Bye Bye Bolton

When the name of John Bolton, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, was mentioned as a possible successor to National Security Advisor, Mike Flynn, I didn’t take that seriously.

Bolton, was former Ambassador to the United Nations in the George W. Bush Administration and is considered a serious national security analyst.  On closer inspection, Bolton is not a serious analyst. He is a polemicist, scribbling diatribes whenever the occasion permits. He has published two books, one a 500-plus commentary on his experience as UN Ambassador and another a 48 page diatribe against Barack Obama.

One wonders if the Neoconservative war faction housed at AEI could come up with a more substantial candidate for NSC Advisor, but Bolton has his uses. He was seen frequently on Fox News–which President Trump watches because his reading ability is limited due to dyslexia–and Bolton is a gifted propagandist for a forceful, imperial, American foreign policy.

As the anniversary of the attacks on 9/11, President Trump invited the Taliban to meet at Camp David. That, in addition  to goofy pronouncements on Russian-American relations, caused friction between President Trump and John Bolton.

We should have known that Bolton’s appointment as National Security Advisor wouldn’t end well. When campaigning for President only Donald Trump and Rand Paul spoke out against a militaristic foreign policy. The key question is why President Trump picked Bolton in the first place. The answer seems to be that President Trump literally knows nothing about National Security.

So, once again, let’s listen to Ann Margaret sing “Bye Bye” as another top Trump appointee leaves government service.