The UN’s “Moral Authority”

• December 31, 2004

This is a barrel of laughs.

The Scotsman – United States President George Bush was tonight accused of trying to undermine the United Nations by setting up a rival coalition to coordinate relief following the Asian tsunami disaster.
The president has announced that the US, Japan, India and Australia would coordinate the world’s response.
But former International Development Secretary Clare Short said that role should be left to the UN.
“I think this initiative from America to set up four countries claiming to coordinate sounds like yet another attempt to undermine the UN when it is the best system we have got and the one that needs building up,” she said.
“Only really the UN can do that job,” she told BBC Radio Four’s PM programme.
“It is the only body that has the moral authority. But it can only do it well if it is backed up by the authority of the great powers.”

Moral authority. That’s a good one.
Here’s a list of some stories exemplifying the UN’s “moral authority.”

The UN Cans Whistleblower
Picking Sides
More UN Corruption
The $20 Billion Candidate
Terrorism As A Right
Sponsoring Terrorism
UN Linked To Iraqi Bribes
More Bad News For The U.N.
Sex For Food
Those links detail episodes rampant corruption and human rights violations all perpetrated by the UN and its agencies. The UN is no “moral authority.” Given the oil-for-food scandal alone I’m not sure we could trust the UN with the tsunami aid.

Tags: General

http://Array Gluscape

Seriously though. Is there something wrong with with disaster relief program run by the UN? You’d think having ONE coordinating organization would be more efficient. If the UN program sucks, shouldn’t the US try to fix it rather than try to reinvent the wheel, or is it THAT bad?
Keith T. Syverson

The U.N. is best represented as a herd-based power stampede. The self-interests of the normative grazing by member states through the General Assembly would of course run counter to the interests of the super powers (herders). Typically, the herd feeds on leftovers of the wealthy and wicked and resentment steadily grows, casuing the herd to move, as a whole, in other (political) directions. Occasionally, a loud noise causes a stampede; these loud noises are typically generated from the super powers wanting it to push the herd back into control. Corruption in the UN is nothing more than the herd animal gorging itself with its face to the ground, ignoring all but the loudest noises.
Carrick Talmadge

I agree with Marty and Seth that this is a very nice summary of the many malfunctions of the UN This suggests that there are systemic problems at the UN. Care to take a stab at what these are?
Seth Yantiss

Um… Sure… It’s a collection of dumb weiners?

I bet that has something to do with it, if it’s not the “official”, “trivial pursuit” answer.

Okay, I give… what is it?
likwidshoe

Gluscape asks, “If the UN program sucks, shouldnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t the US try to fix it rather than try to reinvent the wheel, or is it THAT bad?”

The UN isn’t the wheel. It’s just a corrupt organization filled with mostly dictators and tyrants. Oh..and there’s a few democratic nations who have the same or less of a voice than the dictatorship countries. It’s THAT bad.
Seth Yantiss

The UN placed Libya as the chair on the Human Rights commission… The UN recognizes dictators and military regimes as the legitimate government for many oppressive countries, and actively seeks to keep these people in power. They recognize the PLO as a government but do not recognize Israel.

Everywhere the UN goes for peacekeeping has been a failure.

They can not be trusted with cash.

What more do you need? If you had a relative who constantly squandered cash with bad decisions, but kept coming to you for more… would you keep giving? Or, at some point, would you give them “tough love”?
Marty

“”It is the only body that has the moral authority. But it can only do it well if it is backed up by the authority of the great powers.”

What she says here, (without really meaning to) is the U.N. has moral authority WHEN it is backed up by The Great Power — U.S.A. Which is to say, the U.S.A. owns the moral authority. Which means we don’t need the U.N. — they need us. Without us, they have precious little moral authority, well proven by the links given. Thanks Rob.
Seth Yantiss

AMEN !!!!
http://sayanythingblog.com robport

One coordinating agency would be more efficient if it were an agency we could trust. Given the scandals the current UN leadership has been plagued with (the oil-for-food scandal first and foremost among them) I just don’t think we can trust the UN to do the right thing with the money.

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The UN’s “Moral Authority”

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