Bolton...Two Sides

Peter Beinart says that John Bolton is the wrong man (or person) for the UN job, but Anne Applebaum disagrees. Both acknowledge that Bolton is a bomb thrower, but draw different conclusions on whether this is what the UN needs. Applebaum comes out winning in this case. Beinart recalls the pugnacious Daniel Patrick Moynihan and the equally combative Jeanne Kirkpatrick and why they need to fight to defend American interests in the institution. He says that US influence was practically nil and our only option was to go down fighting. True but even in those dark days we could still count on support from our western allies, can we do that now? Bolton may not be right for the job, but this argument is weak.

Applebaum defends the UN, but not before calling for reforms. She believes that the UN needs someone like Bolton to help it right itself.