From today's Guardian:

"One questioner asked if the US should not pursue more than its national interest. Mr Bolton looked surprised. "Would you prefer that the US pursued its own interests or think for the whole world?" he asked back. "I think if you think about it for a second you will say 'Please pursue your national interest!'."

Aisha

Arrogant and abrasive perhaps but at least he's being honest.

It'd be a pleasant change to have the US representative dealing with us honestly instead of building false, and hypocritical, arguments to achieve their own ends.

But I'm still not going to hold my breath.

My worry is that he can't differentiate between not pursuing the US's national interest and thinking for the world.

Perhaps what he's saying is that politicians in general can't differentiate between thinking of their own interests and taking other people's interests into account, thus asking politicians to think globally amounts to asking them to try and take over the world.

I react to people talking about states pursuing more then their "national interest" the same way I do to people talking about corporations having a social conscience. My skin crawls.

John who now . . .?

Hmm, my reaction as well, Kevin. But having read it through I would agree with his answer to that question.

Twisting the question, he asked if America should think 'for' the whole world. He said people should hope not. Good, I dont want him thinking for me.

But he should have asked if America should think 'of' the whole world, the answer would have been more enlightening. Methinks. And which is probably why he put it in his own words.

You guys have probably already seen this:
http://news.fun-envelope.com/bolton.mov (3.8MB quicktime)

The man's entitled to his opinion and it's no secret the neocon agenda is rooted in that mindset. You'd think, that because he's carrying the big stick as the U.S, representative to the U.N. he would be able to be persuasice without being abrasive.Why is it that he feels the need to speak so loudly and pound his fist? Whatever happened to diplomacy?

quote:

Originally posted by si~:
Twisting the question, he asked if America should think 'for' the whole world. He said people should hope not. Good, I dont want him thinking for me.

But he should have asked if America should think 'of' the whole world, the answer would have been more enlightening. Methinks. And which is probably why he put it in his own words.

Ever so nicely put.

quote:

Originally posted by klik:
Why is it that he feels the need to speak so loudly and pound his fist? Whatever happened to diplomacy?

He's got that Hitler-with-Chamberlain, brow-beating style. It's not what you say, it's how you ANNUNC-iate iiiiiiiiiiiiiiitt!!!

Sieg Heil, Etruscan
Sieg Heil, Etruscan
Sieg Heil, Etruscan

(oops, sorry, just an old race-memory, Pavlovian dogs etc.)

*rewards si~ with Milk-Bone dog treats*

Peice of cake.