Bolton explains to Yale why U.N. screws America

Anyone who attended this week's Yale Political Union meeting can affirm, there was much to appreciate about Bolton's visit to campus. For the man who addressed a packed crowd of Yalies on Monday night, October 3, Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton, was candidly open about failures and flaws of the organization to which he purports to be the United States' diplomat. The ambassador not only addressed some 500 students, but spoke on a very controversial and secretive topic, and answered many feisty questions from the audience directly and forthrightly.

The ambassador's central contention, was that U.N. member states should no longer be required to pay their annual dues -- instead, the United Nations should solicit voluntary contributions for specified projects. He went on, to explain why the United States should not continue to pay 22 percent of the U.N.'s budget when the General Assembly of 191 countries is frequently reckless, irresponsible and even corrupt. "Why shouldn't we pay for what we want, instead of being billed for what we get?" Bolton asked rhetorically at two separate points.

The ambassador's speech was smoothly delivered without any interruptions. Charity organizations all do very well, but the United Nations, as an institution of global diplomacy and government that has been the leading forum for peace talks and peace treaties since 1945 aspires to be a little more than the Salvation Army. It doesn't take a genius to see that if Bolton had his way, corrupt governments would be cut back dramatically, and the United Nations would be gutted of its cancerous tumor that has taken control.

The attitude that we should simply "pay for what we want", should be the U.S. government's official position on foreign affairs. But perhaps I should not be so surprised, during the ambassador's confirmation hearings Democrats tried repeatedly to stall the nomination, and would appease any country, no matter the level of corruption, in hopes of a Walden Utopia. It is, to say the least, very intellectually stimulating to hear Bush's U.N. envoy explaining why the entire premise on which the United Nations is based is flawed and thus why it’s funding should be cut.

Hearing Bolton speak was, I hope, a thoroughly healthy experience for all the liberal and moderate Yalies who were in attendance. Primarily, this is because it served as a reminder that, outside of the Yale bubble, the mainstream Middle America hold strong ethical beliefs, and are the true power of this nation. Most ivy leaguers are so high in their ivory-towers that they can’t see what the population is doing and what it wants. After all, this nation was founded for the people, and by the people.

It was also healthy to see Bolton because it provided us with an opportunity to reflect upon why John Bolton, and the president who nominated him, care so deeply about U.N. reform. Does the United Nations have serious problems as an institution? Yes. And is it in desperate need of reform? Of course. But many nations are profiting off U.N. corruption, that a need for change is being ignored. What it will most assuredly do is awaken Bolton's colleagues and dampen evil nation’s chances of looting the United Nations blind.

Bolton's supreme confidence notwithstanding, we can tackle the world's problems on our own, only if we stand united as a country. Having an organization like the United Nations completely dysfunctional is something Americans need to stand up to, and refuse to pay an organization to screws us. If that means we, as the wealthiest state on earth by a long shot, have to refuse to pay dues, then so be it. We can save the money far more easily than we can afford to continue to support a criminal organization like the United Nations.