As I have previously said, the only solution is for us to create a new organization of DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED STATES, excluding any and all governments which are not democratically elected. That would go along way toward entding the corruption and at the same time take away the power and money of many tin horn dictators. It would also provide encouragement to the people of hungering for freedom and democracy.

I know that won't sit well with all you socialist moonbats...but tough sh*t.

Mark,

1. You are aware that the United Nations is there to bring leaders together to solve world problems, right?

2. It's impossible to withdrawl from the UN. We--along w/Russia, China, the UK and France--are permanent menbers of the organigation. Sorry to spoil your hopes, Mark.

3. Has it ever crossed your mind that the UN respects America, but have has little respect for the idiot in office right now? It is possible, you know. Take me for example: love my contry and the troops, but ashamed of my idiot president who has turned our name into a laughing stock.

Ah I love kids!

1. Is that how they do it? By criticizing members? Way to bring nations together!

2. What? Have you even had a high school government class? Being in the United Nations is completely voluntary. There is no grand entity forcing nations to be part of the UN. This isn't a video game where there are some sort of universal rules all must follow without question.

3. The UN has, for years, attacked US policies, criticized the US, and held the US to standards far above its other member nations. Respect? I don't think so. And by the way, being a laughing stock to a nation like Russia or France or Argentina is something to laugh at as well. That's like being sad that ted kaczynski feels you personally are an evil person.

Teen,

Please tell me where it says that it is "impossible" for the United States to withdraw from the U.N.?

What liberal propaganda have you been sniffing now?

We don't need the U.N. to bring world leaders together. Just invite those who want to come to the White House, Camp David, or the Texas White House (Ranch) for a good ole fashioned Texas barbeque. The can all talk while eatin' beef and drinkin' beer. They will probably get along better and accomplish more there than at the U.N. anyway!

Are "we" confusing "permanent membership in the U.N." with the fact that the United States is one of the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council -- the ones with veto power? The Security Council is composed of five permanent members -- The United States, The United Kingdom, China, France, and Russia -- and ten non-permanent members, elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms.

First... I know of nothing that says the United States can't withdraw from the U.N. if we so choose.

Second... We just cancel our membership. Tear it in half and leave it with the guard when we leave.

Third... There are already people who want to turn the U.N. headquarters into something useful -- condominiums!

Fourth... Just who -- in your liberal mind -- do you think is going to stop us? A group of French U.N. peacekeepers?

Has it ever crossed your mind that the UN DOES NOT respect America? Do some reading about their voting patterns.

Looks like you are still attending those liberal schools? Ask for a school voucher and go get an education at a good conservative school that teaches the real version of history -- along with everything else!

Love your country and troops? Well let me tell you what I think about ...

AAR

Maybe Teen could give us a list of the most recent problems solved by the UN and its gathering of world leaders?

TL

You make for great humor, but, it's past your bedtime.

Amazing how a U.N. official feels that all the news we "middle" americans get is from Rush Limbaugh & Fox news! Why don't they get their pets(cnn, NBC, CBS, Al Frankin, to get the word out on all the "GOOD" they do!

The best thing the US could do is not only leave the UN, but also have the UN leave the USA. It has outlived any usefulness in this world. The last great thing they did was hold the Bay of Pusan at the start of the Korean conflict. I don't listen to Rush so I have no idea what he says about the UN. I am just a middle American who thinks we have poured enough money into worthless countries and bottomless pits for too many decades.

It sounds like the UN is not being run properly. Clearly there is a conservative there somewhere in charge. Replace him with a liberal and the problem is fixed

Amazing how a U.N. official feels that all the news we "middle" americans get is from Rush Limbaugh & Fox news! Why don't they get their pets(cnn, NBC, CBS, Al Frankin, to get the word out on all the "GOOD" they do!

