Spring
Humanitarian
Intervention
Spring
Syria
Arab
Germ
Liberal
Mainly
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Since taking office, President Obama has pursued a policy that focused more American resources and engagement in the Asia-Pacific, a region that will increasingly define opportunity and security in the 21st century.
Ben Rhodes /
Engagement
President Obama
Pursued
Define
Increasingly
Region
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For more than fifty years, the United States pursued a policy of isolating and pressuring Cuba. While the policy was rooted in the context of the Cold War, our efforts continued long after the rest of the world had changed.
Ben Rhodes /
Cold War
Cuba
Pursued
Rooted
War World Long
Context
Efforts
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To be sure, the United States will be eternally proud of our civilian leaders and the men and women of our armed forces who served in World War II for their sacrifice at a time of maximum peril to our country and our world.
Ben Rhodes /
Armed Forces
Maximum
Men And Women
Our World
Peril
Sacrifice
World War Ii
Time War Men
Armed
Civilian
War Time Men
War Time Women
Eternally
Forces
Leaders
Served
World War
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We have enormous interests in the Asia Pacific. In addition to our economy, we need to secure our allies, protect our environment, promote peace and stability, ensure the free-flow of commerce, and stand up for human rights.
Ben Rhodes /
Allies
Asia
Commerce
Enormous
Human Rights
Pacific
Secure
Stability
Addition
Promote
Stand Up
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Downturns in migration almost always prove temporary, as people adjust to changes in American enforcement. What doesn't change is the basic human impulse to pursue a better life in a place where they believe it's still possible.
Ben Rhodes /
Better Life
Enforcement
Impulse
Migration
Pursue
Life Change Believe
Life Change Always
Adjust
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The Asia Pacific region within TPP encompasses nearly 40 percent of the world's GDP. Shaping the rules of the road for trade in this region is good for our workers and businesses - and it is good for our national security as well.
Ben Rhodes /
Asia
Gdp
National Security
Pacific
Workers
Region
Shaping
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While the TPP - like any trade deal - is a subject of vigorous debate, its benefits are clear. The TPP will open markets and bring down barriers for American businesses in the world's largest emerging market, creating jobs at home.
Ben Rhodes /
Barriers
Debate
Emerging
Vigorous
American Businesses
Home World Will
Largest
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If you are a speechwriter, you have to know what the person you're writing for thinks. A lot of foreign policy advisers are thinking, 'How can I get my proposal into this guy's speech?' I was just thinking, 'What does he want to say?'
Ben Rhodes /
Adviser
Foreign Policy
Proposal
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Irrespective of our foreign policies, for decades, other nations and peoples could see, in the United States, a strong democracy that could maintain social cohesion, welcome immigrants of all backgrounds, and count on stable institutions.
Ben Rhodes /
Backgrounds
Cohesion
Decades
Immigrants
Nations
Stable
Welcome
Count
Irrespective
Maintain
Policies
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President Obama has been on the world stage for 10 years, and people know what he believes. He doesn't single out individual countries and doesn't say, 'I believe in LGBT rights because I want to embarrass the political leadership in India.'
Ben Rhodes /
President Obama
Leadership Believe I Believe
Believes
Embarrass
World Stage
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Billions of people around the globe had come to know Barack Obama, had heard his words, had watched his speeches, and, in some unknowable but irreducible way, had come to see the world as a place that could - in some incremental way - change.
Ben Rhodes /
Barack
Billions
Change World People
Barack Obama
Globe
Incremental
Speeches
Unknowable
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Our basic assessment was that if America keeps going down these rabbit holes in the Middle East, we're just going to put ourselves out of business as the world leader because we're just draining resources and diplomatic bandwidth, and we're not producing outcomes.
Ben Rhodes /
Assessment
Bandwidth
Draining
East
Holes
Leader
Middle
Middle East
Outcomes
Resources
World Leader
Business World America
Basic
Producing
Rabbit
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By heralding President Xi Jinping's accession to permanent leadership, soliciting Vladimir Putin's reentry into the Group of Seven, and declaring that Kim Jong Un is 'beloved by his people,' Trump legitimizes the very behavior that U.S. presidents opposed for decades.
Ben Rhodes /
Leadership
Behavior
Beloved
Decades
Declaring
Permanent
President
Putin
Seven
Trump
Group
Opposed
Un
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Jose Marti, known as 'the Apostle of Cuban Independence,' was an influential poet, journalist, and political theorist who became a symbol for the Cuban people's bid for independence. The concepts of freedom, liberty, and self-determination feature prominently in his work.
