John Nichols (The Nation): The Bolton Embarrassment

[Jack Rabbit]

From The Nation
Dated Monday August 1

The Bolton Embarrassment
By John Nichols

When the United States sought to be a true world leader, as opposed to a petulant global bully, this country's seat at the United Nations was occupied by great men and women. Consider just some of the amazing figures who have served as U.S. ambassadors to the international body: former Massachusetts Senator Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., two-time presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson, former Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg, former Pennsylvania Governor William Scranton, former civil rights leader and Georgia Congressman Andrew Young, academics and public intellectuals Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Jean Kirkpatrick, Madeine Albright and Richard Holbrooke, former State Department aide and New Mexico Congressman Bill Richardson, former Missouri Senator John Danforth.

These ambassadors came from different parties and from different ideological backgrounds, they had different styles and different goals, but they had one thing in common: They served with the broad support of official Washington and the American people. When they spoke, they spoke for America. And they did so in a tradition of U.S. regard for the mission of the UN, which was perhaps best expressed by an American who served for three decades as a key player in the world council, Ralph Bunche. "The United Nations," said Bunche, "is our one great hope for a peaceful and free world."

To make that hope real, U.S. ambassadors had to be both strong and pragmatic advocates for the best interests of their own country and visionaries who recognized that all United Nations member states merited at least a measure of diplomatic regard. As Adlai Stevenson, who capped a brilliant career in American politics by representing his country at the UN during some of the hottest years of the Cold War, explained, "The whole basis of the United Nations is the right of all nations--great or small--to have weight, to have a vote, to be attended to, to be a part of the twentieth century."

Needless to say, John Bolton has never expressed any sentiment regarding international affairs or the United Nations so well or wisely as Stevenson. Bolton is a hack politician, a career retainer of the Bush family who is famous for nothing so much as his disrespect for the diplomacy and international cooperation in general, and for the United Nations in particular.

Read more.

Bush will defend every diplomatic faux pas that Bolton will commit in the next sixteen months before throwing in the towel and nominating somebody else. He'll have to nominate somebody else. By then, it will be obvious to all who care to look that Bolton is unsuited for any diplomatic position, let alone Ambassador to the United Nations. As his tenure drags on, he will be taken less and less seriously by other diplomats and foreign ministers.

Thus is Bolton finished even as he begins the job. He is doomed to be ineffective.

The UN needs reforms and the US needs to shore up its allies. Neither of those goals can be accomplished by jingoistic bully. This is a sad day for American prestige.

[Dudley_DUright]

1. A very sad day

Here is a good cartoon about Bolton's upcoming task at the UN.



http://www.buzzflash.com/bradenton/05/08/bra05044.html

[Cha]

2. America needs the kind Prestige that

will bring her out of the toilet.

[glitch]

3. Nichols excellent as usual - check out the first two comments :)

thanks for posting

[Jack Rabbit]

4. Check out the third one!! Check out the third one!!

As for the first one, let me introduce you to the Coultergeist who haunts the discussion board of The Nation.

[glitch]

6. LOL! I am so sorry, I posted before continuing to read the comments.

And you are absolutely correct! Bolton is yet another mistake for Bush.

[indepat]

5. It is sad this analysis had not been made before Bolton's ascension

[KoKo]

7. It's also sad that very few of the above named Ambassadors were

not just tools for Globilization and Subjugation of other countries.

I always believed in the United Nations as a voice for peace and hope in the world through co-operation. But, our country has used it as a tool to subject other countries. Our allies have kept emerging voices out of full participation in the United Nations and Bush even bypassed it now to Invade a Sovereign Country. Until All nations can participate it will stay a tool for Great Britain and US (Under Blair/Bush).

I have to hope that the other countries will rise up and find their voice. And, contribute money to the United Nations. We've used witholding funds from them as an "ax over their head" for too long. And, the Chimp-in-Thief is going to screw them to the wall or cause their demise with Bolton. Bolton has 17 months to havoc in the UN with the Neo-Cons cheering him on. He can probably get the dismantling done in much less time and declare "Mission Accomplished."

I have to hope that Bolton will be implicated in something big with the Plame Story because if he isn't brought down for what he's done then we will have the "Neo-Con's" forever. :-(

[peacetalksforall]

8. A little thrill went through my chest on reading this article. It was

recognition of what we once were, though imperfect, more perfect than today. I am holding back tears for what we have become. How can we turn so vile and repulsive, so arrogant and predatory? How can it all be so blatant and transparent?

Yes, we've had some honorable people representing us.

This is a sad day.

We must rebound. We must stop the theft of our votes. We must resist being taken over - body, soul, voice, and rights - we must stop them.

This is a milestone day. We must reverse from here.

[Skittles]

9. it doesn't surprise me how these neocon bastards have behaved

what shocks and saddens me is they can still find people who support them