Trust, but verify

Trust, but verify

Trust, but verify was a signature phrase adopted and made famous by U.S. president Ronald Reagan. Reagan frequently used it when discussing U.S. relations with the Soviet Union. Reagan rightly presented it as a translation of the Russian proverb "doveryai, no proveryai" (Russian: Доверяй, но проверяй). Soviet revolutionary Vladmir Lenin also frequently used the phrase.

The phrase was learned by Reagan from Suzanne Massie, a writer on Russia. She told Reagan, "The Russians like to talk in proverbs. It would be nice of you to know a few. You are an actor – you can learn them very quickly". [1]

After Reagan used the phrase at the signing of the INF Treaty, his counterpart Mikhail Gorbachev responded: "You repeat that at every meeting," to which Reagan answered "I like it."[2]


Contents

Other uses

The similar phrase "Trust and Verify" was also the motto of the On-Site Inspection Agency.[3]

"Trust, but Verify", is also the name of a 2005 book by David Lindgren Trust but Verify: Imagery Analysis in the Cold War, about his experiences with satellite imagery during the Cold War, and the basics about them.

This phrase was also frequently used by military capital defense attorney Major David Edward Coombs when dealing with government counsel.[4]

During argument before the Supreme Court of the United States over the case Doe v. Reed, the Attorney General of Washington, a Republican, used the phrase in reference to the people verifying public records of petition signers. Justice Antonin Scalia, who was appointed by Ronald Reagan, retorted "Trust, but verify. I like that!"[5]

This phrase was loosely used by both President Barack Obama[6] and by Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal[7] in response to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

Sarah Palin, in response to her daughter Bristol Palin's second failed engagement with Levi Johnston released a statement to People magazine stating, "I wish for Bristol to be able to move forward in life with her same forgiving, gracious, optimistic spirit, but from henceforth she'll know to trust but verify."[8]

In music and entertainment

This phrase is also frequently used by TV actor David Caruso's character Horatio Caine in CBS's television series CSI: Miami.

This phrase is also used in Season 3 Episode 10 by actor Dennis Haysbert's character Jonas Blane on The Unit.

This phrase is also used frequently in "The Very Best of Neil Diamond," a song released in 2009 by Welsh indie psych-rock group The Super Furry Animals.

This phrase is also the title of a song by To Speak of Wolves, the Greensboro, NC-based post-hardcore band.

This phrase has also been attributed to short story writer and journalist Damon Runyon.

See also

Notes and references

[9]

  1. ^ Suzanne Massie speaking on the 22nd Episode of the television documentary, Cold War (TV Series).
  2. ^ "Remarks on Signing the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty", 1987-12-8. Retrieved on 2009-4-8.
  3. ^ "DoD News Briefing: Brigadier General Gregory G. Govan, USA, On-Site Inspection Agency". United States Department of Defense. February 22, 1995. http://www.defenselink.mil/transcripts/transcript.aspx?transcriptid=106. Retrieved April 24, 2009. 
  4. ^ . http://www.armycourtmartialdefense.com. 
  5. ^ Lithwick, Dahlia. "What's Your Sign?". Slate. Slate. p. 2. http://www.slate.com/id/2252251/pagenum/all/#p2. Retrieved 6 July 2010. 
  6. ^ O'Keefe, Ed (14 May 2010). "Obama smacks Minerals Management Service". Washington Post. http://voices.washingtonpost.com/federal-eye/2010/05/obama_smacks_minerals_manageme.html. Retrieved 4 June 2010. 
  7. ^ Tapper, Jake (30 may 2010). "Louisiana Gov. Jindal to Obama: Give Us More Power on Oil Spill". abcnews.com. http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/05/louisiana-gov-jindal-to-obama-give-us-more-power-on-oil-spill.html. Retrieved 4 June 2010. 
  8. ^ Tapper, Jake (2 aug 2010). "Bristol Palin Breaks Up With Levi Johnston: 'I Got Played'". abcnews.com. http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/bristol-palin-breaks-levi-johnston-played/story?id=11316211. Retrieved 3 August 2010. 
  9. ^ Suzanne Massie speaking on the 22nd Episode of the television documentary, Cold War (TV series)

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