Ben Rhodes /
Independence
Concepts
Cuban
Influential
Self Determination
Apostle
Bid
Feature
Symbol
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No matter what people may think about American foreign policy, there is broad and overwhelming interest in engaging with the United States on issues related to entrepreneurship. People associate this promise with America, and that's an extraordinary asset for our country.
Ben Rhodes /
American Foreign Policy
Engaging
Entrepreneurship
Foreign Policy
Overwhelming
Promise
Related
Asset
Broad
Country People America
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In addition to deep divisions on issues such as trade, climate change, Middle East peace and nuclear weapons, Trump's attacks on leaders such as Trudeau and Merkel and disrespect for NATO and other institutions are prompting a reassessment by allied governments and publics.
Ben Rhodes /
Climate Change
Disrespect
Middle East
Nato
Weapons
Addition
Allied
Attacks
Divisions
Governments
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To the developing world, Cuba has been a symbol of sovereignty and resistance and a supporter of revolution - for good or bad. From the Missile Crisis to the anti-apartheid movement, from the Kennedys to Obama era, this small island has put itself at the center of world events.
Ben Rhodes /
Cuba
Developing
Resistance
Revolution
Sovereignty
Supporter
Good World Bad
Developing World
Island
Missile
Symbol
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I think one of the critiques of me is that I thought I knew it all. But I was learning from the enormous resources available within the U.S. government who have a very different view of the world than many of the people commenting on foreign policy from outside of the government.
Ben Rhodes /
Government
Available
Enormous
Foreign Policy
Policy
Resources
Within
Learning World Me
Commenting
Different View
Outside
View
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While President Obama raised the hopes of Americans and Cubans alike with a forward-looking opening in diplomatic, commercial and people-to-people ties, President Trump is turning back the clock to a tragically failed Cold War mindset by reimposing restrictions on those activities.
Ben Rhodes /
Clock
Cold War
Cuban
Mindset
Opening
President Obama
Ties
Activities
Alike
Failed
Forward-Looking
Hopes
Restrictions
Tragically
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Americans will forever be proud of the brave men and women of our armed forces who served in World War II, and we will never forget those who paid the last full measure of devotion for our country. Their service protected our freedom and changed the course of history around the world.
Ben Rhodes /
Armed Forces
Brave
Changed
Devotion
Men And Women
Never Forget
Paid
Protected
World War Ii
Armed
Brave Men
Forces
Measure
Served
World War
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One of the things you learn in government is there's a long tail to American decision-making when it comes to foreign policy. Moving the embassy to Jerusalem, pulling out of the Iran deal, pulling out of Paris, not speaking up for democratic values - the world doesn't end the next day.
Ben Rhodes /
Decision Making
Embassy
Foreign Policy
Iran
Jerusalem
Tail
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People make a mistake when they think that if you just accumulate a set number of things on your resume, it's going to lead you to a particular place - the pattern of essentially compiling credentials to climb your way up a ladder. That may work, but that's not at all what happened to me.
Ben Rhodes /
Credentials
Work Your Me
Accumulate
Climb
Essentially
Ladder
Pattern
Resume
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For many Americans, 'Vietnam' is a word associated with war and the extraordinarily complex history between our countries. But since normalization began, the U.S. and Vietnam have steadily built bonds of partnership, demonstrating that we can recognize history without being imprisoned by it.
Ben Rhodes /
Demonstrating
Partnership
Vietnam
Associated
Bonds
Extraordinarily
Imprisoned
Steadily
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After the separation of children from families seeking to join the United States was embraced as the official policy of our government, we should ask ourselves what story we will tell. President Trump's story is one of cruelty - that we may do something unfathomable to deter families from coming to America.
Ben Rhodes /
Cruelty
Seeking
Separation
Unfathomable
Deter
Embraced
Join
Official
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There's this constant narrative of anxieties: Is the U.S. in decline? Is China rising? People forget... no other country is trying to play the role we play. They're not signing up to be responsible for security in the Middle East, responsible for the global economy, responsible for enforcing international norms.
Ben Rhodes /
China
Constant
Decline
East
Forget
Global Economy
International
Middle
Middle East
Narrative
Responsible
Rising
Security
Signing
People Country Security
Anxieties
Enforcing
Country People Security
Global
Country People Trying
Norms
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Any country must establish control over its borders. That is essential to sovereignty and the security of our citizens. But America, at our best, has balanced that political, legal, and social objective with an appreciation for the benefits of immigration and a sense of respect for the dignity of all human beings.
