“This is a body blow to the Jacksonians in the administration and Congress who, like Dick Cheney under George W. Bush, pushed hard for the aggressive and punishing use of military power as a means of intimidating all potential rivals or other states perceived as hostile or antagonistic to the United States (or Israel) and who believed that multilateral institutions, like the UN, the European Union, and even international treaties signed by the U.S., too often constrain Washington’s power to shape the world to its liking.
“Which is not to say that such worldview doesn’t continue to hold appeal to Trump and others in the administration, but there was no more bureaucratically savvy and determined operator in its top ranks than Bolton.
“Of course, Bolton’s departure will naturally increase the influence of Pompeo, a Christian Zionist whose views on Middle East policy, in particular, are very close to hard-line neoconservatives, but hopefully the Pentagon can act as an effective counterweight.”
Jim Lobe, the founder of LobeLog, which features investigative pieces on foreign policy, served for some 30 years as the Washington, D.C. bureau chief for Inter Press Service and is best known for his coverage of U.S. foreign policy and the influence of the neoconservative movement.
He can be contacted on [email protected], @LobeLog