-- Practice what you preach, if you watched any of those other than Faux News and Rush, you might actually have a clue as to whats happening, rather than waiting for Rush to tell you.

hej, I just put a link to this post on my blog, I guess you don't mind? I like this idea in a way, as I elaborated shortly on my blog...

http://sharingmeanscaring.blogspot.com

Axis, lets get one thing straight, I havn't listened to rush in a good while, at least not every day, maybe an hour here or there. Conservatives DO NOT, and I'll repeat this so your small, thick idiot brain can comprehend, DO NOT!!!, Listen to Rush Limbaugh just so we can know what to tell you idiot liberals. And Fox news is just as good if not better than any other news station out there, cept it is balanced, you just think anything that has a republican on it is automaticly a republican station. You know, believe it or not, we do care whats going on, however pouring money down bottomless pits will not solve the problems. You know how your idiot liberal friends were complaining of, and I quote "not taking care of the US citizen first" when the Iraq war started??? Well, why not apply the same thing to the UN?? Do you have any idea how much we've poured into the UN since its inception?. Trillions, gee thats money that could have, I dont know, helped with the national deficit that you liberals claim we should take care off

Yeah, Faux news is "balanced", it gives you President Bush side and Dick Cheneys side :)

Republicans don't pay off debts, their jobs are to reckless spend until its all gone and then out jobs are to wipe your bottoms and clean up your mess. You are like messy little children that think you know it all, yet we are always the ones cleaning up your messes.

"yet we are always the ones cleaning up your messes." axis

specific examples please

Hey Axis better get on your government, seems you are now getting your marching orders from Mark Noonan

Canada too is among Western countries that have told the UN they will continue to demand spending caps on the organization's budget unless developing countries allow sweeping reform

See what happens when adults are in charge of your governement?

Recently Mark Malloch Brown, the eloquent speaking number two at the United Nations, said that "Middle America" did not know how the US is constructively engaged with the UN because of UN detractors and too much unchecked UN-bashing and stereotyping over too many years. Friends, the UN deserves to be bashed and bashed hard. Please allow us to give you a glimpse into how the United Nations is run:

Hirings and promotions routinely violate UN rules and revolve around patronage and whom one knows rather than professional qualifications. Poorly performing managers are simply moved into different management slots while others are placed in senior positions only because of his nationality.

Salaries for UN employees are free of taxes and come with six weeks vacation, 11 holidays, 10 sick days that are used as vacation, plus 4 weeks of home leave, rental and housing grants to supplement an already generous salary (we all make an average of $7,000-$10,000 a month tax free), a pension at 8% of salary times years of service that can be cashed out tax free, and educational subsidies for children of UN employees. Many also participate in an “alternative work schedule” in which they get every other Friday off. But don’t even try to apply. Your application will not be acknowledged nor will you ever get invited for a job interview. You must know someone to work at the UN.

Several of us have advanced degrees in management and have been trained to manage large public organizations, yet we are blocked from advancing by arrogant men in the 50s with no management training, education, or experience - only sitting in their chairs because they are friends with someone a higher position. We threaten them because they know they are there based only on their connections.

And there is a profound lack of accountability within the UN regarding resource allocation. Simple procurement that would normally take five minutes using modern technology systems takes 2-3 months in the UN. And many United Nations Development Program country offices pay "local experts" outrageously high sums of money for products of dubious quality. Such contracts would never be made by other international aid agencies such as USAID that have much stronger internal controls and oversight.

We are all familiar with outrageous examples of graft and corruption within the UN system and yet time and again the scandal is covered up. In fact, a recent article on internal management in the Financial Times cited a UN-commissioned report released in 1994 that was remarkably damning and yet, as the article noted, nothing has changed which has led to this crisis in credibility of the UN.

Despite its dysfunctionality, if the UN were actually making a difference, many would mutter to themselves but the UN deserves its strongest bashing because of its profound inability to respond to genocide, war, famine, natural disasters, and corruption.

Kofi Annan, current head of the United Nations who ironically lives in a mansion in New York worth about $10 million, was head of peacekeeping operations in 1994 in Rwanda when 800,000 people died. In 2004, he said "I believed at that time that I was doing my best" despite that he held back UN troops from intervening to settle the conflict and declined to provide more logistic and material support to stop the slaughter. And don’t forget that ten years ago thousands of Bosnian Muslims were murdered by the Serb militias who were in a UN protected ‘safe haven’ with hundreds of UN soldiers assigned to defend them. Yet the UN stood by while the entire adult and teenage male population was systematically butchered.

Kofi Annan was unable to stop mismanagement of the Oil-for-Food Program that allowed Saddam Hussein's regime to embezzle $4.4 billion through pricing irregularities and an additional $5.7 billion through illegal oil smuggling. Kofi's son Kojo received payments from the Swiss company Cotecna which won a lucrative contract under the UN Oil for Food program.