Ben Rhodes /
Appreciation
Legal
Balanced
Borders
Dignity
Immigration
Sovereignty
Establish
Objective
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I found people I really wanted to work for; I made myself available to do whatever I could with the skills I had; I took some risk, packing up and moving to Chicago; and I looked for the opportunities that fit for me. So I think the biggest advice is to find people you love to work for who you're going to learn from.
Ben Rhodes /
Advice
Available
Chicago
Moving
Packing
Risk
Skills
Love Work Myself
Biggest
Looked
Opportunities
Took
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All over the world, independent and strong civil society - NGOs, faith leaders, and other community advocates - help governments solve problems and better serve their people better by shining a light on the issues that matter most - like education standards, access to healthcare, the rule of law, and economic opportunity.
Ben Rhodes /
Education
Opportunity
Faith
Society
Access
Civil Society
Community
Economic
Healthcare
Independent
Issues
Law
Light
Matter
Rule Of Law
Shining
Solve
Standards
Strong
Most
Advocate
Civil
Economic Opportunity
Governments
Over
Ngos
Other
Problems
Rule
Serve
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Faith leaders, young people, American companies, human rights advocates, and many others have demonstrated a unique interest in our Cuba policy. But no community cares more deeply about these issues than Cuban Americans - young and old - who have maintained a profound interest in Cuba and an abiding faith in the Cuban people.
Ben Rhodes /
Cuba
Human Rights
Profound
Abide
Faith Community People
Advocate
American Companies
Cares
Maintained
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Japan hosts more forward-deployed U.S. troops than any other country and serves as home port for our only forward-deployed aircraft carrier. In 2011, when a tsunami devastated Japan and created the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear facility, the United States stood shoulder-to-shoulder with our Japanese allies to respond and rebuild.
Ben Rhodes /
Aircraft
Allies
Carrier
Devastated
Disaster
Facility
Japan
Nuclear
Port
Troops
Tsunami
Any Other Country
Created
Respond
Hosts
Rebuild
Serve
Stood
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U.S. leadership has been rooted not just in our own belief in American exceptionalism but in the faith of others around the world. By so wantonly discarding that principle, the Trump Administration has done incredible harm to the families they have separated through the state-sponsored child abuse that has been carried out in our name.
Ben Rhodes /
Leadership
Abuse
Administration
Belief
Child Abuse
Harm
Rooted
Trump
Carried
Families
Principle
Separated
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President Obama started in public life not as an elected official but as a community organizer. He worked with churches and other groups on the south side of Chicago to push public leaders to fight poverty, improve the local school system and make housing more affordable, and to bring about the change the community needed and deserved.
Ben Rhodes /
Affordable
Housing
Organizer
President Obama
Public Life
School System
Life Change Community
Churches
Deserved
Elected
Local School
Official
South Side
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Following one of the most violent conflicts in human history, the United States and Japan built a deep and abiding friendship - an alliance that has underwritten unprecedented economic growth and security in the Asia Pacific for half a century. It is an alliance based on mutual interests and shared values and the ties between our people.
Ben Rhodes /
Friendship
Asia
Economic Growth
Following
Human History
Japan
Mutual
Pacific
Ties
Unprecedented
Violent
Abide
Alliance
Conflicts
Our People
Shared
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The fact that there were discreet channels of communication established with Iran in 2012 is something that we confirmed publicly. However, we did not have any serious prospect of reaching a nuclear deal until after the election of Hassan Rouhani in 2013. Yes, we had discussions with the Iranians before that, but they did not get anywhere.
Ben Rhodes /
Communication
Discreet
Election
Iran
Nuclear
Reaching
Serious
Anywhere
Established
Channels
Confirmed
However
Iranians
Prospect
Publicly
Yes
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We don't have to kind of be in cycles of conflict if we can find other ways to resolve these issues. We can do things that challenge the conventional thinking that, you know, 'AIPAC doesn't like this,' or 'the Israeli government doesn't like this,' or 'the Gulf countries don't like it.' It's the possibility of improved relations with adversaries.
Ben Rhodes /
Adversaries
Conflict
Conventional
Cycles
Israeli
Possibility
Resolve
Challenge
Countries
Gulf
Improved
Israeli Government
Relations
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Ben Rhodes Quotes - Page 2

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