“I think that Ronald Reagan had it right, being against abortion except in certain limited, defined circumstances.” ThinkingCertainCircumstancesDefinedAbortionAgainst Abortion Author:John Bolton
“Let me ask, who died and made him king? Who gave him the authority to endanger 300 million Americans? That's not the way it works, and if he thinks he can get away with that, he's got another think coming.” IfsThinkingWayMadeAsksMillionsKingsAuthorityLet MeDiedGet AwayNsa Author:John Bolton
“The International Criminal Court uses a prosecution-only approach. And by putting their fate in the hands of outsiders, countries are really dodging responsibility for actions taken in the name of that country, in the name of the people in that country, by the people of that country themselves. That is, I think, fundamentally the wrong direction to go in.” PeopleThinkingCountryUseHandsActionNamesResponsibilityTakenFateApproachCourtInternationalCriminalsOutsidersProsecutionWrong Direction Author:John Bolton
“I think the International Criminal Court could be a threat to American security interests, because the prosecutor of the court has enormous discretion in going after war crimes.” ThinkingWarInterestSecurityCrimeCourtThreatInternationalCriminalsEnormousDiscretionProsecutorWar Crimes Author:John Bolton
“I think the Russians basically don't think the North Koreans and the Iranians have the capabilities to get weapon systems that can threaten them, or that if they do the Russians know how to handle them and that that's the reason that it's all the more important that Russians be involved in the sale of high-end conventional weapons, the Bushehr nuclear reactor in the case of Russia and Iran, and similar kinds of relationships.” IfsThinkingKnowsKindImportantEndsReasonCasesKnow HowInvolvedWeaponsNuclearRussiaHandleIranCapabilityConventionalNorth KoreaKoreanNorth KoreanNuclear Reactors Author:John Bolton
“I think the regime in North Korea is more fragile than people think. The country's economic system remains desperate, and one thing that could happen for example would be under a new government in South Korea, to get the South Korean government to live up to its own constitution, which says any Korean who makes it to South Korea, is a Korean citizen. A citizen of the Republic of Korea. And you could imagine the impact that would have inside North Korea if people thought, "If I could get out and make it to South Korea, I could have a different life."” PeopleIfsThinkingDifferentCountryGovernmentHappensWould BeImagineOne ThingEconomicExampleCitizensConstitutionRemainsImpactSouthDesperateIf I CouldRepublicFragileRegimesKoreaNorth KoreaKoreanEconomic SystemsDifferent LifeNew GovernmentSouth Korea Author:John Bolton
“The Iranian government is the government that supplied the arms on the Karin-A to the Palestinian Authority several years ago, they are the world's largest central banker for terrorism, if they thought it was in their interest to give a terrorist group a nuclear weapon to use against America or against Israel, I don't think they'd hesitate.” IfsThinkingWorldGivingYearsUseGovernmentAmericaInterestGroupsArmsAuthorityWeaponsYears AgoIsraelTerrorismNuclearTerroristNuclear WeaponsPalestinianBankersIranianTerrorist Groups Author:John Bolton
“I think the future of China's unknown, I don't know what direction it's going to go in. It could go in the right direction, it could. It could go in a very bad direction, too.” ThinkingKnowsChinaRight Direction Author:John Bolton
“I wouldn't give up on Russia. I think they have legitimate security concerns from Islamic fundamentalism, not only on their border but in their country.” ThinkingGivingCountrySecurityGiving UpConcernRussiaBordersIslamicFundamentalismIslamic Fundamentalism Author:John Bolton
“I think it's critical that we return national security issues to the center of the overall political debate in America.” ThinkingAmericaPoliticalIssuesSecurityReturnCriticalDebateNational SecurityPolitical Debates Author:John Bolton
“The press tend to stick with that the people don't care about foreign policy in their daily lives and aren't concerned about it and so on and so forth. I don't think that's actually true.” PeopleThinkingCarePolicyConcernedPressesSticksDon't CareDaily LifeForeign Policy Author:John Bolton
“It was right to overthrow Saddam Hussein. It was the regime itself that was a threat. I think in hindsight, what I would have done is turn authority back over to Iraqis much more quickly and say: "Your country, you figure out how to run it."” ThinkingCountryDoneRunningTurnsFiguresAuthorityThreatRegimesSaddamHusseinHindsight Author:John Bolton
“I have looked at public opinion polls in France in the late 1940s and early 1950s during the height of Marshall Plan aid. They had a very negative attitude towards the United States then. There were negative attitudes towards the United States because of Vietnam. There were negative attitudes about the United States when Reagan wanted to deploy intermediate range ballistic missiles. I don't think the president should base his foreign policy on American public opinion polls, let alone foreign public opinion polls.” ThinkingShouldStatesWantedPresidentUnitedAttitudeOpinionUnited StatesPlansPolicyLateNegativeAidsFranceRangeHeightVietnamForeign PolicyPublic OpinionPollsMissilesNegative AttitudeOpinion PollsMarshall Plan Author:John Bolton
“I think the International Criminal Court could be a threat to American security interests, because the prosecutor of the court has enormous discretion in going after war crimes. And the way the Statute of Rome is written, responsibility for war crimes can be taken all the way up the chain of command. This is the sort of investigation that some people who live in Fairyland might like to undertake, but which bears no relationship at all to conditions in the real world.” PeopleThinkingWorldWayWarRealMightInterestResponsibilityTakenWrittenConditionsSecurityCrimeBearsCourtThreatInternationalCriminalsEnormousCommandChainsReal WorldRomeInvestigationDiscretionProsecutorStatutesWar CrimesChain Of Command Author:John Bolton
“I don't think Hamas will be satisfied simply ruling the Gaza Strip.” ThinkingSatisfiedRulingGazaHamasGaza Strip Author:John Bolton
“I don't think I would have to run a campaign that's financed like General Motors.” ThinkingRunningCampaignsMotorGeneral Motors Author:John Bolton
“I don't think there is any good answer to the question why shouldn't gays and lesbians who want to serve their country be allowed to do it.” ThinkingWantCountryAnswersGay Author:John Bolton
“I think some of this fascination with the 'Arab Spring' is just a grand experiment with Israel's survival.” ThinkingSurvivalSpringIsraelExperimentsFascinationArab Spring Author:John Bolton
“People say you favor assassination, what do you think war is? Except that it's assassination on a much larger scale, a much more horrific scale.” PeopleThinkingWarFavorsScalesAssassinationHorrific Author:John Bolton
“The Nobel Peace Prize has become hopelessly politicized. I think it cheapens the prize itself.” ThinkingPrizeNobelNobel Peace Prize Author:John Bolton
“You don't need to spend tens of millions of dollars on political consultants to tell you what you think when you already know what you think.” ThinkingKnowsNeedsPoliticalMillionsDollarsConsultants Author:John Bolton
“Just like Sept. 11, only with nuclear weapons this time, that's the threat. I think that is the threat. I think it's just facing reality. It's not a happy reality, but it's reality and if you don't deal with it, it will become even more unpleasant.” IfsThinkingRealityDealsWeaponsThreatNuclearNuclear WeaponsSept 11Facing Reality Author:John Bolton