Kofi Annan protected Ruud Lubbers, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, against a report that found him guilty of sexual harassment by declaring him innocent. This created a global protest against Annan, resulting in Lubbers being forced to resign.

Kofi Annan accepted a $500,000 prize from the ruler of Dubai, courtesy of a judges’ panel rife with U.N. connections, one member of which Annan then appointed to a high U.N. job (Annan was advised to take the prize money by Malloch Brown who rents a home in Westchester County from from his friend George Soros for $12,000 a month but can be adequately covered by Brown's salary at $287,087).

Kofi Annan remains in power despite continuing sexual abuse scandals by UN peacekeepers. A 2005 internal UN investigation found that sexual abuse has been reported in at least five countries where UN peacekeepers have been deployed including the Congo, Haiti, Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, and Liberia.

And Kofi Annan remains in power while genocide continues in Darfur, while Zimbabwe tailspin into despotism, while up to a third of the population of some African countries will die from AIDS, and while corruption keeps the poorest countries in starkest poverty.

Kofi Annan and Mark Malloch Brown arrogantly ignore the fact that the quality of life of several of us has come close to being destroyed by the many bitter experiences we have experienced over the past decades. Most who work for the UN are so used to its dysfunctionality that they have NO idea how sick the organization is or they are unwilling to come forward because UN labor laws and protections are abysmal.

And to add insult to injury, the newly created IOIS (the new “independent” internal oversight panel established to “reform” the UN) has been strong-armed by Malloch Brown and is not independent because its budget comes directly from the UN, thus dissuading anyone from within the UN from coming forward. Don't think that Malloch Brown is an independent UN operative. Justin Leites – UNDP - was placed on administrative leave to campaign for U.S. Presidential candidate John Kerry - with MMB's approval.

And what really happened at UNDP? Why would Malloch Brown leave his influential post as head of UNDP to spend a year defending the scandals swirling around Kofi Annan and then announce that he would resign when Kofi leaves at the end of this year? Because he royally mismanaged UNDP! Everyone at UNDP knows this but is too scared to share the details of what happened for fear of retaliation by Brown. But ask UNDP Country Directors and UNDP Practice Managers what happened under King Mark’s reign and you will get a completely different picture of his mismanagement skills and bombastic ways.

As the walls literally crumble down around them, those who work for the UN and citizens who believe in the founding principles of the UN have no understanding how bad it really is. Unfortunately, we encourage young people who are seeking a career in international affairs to avoid the United Nations at all costs. We wish there would come a day when we would no longer make this recommendation.

Of course the senior leadership of the UN try to hide the profound problems of the UN but shame on them for saying that Americans don't know or understand how the US is engaged with the UN. If you and everyone in Middle America truly understood what ails the UN, the US, who funds $3.3 billion annually or 22% of the entire UN budget, would shut off the money spigot. In sum, the UN should be shuttered, allowing a brand new organization to emerge because the current UN is broken beyond repair.

For more information, please contact Edward Patrick Flaherty at info@iowatch.org who represents UN employees including our views here. Written by a concerned group of current and former UN employees.

Thank you, Ask Yourself, for your brilliant essay on what are only SOME of the corruptions within the UN.

Put the UN in Rwanda and see how many fat cats angle for top positions and the chance to live there.

I am sure the essay by Ask Yourself is true in nearly aspect, however ...

"And don’t forget that ten years ago thousands of Bosnian Muslims were murdered by the Serb militias who were in a UN protected ‘safe haven’ with hundreds of UN soldiers assigned to defend them."

No one has found any PROOF thousands of Muslims were murdered by Christian Serbs. They have not found any mass graves. They have found 2,000 bodies but they don't know if they are Serbs or Bosnians or how they died, and they were discovered in an area where fighting had been occuring for four years.

I believe we attacked a country, who had been our ally in two world wars, for no reason.

If anyone has proof to provide regarding mass graves, please let me know.

And back to the main subject ... Kofi Annan is a proven crook and should have been canned and/or brought up on charges after the Oil for Food scandal was discovered.

pumuckl: I applaud you for your courage and admire you for your desire to help those in need. Stay safe and God bless you.

Make no mistake about it, the UN is a club of anti-Americanism. To the rest of the world they promote themselves as the body that can oversee America, make sure the United States doesn't get out of hand - or too strong. Once the UN is closed down, there will be a great many more shady deals up Kofi Annan’s sleeve.

