John Bolton

John Robert "Bomb Iran" Bolton II is the former National Security Adviser of the United States and former US Ambassador to the United Nations, among many other dreadful titles. He is also a huge wingnut, whose foreign policy is best described as Jeane Kirkpatrick on steroids.Dexter Filkins (April 29, 2019). "John Bolton on the Warpath". The New Yorker. He is "the hawk's hawk". Bolton is one of the most vocal advocates for war with Iran, Venezuela, North Korea, and any other "rogue states".Julian Borger (May 17, 2019). "John Bolton: the man driving the US towards war ... any war". The Guardian.Julian Borger (March 23, 2018). "John Bolton: foreign policy radical who backs war with both Iran and North Korea". The Guardian. He has been known to sabotage peace talks to "prove" peace doesn't work. Bolton was a supporter of the Vietnam War, but conveniently avoided going overseas by getting a student deferment followed by enlistment in the National Guard (much in common with his later boss Dubya) and later the Army Reserve. Thus making him worthy of the chickenhawk title. He was also an early supporter of the Iraq War, and two decades later, had no regrets.
He has worked, in some capacity, in every Republican administration since the Reagan era — he was an Assistant Attorney General for Ronnie himself, he was an Assistant Secretary of State for Bush the elder, and Ambassador to the UN under his inept son. The last was the most controversial of those three — the Democrats actually filibustered it.Douglas Jehl (May 27, 2005). "Democrats Force Senate to Delay a Vote on Bolton". The New York Times. Perhaps worse, however, was his (March 2018 to September 2019) tenure as a National Security Adviser under Donald Trump. Philip Elliott (March 23, 2018). "Donald Trump Just Hired John Bolton. Here's Why That Makes Some Nervous". Time.Jonathan Lemire, Zeke Miller, and Deb Riechmann (September 11, 2019). "What led up to Trump’s firing of John Bolton". PBS NewsHour. Like most unelected functionaries GOP presidents treat like hand-me-downs, he is a neoconservative. Despite usually being labeled a neocon, he dislikes being called one.(May 24, 2007). "John Bolton: I am not a Neocon". Pen and Sword. He was formerly a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), and contributed several articles for them."John R. Bolton". American Enterprise Institute."Revolving Door: John R. Bolton Employment Summary". OpenSecrets.
Unsurprisingly, despite supporting the Vietnam War,One Angry Man he joined the National Guards specifically to make sure he didn't have to serve.Never Shy, Bolton Brings a Zeal to the Table
==Bombing the campaign finance laws==
Early in Bolton's career as a lawyer, he helped move America towards legally recognized corporate personhood with the SCOTUS case (decided 1976) "that strict limits on campaign spending violated the right to free speech." The Lever reports "this U.S. Supreme Court case was the first to frame the fight against campaign finance regulations as a crusade for free speech and third-party rights."David Sirota (September 10, 2024). "Master Plan, Ep 5: How Corporations Became People". The Lever. It overturned laws passed after Watergate with the intention of curtailing political corruption,Jon Schwarz (June 18, 2020). "John Bolton Is Telling the Truth, but Let's Not Forget His Horrible, Dangerous Career". The Intercept. something then-recent events certainly wouldn't have illustrated the necessity of. Or so said the wise and honorable Supreme Court. The Buckley v. Valeo case would ultimately serve as a precursor to further cases, including Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission,Terry Gross (May 2, 2019). "Journalist Explains John Bolton's Push For 'Aggressive Use' Of American Power". Fresh Air (NPR). and Bolton himself had predicted in 1976 that the case would have "profound influence on the structure of American politics".Brice M. Clagett and John R. Bolton, "Buckley v. Valeo, Its Aftermath, and Its Prospects: The Constitutionality of Government Restraints on Political Campaign Financing", 29 Vanderbilt Law Review 1327 (1976). "The Supreme Court's decision in Buckley v. Valeo' undoubtedly will be the forerunner of many future decisions dealing with the complex area of political campaign finance and thus will exert a profound influence on the structure of American politics." In 2008, he wrote in a memoir: "Everyone knew the decision in Buckley v. Valeo could determine the election in 1976, not to mention the future shape of American politics."
