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tw · 12-02-2004, 07:11 PM

First appreciate why a need for change. The Economist lists some long festering examples of why the UN is not representative - Japan and Germany the 2nd and 3rd largest economies not even represented on Security Council. But then before a country should be on the Security Council, should it not first be representative in solving world problems? Canada has demonstrated far more international responsibility than either Japan and Germany. So much so that Canada was suffering crisis in their military services.

Rightly so is that Africa and South American are completely unrepresented.

A second problem is the bloated UN bureaucracy. 200 Dutch troops could not even call for help - leading 5000 Bosnians to be massacred. They could only call the UN for help between 8 & 5 Eastern time. (And yes, I am not kidding.) Clinton got Kofi Anan in to replace his predecessor who was probably grossly incompetent. Anan is a responsible leader no matter what right wing rhetoric says. But Anan alone is not sufficient to make the UN responsible to a new world order.

UN worked when America wanted world cooperation; was lead by people who understood the world and acted as an honest broker. America has changed for the worse - as demonstrated by anti-Americanism in every nation including Canada. The UN has suffered accordingly because it became dependent on a responsible US and US allies. On the other side, this might be good. You are watching the EU come together because America can no longer be trusted. Other regional interest groups, long necessary and maybe now required to fill a vacuum, are forming or reforming in Africa and the Middle East - and maybe in SE Asia although I seriously doubt the last one.

But all this still requires a universal standards organization that the UN must provide. An organization strong enough to expose US outright torture only because they are not American citizens. An organization that works with and empowers these regional groups and another world power - the NGOs.

The reform study group that includes Paul Volker will report just that. Listen to them. There is massive disinformation in the US. For example, those who blame Kofi Anan's son for corruption in the Iraqi Oil for Food program have invented facts. Anan's son was involved mostly in Nigeria. There may be corruption problems with his son, but not involving the right wing 'Rush Limbaugh' type claims. Disinformation is that widespread in America.

We need the UN no matter what extremists advocate. Fact that the US has become so self-serving, historically uninformed, is slowly turning anti-science, and become more anti-humanity (due to religious extremism) only accelerates the need for UN reform.

But again, I must emphasis, the reasons for this reform, what it is, and where any corruption may lie is almost impossible to learn in the US press thanks to Fox News urban myths and other lies. Most of us probably don't even know of the Volker committe, who is on it, or that it even has existed. The local Action News and Daily Newspaper don't bother with real news when the reader's eyes glaze over. If it does not involve a shooting war, would you then know it is happening? Feel free to explain why Rwanda may declare war on the Congo this month? Why then should Action News even report what has been happening in the UN? Too much news in America about UN reform is from the Rush Limbaugh propaganda machines. That too will be a roadblock to UN reform.

12-02-2004, 07:11 PM	#4
tw Read? I only know how to write. Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 11,933	First appreciate why a need for change. The Economist lists some long festering examples of why the UN is not representative - Japan and Germany the 2nd and 3rd largest economies not even represented on Security Council. But then before a country should be on the Security Council, should it not first be representative in solving world problems? Canada has demonstrated far more international responsibility than either Japan and Germany. So much so that Canada was suffering crisis in their military services. Rightly so is that Africa and South American are completely unrepresented. A second problem is the bloated UN bureaucracy. 200 Dutch troops could not even call for help - leading 5000 Bosnians to be massacred. They could only call the UN for help between 8 & 5 Eastern time. (And yes, I am not kidding.) Clinton got Kofi Anan in to replace his predecessor who was probably grossly incompetent. Anan is a responsible leader no matter what right wing rhetoric says. But Anan alone is not sufficient to make the UN responsible to a new world order. UN worked when America wanted world cooperation; was lead by people who understood the world and acted as an honest broker. America has changed for the worse - as demonstrated by anti-Americanism in every nation including Canada. The UN has suffered accordingly because it became dependent on a responsible US and US allies. On the other side, this might be good. You are watching the EU come together because America can no longer be trusted. Other regional interest groups, long necessary and maybe now required to fill a vacuum, are forming or reforming in Africa and the Middle East - and maybe in SE Asia although I seriously doubt the last one. But all this still requires a universal standards organization that the UN must provide. An organization strong enough to expose US outright torture only because they are not American citizens. An organization that works with and empowers these regional groups and another world power - the NGOs. The reform study group that includes Paul Volker will report just that. Listen to them. There is massive disinformation in the US. For example, those who blame Kofi Anan's son for corruption in the Iraqi Oil for Food program have invented facts. Anan's son was involved mostly in Nigeria. There may be corruption problems with his son, but not involving the right wing 'Rush Limbaugh' type claims. Disinformation is that widespread in America. We need the UN no matter what extremists advocate. Fact that the US has become so self-serving, historically uninformed, is slowly turning anti-science, and become more anti-humanity (due to religious extremism) only accelerates the need for UN reform. But again, I must emphasis, the reasons for this reform, what it is, and where any corruption may lie is almost impossible to learn in the US press thanks to Fox News urban myths and other lies. Most of us probably don't even know of the Volker committe, who is on it, or that it even has existed. The local Action News and Daily Newspaper don't bother with real news when the reader's eyes glaze over. If it does not involve a shooting war, would you then know it is happening? Feel free to explain why Rwanda may declare war on the Congo this month? Why then should Action News even report what has been happening in the UN? Too much news in America about UN reform is from the Rush Limbaugh propaganda machines. That too will be a roadblock to UN reform.