Every year since I can remember, while traveling through the Carolinas on Interstate I-95, there has been a large billboard visible to travelers, funded by the John Birch Society, proclaiming that the United States should "get out" of the United Nations. I always found the Birch Society to be a bit amusing for a fringe group, but on this issue, I have long thought that they might actually have a valid point.
Who could ever forget the image of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez (who has his own problems these days BTW) standing before the world body, proclaiming a duly elected leader of a Western democracy was a "devil"? Or more recently, the Hitler of our time, Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad using the organization as a megaphone to broadcast his lies and rhetoric to the world?
J.D.Gordon came out with a great article this week detailing some of the failings of the United Nations that really gets to the heart of the matter...
J.D.Gordon came out with a great article this week detailing some of the failings of the United Nations that really gets to the heart of the matter...
"How did such a respectable international governmental organization, one that fought a bloody war including 16-member states which beat back a Communist invasion of South Korea from 1950-1953, come to symbolize little more than a leftist think tank embracing a platform for anti-Western rhetoric?
Though the answer is complex, much of it stems from the egalitarian desire to give all heads of state an equal voice in world affairs. While a noble endeavor, the end result has been to erode a once formidable organization and champion of protecting sovereign nations into an increasingly marginalized, and at times radicalized, entity....
As the greatest threats to world peace today arguably stem from Iran's inexorable march to obtaining nuclear weapons combined with their threats against Israel, grave danger posed by shadowy yet lethal non-state actors such as al Qaeda, and a continuously erratic North Korean regime, the UN should be confronted on its plan to halt these dangers before they become worse.
Sadly, rather than effectively dealing with any of these serious challenges the UN has taken a different approach by giving countries with totalitarian regimes and egregious human rights records, such as Iran, Cuba and Libya, the largest platforms in which to scapegoat others for their own problems."
Though the answer is complex, much of it stems from the egalitarian desire to give all heads of state an equal voice in world affairs. While a noble endeavor, the end result has been to erode a once formidable organization and champion of protecting sovereign nations into an increasingly marginalized, and at times radicalized, entity....
As the greatest threats to world peace today arguably stem from Iran's inexorable march to obtaining nuclear weapons combined with their threats against Israel, grave danger posed by shadowy yet lethal non-state actors such as al Qaeda, and a continuously erratic North Korean regime, the UN should be confronted on its plan to halt these dangers before they become worse.
Sadly, rather than effectively dealing with any of these serious challenges the UN has taken a different approach by giving countries with totalitarian regimes and egregious human rights records, such as Iran, Cuba and Libya, the largest platforms in which to scapegoat others for their own problems."
Perhaps the time has come, as Senator John McCain once put it, to createa "League of Democracies" to "act where the U.N. fails to". Anything would be beter than the corrupt and largely impotent den of thieves that now exists. What are your thoughts?
UPDATE: In addition to stinking up the hotel where he stayed last week with his version of home cooking at the New Yok hotel he stayed at last week, Ahmadinejad apparently wore the same clothes all week while in town to speak at the UN. How ripe must he have been?
10 comments:
"In addition to stinking up the hotel where he stayed last week with his version of home cooking....."
Most Americans have uncultured pallettes.
I have eaten Iranian/ Persian food on many occasions and most recently at Shiraz Persian restaurant in Elmsford, NY.
Americans don not use spices/ herbs like the rest of the world. We are salt and pepper only- with a handful of other staples.
Iranian food uses tumeric cinnamon,fenugeek, cadamom, curries, coriander, chunteys, ten different kinds of chilies. They use yogurts, cheeses and beans. Humus, falafal salads and etc. Delicious!
They use the same meats as we do, basically, but their mixed pickles and different types of cured olives, etc, would smell strange to the meat and potatoes Americans.
Average Iranisans eat a much healthier diet than Americans. Protien portions small. Pistachios and assorted nuts at every meal. Effplants and veggies galore with many different condiments, some super soicy!
Their diet is somewhat like a mediterranian diet- walk into an authentic Greek resauramt and it is a bit similar in aromas.
A traditional and historical American diet is the most bland of any in the world- outside of Iceland and a couple places.
