When a mother quarrels with a daughter she has a double dose of unhappiness hers from the conflict and empathy with her daughter's from the conflict with her. Throughout her life a mother retains this special need to maintain a good relationship with her daughter.

'Smart power' is the use of American power in ways that would help prevent and resolve conflict - not just send our military in.

Politics is very interesting and always leads to conflict.

When times are tough constant conflict may be good politics but in the real world cooperation works better. After all nobody's right all the time and a broken clock is right twice a day.

Everybody in America is soft and hates conflict. The cure for this both in politics and social life is the same - hardihood. Give them raw truth.

Serious poetry deals with the fundamental conflicts that cannot be logically resolved: we can state the conflicts rationally but reason does not relieve us of them.

The conflict in the Middle East needs to be solved for the same reasons. It is necessary to reach a two-states solution built on international law for sustainable peace and development and it can only be achieved through joint efforts by the international community.

Several studies and a number of public statements by senior military and political personalities testify that - except for disputes between the present nuclear states - all military conflicts as well as threats to peace can be dealt with using conventional weapons.

Certainly protecting oppressed people stopping ethnic conflict and promoting responsible governance are worthy goals. But none is as important for American security and prosperity as keeping the peace in the Middle East Europe and East Asia.

The United States contributes to peace in both by serving as a buffer between and among regional powers that while not preparing for armed conflict do not fully trust one another.