Bolton Memoir Out (Don’t Bother)

Many tak[e] offense that anyone would describe the United Nations as an “instrument” of any national foreign policy, and most certainly not that of the United States.’ These are the true believers, the High Minded elite who worship at the altar of the Secular Pope. Of course, all 192 nations pursue their national interests at the UN—seeking to use it as an instrument of their foreign policy—but only the United States is criticized for it. Even those who are not vergers for the High Minded, however, have ample practical reasons to channel increasing decision-making authority into the UN system, especially if part of their agenda is to circumscribe U.S. global power. I include in this category not only those seeking to influence traditional matters of foreign affairs, but also the increasing category of “global governance” advocates who hope to transfer areas of authority traditionally left to national government to supranational bodies, or to constrain nation-states through “norming,” effectively tying their hands. Issues like family planning and abortion, the right to keep and bear arms, environmental policy, the death penalty, and many others, even taxation, are now being dragged into the international arena, often with the support of the U.S. left. They have found themselves unable to prevail in a fair fight within America’s system of representative government, so they now seek international forums to argue their positions, where their collectivist proclivities find greater sympathy among foreign governments and NG0s.