John Bolton is not elected and he's a terrible National Security Advisor

Echo opinion published in the The News Advance, a Virginia newspaper reporting from Lynchburg and community.

In my opinion John Bolton is an idiot!

Bolton's ill-advised saber-rattling

National Security Advisor John Bolton continues to threaten Iran with the use of U.S. military force. He tells the American public that diplomacy is still an option on Iran.

Who is John Bolton, and what is the job of National Security Advisor?

The National Security Advisor is someone hired to give the president advice on foreign policy. The job is not elected. Candidates for the job do not require Senate confirmation If the president and NSA disagree on policy, the NSA should remain silent, while the president issues his policy. A National Security Advisor has no standing to threaten foreign nations with U.S. military force, on behalf of the citizens of the United States.

Bolton supported the Vietnam War but used his student deferments and got an enlistment in the National Guard (at a time when only George W. Bush and Bolton could get into the Guard), to avoid serving in Vietnam.

Now he is a “hawk,” promoting opportunities for America’s children to enjoy the activity of combat. He should promote those activities on his own time, and on his own dime.

And a P.S. to Bolton: Russia says it has information showing the Navy drone which was shot down near the Gulf of Oman was in Iranian air space when it was attacked by Iran. Well, it fell into Iranian territory, didn’t it?

It’s a sad day in American history when you have to rely on representatives of foreign nations for the truth, because you can’t get it from your own elected officials.

From William Miller, Forest Virginia