The Commentary magazine website has posted an interesting article from its March issue authored by John Bolton, who served as the U.S. Representative to the United Nations during 2005-2006. The article reviews a report published in September 2008 entitled, A Plan for Action, which carries the subtitle, “A New Era of International Cooperation for a Changed World: 2009, 2010, and Beyond.” The thesis of the report can be pretty much summed up by a sentence from its Executive Summary: “International cooperation today must be built on the principle of responsible sovereignty, or the notion that sovereignty entails obligations and duties toward other states as well as to one’s own citizens.”

It is interesting to note that A Plan for Action appeared not long after a May 2008 paper published by the Council on Foreign Relations, which dealt with many of the same issues. One of the three authors of A Plan for Action, Carlos Pascual, is a CFR member.

As Bolton points out in his critique, “There is no question, however, that the ideas advanced in A Plan for Action have become mainstays in the liberal vision of the future of American foreign policy. That is what makes A Plan for Action especially interesting, and especially worrisome.” It is worrisome because its authors view the European Union as a model worth emulating. And a statement from the official communiqué at the conclusion of the recent G20 summit in London reinforces that concern: "We believe that the only sure foundation for sustainable globalization and rising prosperity for all is an open world economy based on market principles, effective regulation, and strong global institutions."

Read the entire article here