UN lovers in America fault John Bolton for trying to keep human rights abusers off the newly created UN Human Rights Council. They complain that he offended UN diplomats for not taking part in their charade of concern for people around the world who are oppressed by dictatorial regimes. As predicted, the new UN body has spent much of its time criticizing U.S. policy in the war on terror.
There is universal agreement that the United Nations is in desperate need of management reform. While Kofi Annan and the UN pay lip service to such ideas, they drag their feet to prevent themselves from having to be more accountable to countries like the United States which fund the bulk of UN operations. Growing disgusted with the lack of change in the corrupt management at Turtle Bay, Mr. Bolton tried to increase his leverage over the process by suggesting that the U.S. might withhold funding if minimal changes were not made. But to Kofi's defenders at the Note, this only "helped further the impression at the U.N. that Ambassador Bolton and the U.S. were more focused on cost-cutting than building a strong and effective institution capable of responding to the problems facing all nations."
But therein is the problem for liberals. They are trading in their faith in the United States for a hopelessly corrupt institution which is not capable of responding to – let along solving – international problems. John Bolton understood this before he took his post and still recognizes that fact today. During hearings last week, Bolton was asked by Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN) if his opinion of the United Nations has changed. "Not really," Bolton said candidly.
Power to shape world events is a zero-sum game. And liberals who seek to derail Mr. Bolton's nomination should be asked whether they want a strong United States or a strong United Nations. To vote against the confirmation of John Bolton is to choose the corrupt Kofi Annan over the President of the United States. The vote is coming and the question to senators is, "whose side are you on?"
Thomas P. Kilgannon is the president of Freedom Alliance and the author of the new book Diplomatic Divorce: Why America Should End Its Love Affair with the United Nations.