Columbia International Affairs Online: Journals

CIAO DATE: 01/2011

How Barack Obama is Endangering our National Sovereignty, by John R. Bolton

The Objective Standard †

A publication of:
The Objective Standard

Volume: 5, Issue: 4 (Winter 2010-2011)


Daniel Wahl

Abstract

Small books can pack a big punch—as proven by John Bolton’s latest, How Barack Obama is Endangering our National Sovereignty. In fewer than fifty pages, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations shows that American sovereignty is under siege and indicates what concerned Americans must do to save it.

Full Text

Small books can pack a big punch—as proven by John Bolton’s latest, How Barack Obama is Endangering our National Sovereignty. In fewer than fifty pages, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations shows that American sovereignty is under siege and indicates what concerned Americans must do to save it. Bolton starts by observing that American sovereignty means that Americans have control over their own government. Given this, says Bolton, “advocates of ‘sharing’ or ‘pooling’ U.S. sovereignty with international organizations . . . are really saying we should cede some of [that] sovereignty.” This, he continues, “is unquestionably a formula for reducing U.S. autonomy and reducing our control over our own government” (p. 4). According to Bolton, Barack Obama is “the first post-American president—someone who sees his role in foreign policy less as an advocate for America’s ‘parochial’ interests and more as a ‘citizen of the world,’ in his own phrase” (p. 10). The danger posed by this “citizen of the world” notion becomes increasingly clear as Bolton proceeds to identify imminent and long-term threats in a handful of critical areas, including domestic law, national security, and economic policy. . . .