I am not against the United Nations criticizing Israel, what I am against is how they are so concerned about Palestinians above all other oppressed people on earth. I don't see the United Nations speaking out for North Korean to be free from the tyranny of Kim Jung Il. I don't see the United Nations speaking out for people of countries where human rights are non-existant, like China. In fact, China can't be criticized in the UN because they would veto anything criticizing them (do I smell a fundamental flaw with the organization's structure?). Israel is criticized and no one else is for many reasons that I can't get into right now. The United Nations is incapable of taking on any of the world's major problems because of the overall concencus that it requires to do anything. By the way, the United Nation's record on terrorism, the issue that America is most concerned about is abismal. With the giant voice given to 3rd World dictatorships, the U.N. will never agree on even defining the term, none the less fighting it. In conclusion, the U.N. is horribly innefficient, and even when something is finally agreed upon it cannot enforce it. Because of this, the world's major problems are forced to be solved by the United States.
By the way, the United Nations is a giant threat to national sovereignty if it gets the power that you crave for it. They have already begun the preliminary stages of a World Tax Commission and are very exited about the prospect of an International Court of Justice. Based on the record of the United Nations, I know that they are not going to put any truly brutal war criminals on trial, because the Third World Hellhole they come from will be mad. You just wait and watch. The people they put on trial will be American or British soldiers or generals. The United Nations is quickly becoming a tool of the disordered world to attack the ordered one. Although they have no power right now to do this, you should be aware of the trends from the U.N.
The U.N. isn't the best possible solution to world politics by any stretch of the imagination, yet its not the worst thing in the world either. I think that it could strengthen its stance on Iraq, as Iraq poses a significant threat to basically any world power, especially any European world power, as quite simply, it's easier to get a nuclear missile to Rome than it is to get one to New York. Andrew and Paul, you both have untenable positions. Andrew, you say that the U.N. is entirely in the right; is and should continue to be the end-all be-all of world politics and foreign policy. Paul, you say that the U.N. does nothing and might as well not exist for its lack of testicles visible to the naked eye. This is also wrong, as Gross cites. There's my bit, respond as you will, just don't lose perspective.
Now you just shot yourself in the foot. YOu complained in a previous blog that the UN is potentially dangerous as it starts exceeding it rules of soveriegnty. But now when you are pressed up against a wall you say that they should go into countries and break soveriegnty. What do you want? Make up your God damn mind. Also you say that the UN depends on the US . . . once again not true. The US does contribute some peace keeping troops of the UN's but the majority come from nations such as Britian as the US sends in its own troops as well as NATO troops. And I don't think that you understand the amount of power that the UN can potentially have. It can freeze banks, international trade, enforce borders. and other very offensive actions to that extent. Also I believe that the United States, France, China, Russia and Britian greatly hinder the amount that the UN was able to do and with ou those nations especially the United States, able to have a larger sway in events that is knows nothing about to control. Oh and lastly I am sorry to tell you but fucking grow up . . . the Israelies aren't defensiveless holy people that are perfectly innocent. They are equally terrorists, madmen, haters, and promoters of violence. What should the UN do . . . kill everyone that has raised a finger against a jew? Human beings are human beings in they eyes of the UN unlike most of the rest of the world.
Gross, your faith in a powerless, inefficient non-governmental organization is laughable. Even when the UN does speak up, which it rarely does because it requires everyone to agree, it doesn't enforce its own word. Even the resolutions are enforced, the UN needs the United States to enforce for them. You wanted some examples Gross, here are a couple just on Iraq that have so far been unenforced:
Resolution 688:demands that Iraq cease at once repression of its own people. Last year, the U.N. Commission on Human Rights found that tens of thousands of political opponents and ordinary citizens have been subjected to arbitrary arrest and imprisonment, summary execution, and tortured by beating and burning, electric shock, starvation, mutilation and rape.
Resolutions 686 and 687:Demanded that Iraq return all prisoners from Kuwait and other lands. As of last year, Kuwaiti, Saudi, Indian, Syrian, Lebanese, Iranian, Egyptian, Bahraini and Omani nationals remain unaccounted for -- more than 600 people.
One American is among them.
Resolution 687 : Requires that Iraq renounce all involvement with terrorism and permit no terrorist organizations to operate in the country. In violation of Security Council Resolution 1373, Iraq continues to shelter and support terrorist organizations that direct violence against Iran, Israel and Western governments.
I'm sure that Kofi Anan is a very well intentioned and nice guy, but his organization is powerless. It also acts in the interest of the wrong people. Do you think that dictators will appoint representatives who will work in the interest of their people, or the dictator? If you think that oil is influential to Bush, its influence is even greater in the United Nations. I don't need to get into details, but the United Nation has quite an appetite for passing resolutions about Israel but very little for helping the human rights of people in China or Sudan, or ending the Syrian occupation of Lebanan. I do not see how anyone can see the United Nations organization as legitimate, or worship it as you do Gross, when Sudan, where slavery is still legally practiced, is on the Human Rights Council!
Give me on example Paul of how the UN has not followed through on its word . . . cite at least resolution and tell exactly how they didn't follow up on their word. And if you can't do it (which you won't be able to - with out making up bull shit) apologize for insulting a wonderful organization as well as making shit up from your ass.
