Tuesday, October 12, 2004

Was the United Nations always like this?

I remember growing up believing what a wonderful organization it was and in all of the grand things it supposedly stood for like helping little kids all over the world through UNICEF.

I’m older now. The U.N.'s sole reason for existence is to maintain itself in New York City in the grand style to which it long ago became accustomed, as it tries to expand its reach not only as the prime arbiter between member states nations but as the only one.


To achieve this, all member states nations are assessed dues based on their economic strength. It should be no surprise, then, that the U.N. assesses the United States 22 percent (far more than any other country) of its annual budget, a budget that the U.N. itself and alone establishes.

In exchange, the U.N. gets to tell the U.S. that it’s dirt and jerk us around in any manner it wants.

An example? There are so many from which to choose but how ‘bout its Human Rights Commission as just one.

Do you know that the U.S. had a seat on that Commission for years, but was voted off? What country replaced the U.S.?

Sudan. Yes, that Sudan where 50,000 people are believed dead and 1.4 million have been driven from their homes.



The U.N. cannot continue on its current course with regard to the crisis in Sudan. Despite the abundance of evidence and outrage, the most aggressive action the Security Council has taken to date has been a resolution giving Sudan 30 days to disarm the janjaweed. Those 30 days expired Aug 30. A feckless Sept. 18 resolution threatening, but not actually applying, sanctions against Khartoum's oil industry has only served to buy more time for the regime, as has (Kofi) Annan's call for an "impartial commission" to investigate.


Will the U.N. stop playing its shameful games? Of course not. Why should it?

It's time for the U.N. to give up its cushy lifestyle in New York City, and find a new home in the real world, in a country where it is faced daily with the results of its ineptitude.

latimes login: sands745 / 1528moss

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