==Countries he'd like to bomb==
===Iraq===
Bolton was an ardent supporter of the illegalIraq War illegal, says then United Nations General Secretary Kofi Annan - BBC. Published 16 September, 2004. war in Iraq, even being dubbed one of its architects.John Bolton’s mustache is more qualified to be national security adviser than he is He has stated that despite the failures of the Iraq War, he’d repeat it again too.Trump Abandons His Anti-Iraq Campaign Stance And Hires A Key Warmonger 
The instability following the invasion of Iraq is also notable for directly enabling the rise of DAESH as a result of the power vacuum left in the wake of the collapse of the Ba'athist regime. Within weeks of the invasion American troops went from being seen as "heroic liberators" to "brutal occupiers." The US, in a prime display of incompetence, also disbanded the Iraqi Army. That left uncountable numbers of angry, unemployed men with military training just waiting for a chance to strike back at the Americans and their perceived puppet regime. DAESH was all too willing to seize the opportunity that the US had stupidly created for them. Many of DAESH's top commanders were identified as senior military officers in Saddam Hussein's Iraqi Army.
The US military also detained tens of thousands at Camp Bucca in Southern Iraq, many of whom were noncombatants. This created an atmosphere of resentment among the inmates that was a keen environment for radicalization and recruitment, as well as a space to plan attacks and coordinate and establish insurgent infrastructure right under the American noses. Notable among the inmates was a certain Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who established himself as a leading figure among the newly radicalized detainees.
===Syria===
Much like with Iraq, Bolton sees invading Syria as a good move for American foreign policy and influence. However, ironically enough, his decision to shift the foreign policy of the administration from the internal debates of the entire staff towards whatever Donald Trump wanted likely ended up being the reason Trump withdrew from Syria in 2019.Bolton Walked Back Syria Statement. His Disdain for Debate Helped Produce It.
===Libya===
The Bush Administration had to specifically keep Bolton out of the loop regarding their deal with Muammar Gaddafi in order to actually make sure said deal went through, primarily due to Bolton's opposition to such a deal.Who “Won” Libya? Unsurprisingly, he was a firm supporter of the NATO bombing campaign against Libya in 2011.Former U.S. Ambassador John Bolton Wants To Target Qaddafi For Assassination
===Iran===
Bolton has had "[the] anal focus on Iran for twenty years," said H.R. McMaster.
Bolton has repeatedly called for a regime change in Iran, going as far as to give a speech regarding this subject to young Iranians at a conference in Paris.Bringing in Bolton, White House appears to stiffen against Palestinians, Iran He has constantly claimed that every action from the Iranian government is an act of terrorism, despite embodying that himself by calling for assassinating Iranian leaders and toppling the government. While working for Donald Trump, he was one of three forces that stopped the President from opening up diplomatic relations with Iran.How Bolton, Netanyahu and Pompeo Sabotaged Trump’s Dream of Talks With Iran
In 2004, Bolton claimed while testifying to Congress that Iran had a greater amount of enriched uranium than they were claiming--which the IAEA was unable to get any evidence to support.No Proof Found of Iran Arms Program
War games conducted in 2002 showed Iran decisively beating America in combat, meaning that, according to the simulation conducted by the Pentagon in 2002, war with Iran is not only costly, but a losing proposition."Millennium Challenge: Iran Destroyed America In a War Game" - National Interest. Written by David Axe. Published December 1st, 2021. To quote National Interest:
Micah Zenko, writing a piece for War on the Rocks in 2015, explained why this was so shocking:
The shock of this compelled the exercise planners to rig the results for the US for the rest of the simulation. Perhaps we should listen to the actual experts on this, and not a hawkish coward with a track-record of advocating for disastrous military interventions.
DAESH has also launched a number of attacks in Iran over the years, and have a strong presence just over the border in Afghanistan. DAESH and a litany of other militant groups dissatisfied with the reign of the Khomeinist regime are just waiting for the Ayatollahs to fall. If there is one sound argument against invading Iran, this is it.
Iran is also an "industrial autarky" that produces more steel than any EU member state besides Germany. In addition to that, Iran "has the capacity to feed itself, enjoys an abundance of fossil fuels (whose sale, as with Russia, has blunted the effectiveness of US sanctions), and has an impressive military-industrial complex." Iran also is a nation with 90 million people and is the "size of Germany, France, and Ukraine combined."
