Right-wing bloggers and commenters often produce scathing criticisms of the United Nations. They portray the organization as thoroughly corrupt and deliberately evil, whose sole mission is the violent sexual exploitation of children (yes, I have read that in a rightist blog, but I refuse to name them because in my opinion they don't deserve free advertising in my space).
I think it is important to remember what they UN is about and what good they can do in the world. This site lists some United Nations accomplishments & achievements. Now, we all know the UN should always be subject to critique, and most agree that the organization could stand improvement. But why throw the baby our with the bathwater, as they say? Peruse the list and see what you think. I believe the value of the organization (international cooperation) merits saving it, as opposed to the neocon plan to crush it as an obstacle to their American global dominance.
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You know what else has problems? The United States government. Should we dissolve that organization and start from scratch?
Those who suggest getting rid of the UN are idiots because they haven't come up with a viable alternative. Fix it is right, and not with Bolton for Christ's sake.
The right blog that, Shea is talking about is mine! (I think). Well, I have never said that the sole mission of the U.N. was to exploit children. But I have never heard as much outrage over the "indiscretions" of the U.N. that I heard about Abu Ghraib!
These stories are numerious and prolific and from varying credible source:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3769469.stm
http://www.africaonline.com/business.php?mode=getarticle&itemNo=9018442
But, alas, Shea does not have room on his blog to contain all of the links.
There are a couple of stats that they didnt list:
There have been more wars since the U.N. began than previously (in the time span). There has been more world hunger at the U.N.'s watch than previously. They have been implicated multiple times in corruption with organized crime, terrorism, extortion, power-brokering, etc.
Gee whiz, if the Bush administration was guilty of even 1/2 what the UN is you would be screaming impeachment. The Bush administration has done SOME good, so getting rid of it would be like throwing the baby out also?
It just doesn't make sense to me, Shea, how one can give such a free pass, and harbor hatred for the other. Why does one not afford the same benefit of the doubt equally? To "plain-thinkin' Jack" it sounds suspiciously like a double standard.
And, Smorg, dissolving the U.S. government is about the only fix that will ever work--as with the U.N. Its a pipe dream to think that either can be fixed. (Also, comparing the U.N. to the U.S. government is a little like apples and oranges...the US is a sovereign nation, the U.N. is a coalition with little or no power to do anything but serve itself.)
Shea, read your list, (well a lot of it anyway), and it sounds suspiciously like a resume of someone trying to make themselves appear far more impressive than they truly are...
-Jack
p.s. looking forward to this discussion!
Well Jack, it was not your blog that I was referring to (sorry). But, as I mentioned in some other post, the reason I speak out more about Abu G than about the UN is because Abu G atrocities are committed in my name. They are therefore a personal afront.
Now, your statement ["There have been more wars since the U.N. began than previously (in the time span). There has been more world hunger at the U.N.'s watch than previously."] is totally unsupportable. You know full well that there has been more human suffering throughout the ages than there has been in the last century. C'mon. Really.
Also, your statement ["They have been implicated multiple times in corruption with organized crime, terrorism, extortion, power-brokering, etc."] does not hold up so well with me, and here is why: until I can be shown otherwise, I am not convinced that those transgressions were committed by the UN organization itself as opposed to some corrupt individuals within the organization (I haven't had time to review your links prior to this writing). The Bush administration, on the other hand, is a criminal organization whose goals are evil from the word go, with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. Any "good" they may have done is entirely accidental on their part and was only done for their profit in some way, and no way excuses their behavior, any more than the BTK killer's public service and church membership do.
My hatred of Bush (yes, you're right, I hate the whole BFEE) is not a double standard because they deserve it.
I get your point about Abu Ghraib--I hadn't read your other post. Makes sense.
Second comment is supportable. I meant for the span of time that the UN has existed, there have been more wars (not comparing to all wars in history). Sorry--I think that was my error. Of course, I don't know that it is the UN's fault there have been wars, just that it hasn't been too effective in preventing them.
The UN and its loose structure breeds corruption--so, yes, you have a point, it is individuals within it that do that bad. Of course the same can be said about the mafia or yakuza...:) (just kiddin')
I don't hate anyone, Shea. Its against my nature. I don't even hate the terrorists or terrible people who hurt others and abuse them. I detest what they do, but I think anyone is worthy of redemption, because if I weren't as fortunate, I could be the same as them.
"Fear leads to hatred, and hatred leads to the dark side" -Yoda.
"Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man's sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love." -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
-Jack
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,168591,00.html
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