Duct Tape Blues

Fence building becomes Fence trashing

I don't think Bush is capable of keeping a single train of thought for more than a week at a time. It was only what ...a few weeks ago that Bush went on his fence mending tour in Europe and today he appoints John Bolton as UN ambassador?

Bolton was one of the neo-cons who advocated the Iraq invasion and has been a long time and very vocal critic of the UN. Bolton will succeed former US Sen. John Danforth, who resigned in December. Some of Bolton's comments about the UN are:

At a 1994 panel discussion sponsored by the World Federalist Association, Bolton claimed, "There's no such thing as the United Nations," saying that ''If the U.N. secretary building in New York lost 10 stories, it wouldn't make a bit of difference.''

In 1994, Bolton opened his testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee by declaring, "I believe that the United States should support the efforts of the Republic of China on Taiwan to become a full member of the United Nations." This is a direct affront to mainland China.

In early May 2002 in his "Beyond the Axis of Evil" speech claimed, without any evidence, that Cuba was developing biological weapons and sharing its expertise with other U.S. enemies. Bush backed away from that comment quickly after nothing could be found to substantiate the claim.

Bolton has publicly stated that he supports a policy of "regime change" rather than negotiation in dealing with North Korea and he has advocated halting payments to the United Nations.

If anything, Bolton says that he has always viewed the world body as an illegitimate and bothersome restraint on what he believes is America's right of unilateral action anywhere and anytime.

So much for mending fences. Maybe Bush just wanted the air-miles when he went to Europe because fence mending will now become fence trashing at the UN with Bolton's sledge-hammer diplomacy.