Newly appointed National Security Adviser John Bolton is a hawk’s hawk, and his appointment on Thursday fairly quickly led to a wild array of speculations about what administration policy impacts he may have. CNN reported Bolton promised not to “start any wars,” but it’s not clear what else he brings to the table but advocating wars.
The immediate concern is the impact on North Korea diplomacy. Bolton has clearly not favored diplomacy in general, and has publicly advocated US attacks on North Korea within the past month. North Korea is just one of many angles analysts are looking at the appointment from.
President Trump’s existing acrimony toward Iran is seen to be boosted quite a bit by Bolton, who has been calling for a US invasion of Iran for decades, This has the Israeli right cheering him, even if the White House denies Bolton’s opposition to an independent Palestine will become official US policy
Oil prices are already rising in part due to Bolton’s appointment, and analysts are predicting a new round of US threats against Venezuela, against based on Bolton’s previous comments on the matter. How much will he be driving policy though? That’s much less clear.
The National Security Adviser post, after all, isn’t one with a very tightly defined set of roles, and different advisers have wielded wildly different amounts of power throughout history. Bolton is trying to position himself as an “honest broker” for Trump, someone trying to clarify the list of options Trump has open to him, which doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be heavily impacting the final choices Trump makes.
Bolton as policymaker would clearly be a disaster, but as Trump’s third National Security Adviser, he may well just be the latest going through the revolving door. He’ll likely make some of his typical pro-war comments in public along the way, but may not be making enough decisions to start even half of the wars he’d be inclined to.
It isn’t all bad. We can watch the “Bonk and Nikki Show”. A battle of the sexes to find the stupidest and most disloyal “American” in high government office.
Some realism:
I think Trump selected Bolton only because everyone knows he would be a terrible pick. Spite, and a monumental disregard for consequences, cannot be reasoned into any form of rationality.
The guy exudes nothing but hate.
Bolton is trying to position himself as an “honest broker” for Trump, someone trying to clarify the list of options Trump has open to him, which doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be heavily impacting the final choices Trump makes.
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Not sure that logic makes sense? If he has Trump’s ear, if he’s the “last person” to talk to Trump, then expect war – and the all-out disaster that will be. But we can always hope otherwise.
Trump must be getting a little tired; he needs to split barking loudly duties with a louder dog.
As screeching chickenhawk dogs of war go, few have barked as loudly or often as Bolton and he’s appreciated for that barking by some in the military and the Republican Congress. Others appreciate Bolton’s talents as well, and not just rafts of pundits looking for scribble fodder.
Bolton is more than passingly touched by the Cambridge Analytica scandal; he hired them for his Super PAC.
One of Cambridge Analytica’s co-owners is none other than a major Trump campaign donor – hedge fund billionaire Robert Mercer. That would seem to make Bolton Mercer’s man.
Mike Pompeo is often referred to as the Koch Brother’s favorite Congressman. Now Pompeo is the Koch’s favorite Secretary of State.
Interesting developments; a couple of powerful American billionaires seem to want mitten strings on Trump.
All of Bolton’s opinions and policies can be found on the Likud website.
Our best hope here is that Bolton’s M.O. as a headline hording attention whore clashes with Trump’s own pathological need to be the center of the universe.
Our worst hope here is that Bolton manages to slither his fork tongue into Trump’s impressionable ear and convince him that bombing the world to smithereens is the best way to be perceived as a successful big shot at home and on the world stage.
Either way, buckle up, it’s gonna be a bumpy ride.
I can’t see him being influential enough to maneuver America into a big war with Iran or North Korea. But a smaller war – say a “humanitarian” invasion to claim Venezuelan oil – that could happen.
> McMaster constantly demands war in Syria from Trump
> Trump gets tired of his nagging and boots him
> replaces him with Bolton
If Bolton demands wars like McMaster Trump will notice and boot him too.
Trumps ego is so big he refuses to follow anyones lead.
Will Justin try to tell us Mr. Bolton is somehow a positive development? Perhaps he’s there to “scare the pants” off the Iranians so they will back down and we can avoid war? Dumb de dumb dumb dumb dumb…