Andrew you shouldn't be so quick to brand me as a blind patriot. You have this steadfast devotion to an organization that while, yes has helped mitigate many global conflicts and helped neutralize a great deal of conflicts, has shown an inability to follow through on its word. Had the UN acquired some decent sized balls, and the courage to follow through on its word despite international opposition, then I would probably have qualms about US intervention. However, the UN for all of its accomplishments has shown a chronic ability to ignore those "pesky" resolutions that demand it make a choice that will make some nations unhappy. THE POINT IS, Those promises were made by a COALITION (as in more than just the United States) of nations dammit. And as a result, for supporting the passage of these, France, Russia, Germany, and any other nation who supported the resolutions to disarm Iraq, are summarily obliged to follow through on them, even when there is opposition. France in particular is not innocent, they have tremendous oil agreements in place with Iraq for its oil and would bring billions of dollars to France in the form of oil refining. And yet, the league of bleeding hearts and mindless protesters, continues to blame this problem on the US. Its time the world took its head out of its ass and realized that IRAQ is the one at fault for this escalation in conflict. Sadam Hussein knew what he was doing when he defied those 12 resolutions to disarm, and he has slipped through the cracks again and again. The global community seems oblivious to the fact that the US is simply enforcing the consequences of breaking the rules, Iraq and no one else, started this so called "blood thirsty American war" (this would qualify as sarcastic) when it first defied a resolution to disarm. Holding the US responsible for doing what the UN has shown a chronic inability to do, increases the level of mindless following. For someone so in touch with the world, I find it hilarious, that you somehow turn a blind eye to the millions of mindless "supports of peace" (the continuation of appeasement to a psycho (sadam) is more fitting) clogging the streets of the worlds cities, fighting for a maniacal madman (Sadam) and his sickening regime. You want blind following of a cause, hell, these zombies are delivering it to your door.
I am so fucking tired of people blaming America for all the world's ills. They see poor and sick people in Africa, whose fault is it? America naturally! Why are people starving in Asia? America again! Get some fucking perspective please! What if America dissappeared? What if it never existed? Your choice what the world would be ruled by, Naziism or Stalinism. Whenever the countries who claim they are against us need help, who do they turn to? America! Even today, Germany depends on 70,000 troops in their country for defense. When Europe had trouble in the Balkans during the 90s, they could not solve their own problems, they needed America to clean up the mess. The United States gives 60% of the world's food aid, yet I never hear anyone meantion any of that! If we withdrew from the rest of the world, stopped giving aid to everyone, and said, "the hell with you guys," do you honestly think France or Germany could run things? The world would fall apart in two minutes! I am at the point now where I would love to do that.
Dear God you fucking moron . . . half of the countires in this world are in some form of military conflict and without the UN to contain these outbreaks, localized wars would turn into full scale world wide murderings and killings. Oh and Paul, you kind of forgot about the whole ICJ which is a very instrumental organ in working out minor issues between nations that would have one time or another result in war between nations. And that one part USA eventhough to true is completely wrong because the USA can choose to not pass anything, but it can't pass anything giving it and the other 4 permanent nations, yes too much, but still limited powers. Also for you to criticize is a wonderful example of the indocrinated Americans who only give a shit about America . . . the UN has been a neccary force of establishing and maintaining peace throughout our society. And very lastly you say that the UN is a "pussy" but at the very same time if the UN decided to start invading nations and breaking soveriengty it would no longer be an agent to promote peace, but another military alliance, and you would be complaining because you would view the UN as a possible threat to America as America is somewhat a subsidiary nation to another nations (eventhough not all together true). Basically you bitch and moan about the UN because you do not give a fuck about any nation in this world besides America and you are so blind to think that the whole world must be burdened 50 times over before America can sacrifice anything for the betterment of this world. I think I have said it before but if you mess with my man Kofi then you are going to have to mess with me as well!
I just want to say I 100% agree with what Hans said (as previous articles i have written on symbolism will show) and I want to say thatI have grown in the last year to stronly dislike america if you have not yet picked that up from my articles.
Recipe for UN...
1 Part General Assembly
1 Part Security Council
1 part USA
Note: keep French and Russian components in separate bowl to prevent rampant ineffectiveness...
Ok, this UN idea, oh so very flawed. While it is true that the UN has helped mitigate a number of global conflicts, the have become an organization with balls the size of peas. Heck they had a great idea, lets name Libya head of the Human rights council. They have sat on their ass watching Sadam Hussein defy its resolutions like they never existed. Something like 12 resolutions since the Gulf war have been passed to peaceably remove weapons from a man hell-bent on using them. Iraq has openly defied resolution after and watched the world play right into his hands. Now a worldwide league of bleeding hearts has come to the defense of this maniacal madman. I?m sick and tired of hearing about how America has no right to disarm him. We are simply the only nation on earth with the mental capacity to see through Sadam and the balls to enforce the conditions of the agreements that the Security Council, not just the united states, agreed to. Those include the complete dismantling of Sadam?s weapon program of which Baghdad has both conceded exist and refused to destroy. In further violation of UN resolutions he has begun to retrofit his rockets to go farther than ever before placing the entire middle east at risk. Iraq is a rogue, a volatile threat to not only the national security of the United States but to the stability and security of the Middle East. As for intense opposition, a great deal of Those Arab leaders and populations who so often blast the US, have documented their support for Sadam's overthrow, they've just managed to do it while the cameras were off, and they knew no one was listening. Then there?s this, we'll be killing innocent people. First of all, let's just overlook the thousands of Iraqi?s that Sadam has had killed, and his use of biological/chemical weapons on them. As for the war serving US national interests, even if that is the case, if that happens to be a side result of the enforcement of broken resolutions that were meant to end a threat to global stability, then its fine with me. This isn't a matter of liberal vs. conservative its a matter of enforcing the rules that seek to keep men like Sadam from becoming a threat. Sadam has had his turn at the wheel of diplomacy and made a laughing stock of efforts to peaceably disarm him, now its time to bring the battle to him.