No one's saying that the U.N. doesn't need to be reformed, which is Bush appointee John Bolton's position. But that's a far cry from disbanding it.
Our very presence there has allowed us to court international favor in important diplomatic issues, rather than have to rely on strategic alliances or go it alone. Even GWB, the savior of this site, learned from his mistakes in taking unilateral action in Iraq. When other nations are needed for peacekeeping, or helping with reconstruction there, we will be mostly on our own. He is taking a much more measured, somber approach to our conflict with Iran, and in that sense our foreign policy has become more nuanced and sensitive to world opinion. He's toned down the rhetoric, and the wildly optimistic announcements. I actually think Bush has grown from a cowboy into a leader.
I think he would not be in favor of deconstructing international institutions like the U.N., as flawed as it is-what are our options without it?

Chretein and Martin, who trained at the UN before becoming Prime Minister, are gone. They gave ALOT of money to the UN. This was a mistake and the main reason Martin is gone. The US traditionally waits to pay the UN - the UN is full of employees that want their 20 years and pensions.

The UN itself has no interest in a soveriegn nation or one that can take care of itself. These are losers and no money for the UN. So, we really should leave. It's too expensive and a waste of our foreign policy.

Speaking of the UN, I usually root for the underdog in sporting events, but am having a hard time cheering for Iran in the world cup match v. Mexico.

Puleeze!!! For Neocon Wannabe to claim Fox is a balanced news service is as laughable as Mark claiming(in an earlier posting) Bush is right up there with Lincoln. Jeez, I just find this 'Blogs for Bush' funny as hell. Unbelievable that this kind of mindset is trying to run the government

*Shrugs*

I've never understood the desire for a UN. Really what's the point? Most folks agree that beurocracies are nothing more than money pits with folks vieing for the "plush" jobs and not working for the betterment of the group but for themselves. (Which I'm not against per se)

Is it any shock that all these policital apointees from all of these different countries, along with all their own red tape, causes a huge mess?

In this era of fast communications and information why do we need the UN to "talk between the countries?" Why must it be in the USA? Why have a perminant seat at all? Why not move it around if you insist on having a physical site to meet and "air one's grievances?"

"Even GWB, the savior of this site, learned from his mistakes in taking unilateral action in Iraq."

Do you know what 'unilateral' means?

Do you know that the U.N. itself passed a resolution authorizing us to use force in Iraq?

Do you know how many countries joined us in that effort?

"Unilateral" is like "Disenfranchised"---a big word no one on the Left understands, not that that keeps them from using them all the time.

Canuckguy...how would you know if Fox is balanced or not? You live in Canada where your country is so scared of a non-liberal slant they don't allow Fox. Unless you are stealing DIRECTV...is that what you are doing?

:)

We left the League of Nations so we could certainly leave the United Nations.

If ever there was an oxymoron it is the term "United Nations"

Ok, Canuckguy. . . name me your balanced network?

It is quite essential for America to form or become involved with another international organization. The UN is bankrupt of any agenda except anti-Americanism. There is absolutely NO reason for America to continue to flush money down the toilet with an Organization that hates America's guts.

America needs to form or jointly organize an international organization that is favorable to America's core ideas. The UN is bankrupt of any ideas except anti-Americanism. America has NO reason to keep funding an organization that flushes money down the toilet of anti-Americanism. It is time to leave the UN. Let China and Russia fund it. Let America's allies of the willing counter the still puny muscles of Russia and China.

Teen:
Is there anything that he doesn't know!!

starting using your computer for some research, you poor,uninformed litte twit!!!

Attn: Warriornation(writing for a second time, first time did not seem to take)
--You took me to task on my slant for Fox News but apparently you don't dispute the ridiculous Bush/Lincoln comparison. As for Fox, I can get a taste of it on-line but the best place to see Fox for what it is, A raving Republican vipers' nest, is when Jon Stewart makes fun of it on the Daily Show.

You base your beliefs on what a Comedian says? What sense does that make?

Canuck....so if I understand you correctly, the best way for you to view what a network is all about is through a comic second hand.

Wow, if that doesn't say something about you I don't know what does.

I guess I should view all Canadians as they were portrayed in movie "Strange Brew"...that must be how the all are....that's essentially what you are saying.

Incredibly stupid on your part, but it doesn't surprise me.