Due to the potential refugee crisis caused by any hypothetical "Iran War," a war with Iran would be an unmitigated disaster for Europe. Syria has produced 6.8 million refugees out of a pre-war population of 22 million. How many refugees would be generated by a conflict in a country with 90 million people?
===North Korea===
Bolton spoke positively of engaging in a pre-emptive strike against North Korea in 2018.John Bolton on: bombing Iran, North Korea, Russia and the Iraq War Any potential war with North Korea could result in potentially hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of casualties. North Korea has artillery entrenched deep into their country that points directly at Seoul, the capital of South Korea, that while unlikely to "flatten" Seoul, could still cause massive collateral damage to the city."Can North Korea Really "Flatten" Seoul?" North Korea is also a nuclear power; possessing, according to the Council for Foreign Relations, enough material to make 100 nuclear bombs and has already engaged in several successful launches of nuclear rocketry."What are North Korea's Military Capabilites?" - The Council for Foreign Relations North Korea is also suspected to possess weapons of mass destruction unrelated to its nuclear status, including both chemical and biological weapons.
From a purely military standpoint, war with North Korea would again be a both costly and disastrous endeavor. This is ignoring any potential humanitarian pitfalls of war with the North Korean regime, of which there are many. Given that Bolton openly and unashamedly advocates for such a stupid policy position, it's downright frightening that this guy has been in the highest levels of government since the Reagan era.
Morever, Bolton brags about participating to the collapse of the Agreed Framework. The Agreed Framework successfully controlled the North Korean nuclear program. When a separate enriched uranium program was discovered, instead of using it for further leverage, Bolton pushed for the collapse of the agreement in 2003 (“This was the hammer I had been looking for to shatter the Agreed Framework”), causing North Korea to leave the NPT and, three years later, to test its first nuclear weapons."Three strikes means Bolton should be out" - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Published on March 30th, 2018. Written by Alexandra Bell and James McKeon.
===Cuba===
Bolton has claimed that Cuba has a secret biological weapons program and has worked with both Iran and Libya, both of which the State Department were forced to deny.Bolton Assures Senators Of Commitment to U.N.
===Venezuela===
During the 2019 political instability in Venezuela and Bolton's tenure in the Trump administration, he "accidentally" flashed a notepad "the wrong way" so the media could snap photos of what it said: "5,000 troops to Colombia".Deirdre Shesgreen (January 28, 2019). "John Bolton's notes on '5,000 troops to Colombia' spark speculation about military intervention in Venezuela". USA Today. This was a microcosm of a wider strategy Bolton seemingly deployed throughout his role in the Trump presidency: make the media think the administration's position was much more hawkish than it was to bait the press into confronting Trump himself about whatever Bolton said the day before — gambling that this might pigeonhole Trump into defending Bolton's own position. Luckily, this sneaky gambit rarely seems to have actually worked, and no troops were ever deployed to Colombia. Trump sort-of caught on to the way that Bolton was contradicting him on many issues, which contributed to his removal as an advisor.Nahal Toosi and Quint Forgey (September 10, 2019). "Trump ousts Bolton after anger over Afghan news coverage". Politico.
==Institutions he'd like to bomb==
===United Nations===
Despite having been the US ambassador to the United Nations, he infamously once claimed in 1994 that the UN "doesn't exist."(April 9, 2005). "Bolton: There's no such thing as the UN". openDemocracy. This was long before he conveniently became appointed as a politician within the UN.
===International Criminal Court===
Bolton has also heavily criticized the ICC, which is not surprising given his support of war crimes committed by the United States in the various foreign territories where they exerted themselves.
===Biological Weapons Convention===
In a 2001 biological weapons conference in Geneva convened to endorse a UN proposal to enforce the 1972 Biological Weapons Convention, Bolton opposed it, fearing it would led to spot inspections of suspected U.S. weapons sites.
===European Union===
Unsurprisingly for someone supporting the return to jungle's law in international relations, Bolton opposes the European Union and praised Brexit.
==Other highlights==
*While working for Ronald Reagan, he opposed giving financial reparations to Japanese-Americans who had been placed in the Internment Camps of the mid-1940s.Japanese-Americans Ask Reparations
*He was involved with the Iran-Contra scandal.Remember Ollie: Lesson in Iran-Contra for Dems today
==Notes he'd like to bomb==
==References he'd like to bomb==
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