~ There are few ironclad rules of diplomacy but to one there is no exception. When an official reports that talks were useful, it can safely be concluded that nothing was accomplished. ~
~ I must acknowledge, once and for all, that the purpose of diplomacy is to prolong a crisis. ~
~ MINISTER, n. An agent of a higher power with a lower responsibility. In diplomacy, an officer sent into a foreign country as the visible embodiment of his sovereign's hostility. ~
~ ULTIMATUM, n. In diplomacy, a last demand before resorting to concessions. ~
~ In archaeology you uncover the unknown. In diplomacy you cover the known. ~
~ Diplomacy means all the wicked devices of the Old World, spheres of influence, balances of power, secret treaties, triple alliances, and, during the interwar period, appeasement of Fascism. ~