On the Lincoln / Bush comparison...I didn't read what you said so I can't comment on it. Why don't you let me know what you said.

Thanks

"You base your beliefs on what a Comedian says? What sense does that make?

Gozer...they are like sheep. They don't like Fox's view of the world so it must all be bad. That's essentially how they view it. Even though they have liberals all over that damn network, apparently they don't count.

I still remember the night before the 2004 election when Fox predicted Kerry would win by their polling. For one night all of liberaldom thought Fox was the greatest thing on television.

Truth is that Fox asks tough questions of liberals that mainstream media does not and never will. They don't like that, and I don't blame them. Why go into that hornet's nest when you get softballs from the rest of the media who cow tows to their same principles.

Funny how fox's "view" is so different that all the rest. Thats because its SLANTED. While the others are fair and balanced

I agree wholeheartedly with your statement."The UN is morally bankrupt and as long as Russia, China and France have veto power in it, it is an organization which can't be reformed. Get us out of it - start again from scratch; this time, not allowing tyrants to have a seat at the table."


Also, after seeing a Fox & Friends segment sat am (video, news you can use, Location, Location) highlighting the value and taxes lost of all properties in the city due to the UN, the sooner they are booted the better.

*Chuckles*

Axis, there is no such thing as "Fair and Balanced" reporting. Period. Every news source puts a slant on things in some way or another.

Sometimes it's in what they tell, other times its in what they don't tell. Who you have on, who you don't or how many you have. Anyone who's been involved in a "news worthy" event knows that no news sources tells the story right.

So don't fool yourself in thinking anyone is Fair and Balanced.

*Curious*

Where have you been Gozer? I've missed your level headed (though often wrong *snicker*) input.

kritter,

GW indeed learned the lesson about the UN vis a vis Iraq...and he's learned not to wait around for the UN to act. If you take some care to note what is happening vis a vis Iran, you can see that in no way, shape or form is the US predicating any potential military action in Iran upon a UN resolution. We're going the UN route mostly as a pro-forma event, with the slight hope that the mullahs might come to their senses...but, at bottom, GW is determined that Iran have no nuclear weapons, and he will act without any UN mandate.

As for reforming the organization - it can't be done; China and Russia will veto any real attempt at reform because the last thing they want is a competant UN to start looking into Chechnya and Tibet (and if you want to know what a real occupation looks like, those are the two prime examples of it).

Get us out of it; form the Union of Democratic Nations and then rule the world for freedom.

I really hate that slogan -- get US out of the UN. It seems so isolationist.

Its funny how many times I am hearing that all the news stations besides fox are fair and balanced. When just a few days ago(maybe over a week I dont remember), when this conversation was going on, they were claiming that none of the news stations were balanced. And also how often are those on the left saying that they are ALL controled by the Jews? There goes the democrats for you, they cant all agree on anything. And they cant stick with one story. Except that they hate Bush. And then they say he is a divider, instead of a uniter. Well he united you all togeather didnt he, better than any lib has ever done before.

Axis if all the others are fair and balanced, why did the Pew Research surveys, the Roper Reports, the UCLA study, etc all show the MSM as liberal.

Or as Walter Cronkite so eloquently put it

"Of course the media are liberals"
-2004, Walter Cronkite interview

Isn't it "ironic" that the only people that defend the MSM ad nauseum are LIBERALS!!! That's because they are one of their own!

Of course the media are liberals"
-2004, Walter Cronkite interview

Isn't your statement a paradox, Warbonnet? You quote a liberal commentator but you don't believe liberal commentators. Which is it?

If Walter Cronkite can admit it then I take his word for it.

You just got done ranting and raving about Bush not being able to admit a mistake. Are you unable to as well?

The media is liberal, every major survey and study ever done has shown this time and time again.

Apparently you aren't man enough to admit that you are wrong. I guess you're like Bush in your own eyes.

Attn: Warriornation(and you other loons): It comes down to the sad pathetic fact of these Blogs for Bush are are snake pit of raving extreme-right wing Republicans and Fox News is laughable so listening to Jon Stewert as an antidote makes perfect sense. The patheticness lies in you and the other Bushites
As for the Bush/Lincoln, Mark 'Noodles for Brains' Noonan thinks Bush will be judged as great a president as Lincoln. Good grief, gag me with a spoon. God, are you all brain damaged?