John Bolton for President of the United States?

In a recent interview the Daily Caller, John Bolton, the controversial former United States Ambassador to the United Nations and one of the most prominent "hawks" in the Republican foreign policy establishment, did not rule out a possible run for the presidency in 2012, at least as a means of highlighting national security issues during the campaign season.

John Bolton is pretty much the manifestation of everything that Global Citizens are against. Despite serving in the Bush administration as the American ambassador to the U.N. (via a recess appointment, as the Senate refused to confirm him), he has never made any secret of his utter contempt for the world body, an opinion that he extends to pretty much every other international organization. He has been a fierce opponent of the International Criminal Court, apparently that his ideological rigidity provides aid and comfort to genocidal killers and war criminals. During his time at the State Department, Bolton fought against efforts to negotiate with North Korea over its nuclear weapons program and effectively killed a U.N. proposal for more effective international monitoring of biological weapons disarmament. He has also been outspoken in his belief that the United States should unilaterally launch military strikes against Iran and should reject the critically important New START agreement on nuclear reductions with Russia.

Bolton is a classic case of the hypocrisy which with the American Neoconservatives pursue foreign policy. They expect other nations to adhere to established rules in international relations, but then feel that the United States has every right to disregard those rules itself whenever it chooses. For example, the reason Bolton scuttled the U.N. biological weapons proposal was his refusal to allow international inspectors into American facilities. How can Bolton justify demanding that other nations submit to international inspections if he is unwilling to have his own country do so? For that matter, what sort of credibility does Bolton have in condemning the 2008 Russian invasion of Georgia when he was one of the key architects of the American invasion of Iraq?

In short, Bolton is the most vocal spokesman for the American neoconservative belief that since the United States is the strongest nation in the world, it should feel free to do what it likes in pursuit of its own interests, no mater what damage is caused to the overall international system. This is a point of view that Global Citizens must stand against.

Of course, John Bolton has effectively no chance of winning the Republican nomination, but less actually being elected President. But his mere presence in the Republican primary race would have a detrimental impact on the foreign policy debates within the Republican Party. The Republican presidential primary is certain to be dominated by domestic policy issues, as the various candidates position themselves to be the "anti-Obama". If Bolton is the only primary candidate making foreign policy questions the centerpiece of his campaign, he will be in a position to force the other candidates to dance to his tune or else appear "weak".

Even worse, a Bolton candidacy will help keep his profile high among that faction of the Republican Party which focuses on foreign policy, making it likely that he would be given an influential position within a future Republican administration. Conceivably, he might even aspire to the office of Secretary of State. Such an eventuality would be a disaster that defies any attempt at description.