John Boy At The UN

PNAC poster-child and US Ambassador, John R. Bolton again today demonstated just what a swell guy he is. In not voting to lift the 43 year old trade embargo against Cuba, he stood with the rest of the world nearly alone as a believer that we're still fighting the Cold War.

Sure, I saw the Cold War rationale for the blockade. We'll keep Communism out of the Western hemisphere. Is that really a threat anymore?

Bolton's vote followed the new line that Cuba is a human rights issue, and in the ever-changing rationale for maintaining the Cuban embargo that almost sounds plausible.

Bolton: Human Rights Warrior

Nah.

Why less than a month ago, he blocked a UN "envoy from briefing the Security Council on possible human rights violations" stating that "the council had to act against atrocities and not just talk about them."

I'm convinced.

Aw, heck. I'll leave it to the women again.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MADRE, An International Women's Human Rights Organization

August 2, 2005-New York-MADRE, an international women's human rights organization, strongly condemns the appointment yesterday of John Bolton, an extremist who has made a career of undermining the United Nations, to the position of US Ambassador to the UN. The underhanded appointment, made while the Senate was in recess, was a fitting reflection of the impatience for public scrutiny or dissent that has characterized both the Bush presidency and Bolton's career. Bolton's appointment is another step to the extreme right, taken with no regard for public opinion in the US or the world.

As US Ambassador to the UN, John Bolton poses an alarming threat to human rights around the world. He is contemptuous of international law and unapologetically supportive of the use of force-pre-emptive or otherwise-by the United States. The UN Charter defines the organization's most fundamental purpose as saving "succeeding generations from the scourge of war." But Bolton has argued for the US to have unrestricted "discretion in using force to advance its national interests," and has expressed support for using military force to overthrow the governments of North Korea, Syria, and Iran. He also opposes any limits on civilian access to weapons and has fought against restrictions on small-arms trade, landmines, biological weapons, child soldiers, and nuclear-weapons testing.

For non-governmental organizations like MADRE, Bolton's appointment will mean an escalated struggle to make the voices of community groups heard at the UN. Bolton has said, "we do not support the promotion of international advocacy activity by international or non-governmental organizations, particularly when those political or policy views advocated are not consistent with the views of all member states."

MADRE

The voting at the UN today to lift the trade embargo against Cuba was 182 to 4.

The four against votes were from the US, Israel, the Marshall Islands, and Palau(no joke) with Miconesia abstaining.

It was grand for Bush to install this Cold War throwback into the UN during a senatorial recess. Bolton is clearly the best person for the job.

Damned sad.

Please Note: I need to apologize for my recent rambling, incoherent entries. Things are a bit emotionally demanding here, and I know it's affecting not only my work, but also my blogging.