John Mearsheimer – Quotes

The liberal tradition has its roots in the Enlightenment, that period in the eighteenth-century Europe when intellectuals and political leaders had a powerful sense that reason could be employed to make the world a better place.

If China continues to rise, you better be very careful, because that will drive the United States stark raving crazy.

China, in short has the potential to be considerably more powerful than even the United States.

In the anarchic world of international politics, it is better to be Godzilla than Bambi.

A state's potential power is based on the size of its population and the level of its wealth.

In an ideal world, where there are only good states, power would be largely irrelevant.

The Soviet Union and its empire disappeared in large part because its smokestack economy could no longer keep up with the technological progress of the world's major economic powers.

The sad fact is that international politics has always been a ruthless and dangerous business, and it is likely to remain that way.

The most dangerous states in the international system are continental powers with large armies.