By the way, JD. If you take a head of garlic put it on a piece of foil, pour a splash virgin olive oil over it, wrap up the foil and out it in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes while you are outside; come back in and you will approximate the smell of an iranian restaurant only without the tumeric, cardomom, chilies and etc smells blending in with it. Add that with cooking some of the Iranian fish dishes and your house will "Stink" too!
My mom has one of these. You soak it in water first.
Still the smell would drive me to the kitchen. These people were running outta the hotel. This guy knows no common courtesy.
And whats up with the clothes? Something is definately not right with this guy.
I'm not so concerned about his clothes or food customs but I do hate what the UN has become. I think America should not take part in it any longer
JD,
"My mom has one of these. You soak it in water first."
Whaqt!? Your mother must be crazy! I keed,...I keed!
I love you Mom already! Roasted garlic and equal amount of butter combined with pinch of salt and some parsely spread on good Italian bread....browned in a pan..the best garlic bread--- Roasted garlic in anything is good.
The clothes.....It loks fairly obvious that he leads a rather unpretentious lifestyle. I prefer that over the Eddie Longs who parade around in $5000 suits, $1500 shoes, flashing big fat gold and diamond jewlrey and bling, etc.
I had a boss once who would buy like three par of identical clothes and wear them for ever. I assume he changed his underwear and showered regularly as he always seemed clean as a whistle.
Go to France sometime. They are not good about personal hygiene or regular showers. They wear way too much colgne and perfume to cover it.
Just because other customs are strage to us, it is absurd to demonize the people for them. Others observe many of our customs as absurd.
Tracy said...
"I'm not so concerned about his clothes or food customs but I do hate what the UN has become. I think America should not take part in it any longer."
I'm betting you are saying that because you heard it from a trusted mentor, or at church.
It is an arrogant and absurd position.
Why do you think we should pull out of the only international forum available?
Then how could we help influence international policies.
We now have veto power there. If we drop out we lose that.
Please explain your absurd position.
How would it benefit the USA to drop out of the UN?
JD,
"Something is definately not right with this guy." Correct. It is his religion. Most modern organized religions, as practiced, including Christianity are engines of grief, and Islam, since it has not undergone a reformation as Christianity has, is seven hundred years behind the curve.
Iran runs it's government based on ancient texts Theocracy) just as some right wing religionists in the US would have here if they could.
The problem with ancient texts is that they are ambiguous to modern folks and there is absolutely no way to tease out the laws and punishments that are perscribed therein; a lawyers/ judges worst nightmare; as many different interpretations as there are denominations.
How is the suggestion that the US should pull out of an organization is thoroughly corrupt, impotent and hypocritical all at the same time while serving as little else than a podium for crackpots, malcontents and leaders of dysfunctional regimes considered "arrogant"?
Why is it fair that the US and the Maldive Islands have the same number of votes (1) concerning various issues?
JD,
As much as you like to think so, the USA doesn't run the world, and it is impossible for the the USA to take over the rest of the world and try to make each country a mini-USA, due to the established doctrines of sovereign states.
Other major countries would not sit still for USA to start military conquests of countries that do not agree with us. Just because we think "Our Oil" happens to be under Iran and Iraq, does not make it so.
If we were going to go that route, we would have conquered Cuba and made it a state. We would have taken over Mexico and other South American countries. That strategy would be financial suicide because the will of people in those countries is as strong as our own will, weather you believe it or not, they do not want to be Americans.
The reason to stay in the UN is because it is he only game in town. To leave would be to isolate ourselves and that is not an alternative.
There is a lot written about the UN that is just not true, and given your penchant for quoting and embracing far radical right wing ideologies, I must consider that you aren't looking at the larger picture.
In this day and age, it is becoming increaingly apparant that diplomatic means is the only viable way to relate and affect the rest of the countries of the world, and yes, it can be a mess. Look at our own politics. The look at the differences in cultures and etc. that we are dealing with on the world stage.
Most people like to think that solutions to these problems can be militarily enforced or our will should be easily imposed on others, but realistically, speading of education and values will take centuries to spread out and reach consensus across the world. This is a looooong journey we are talking about, not a destination on the horizon.
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