Bob -
Taking gajindabe's point a bit further, the UN is the sum of its parts ... and we fund what has become a virulently anti-freedom/anti-democracy/anti-American agency. Most of the Shytbag states' ministers and Abassadors in the UN enjoy rights of speech, voting and association at the UN that their own citizens do not enjoy at home.
I believe we ought to scrap the UN -- or move it to Brussels or Pyongyang -- and establish an organization of democracies. Why should our (collective, meaning the "West") efforts to promote free trade, democracy, liberty, human rights, etc. be burdened by the weight of fascists, theocrats, mullahs and other dirtbags whose interests are diametrically opposed to our own? The more freedom/liberty/rights there are in the world, the safer it is for us, and the more these dirtbag dictators/mullahs/theocrats are threatened.
And look at who chairs the UN Commission on Human Rights -- Syria and Iran? Why not North Korea or Sudan for God's sake. The esteemed statesmen on this committee evicted the United States from its ranks... interesting, no? The UN is a farce, and absolute inmate-run asylum. Do you recall that in 2002 (I believe) Iraq was supposed to chair the committee on its own disarmament? IRAQ?!? (I'd have more detail, but my UN notes are at home... so I might correct a date or name in here).
And I just don't go for the "nobody's perfect" rationalization for continued nonfeasance and malfeasance. It's correct to state "nobody's perfect" but I'm fully justified in saying in response "so what?!" Does that mean that we never call a spade a spade, acknowledge its utter lack of moral authority, or stare its corruption in the jaundiced, avaricous eye and say "no more"?
It's soiled its own reputation wherever its been -- running from Iraq, failing to provide even basic human rights for NK refugees in China, raping and putting young women to work for them; standing aside during mass slaughter in several African nations under UN care.... Who that has been
the subject of the UN's tender ministrations would stand up today and declare that the UN is worth the effort? Even UNICEF has become a highly politicized feminist tool and scarecely effective.
An event in which the UN is most "capable" to provide some benefit -- tsunami relief -- it has been next-to-useless, and often hurt efforts. Though Annan will stand up and claim with a straight face credit for the work of the US, Australia (go Aussies!) and Singapore!! The UN did nothing to provide, coordinate or even assist in these efforts, but stands up and takes credit (oh, after "advising" relief personnel that they should wear the baby-blue UN tunics). Please, I beg you, don't take my word for this... go to
http://diplomadic.blogspot.com/ and read first-hand accounts of guys that were there, on the ground, in tsunami affected areas and the stories of the UN Vulture Elite. His archives will go back to late Dec/Early Jan when all the really fun UN lying, duplicity and inefficacy were going on. Just check out his January 27, 2005 post (avail. at the above link w/o having to go into the archives) for a taste of UNhonesty.
We need an organization of democracies; let the dirtbag nations of the world form their own club b/c they don't listen to us in the UN ... and the GA is effectively a pulpit to smear the West and a forum for cutesy little things like calling for the eradication of Israel (read some of the records coming out of the General Assembly if you don't believe me).
JP