If anyone thinks regular, domestic politics are maddening, they should try paying attention to what happens at UN organizations in general and the Secretariat in particular. The Wall Street Journal writes in its news section today that the Bush administration maintains its support for Kofi Annan, but all but calls for his resignation in an op-ed where the term “willfull negligence” comes up.
I suspect that Annan is the devil the Bushies know, and the alternative would be a secretary-general that more closely reflects the prevalent resentment against the US these days.
There is much to be said for the existence, ideals, and good works of the United Nations (which should really be called “the Assembly of Governments,” or perhaps “Council of Regimes”), but it is not a place that breeds meritocracy or fairness. It is funded primarily by the governments of industrialzed states, who then get to be abused by governments who a) don't contribute much financially to the organization, b) demand a lot in return, c) act self-righteously but are flaming hypocrites, and d) park illegally and with impunity all over New York City. They populate the International Court of Justice with judges from places that consider jurisprudence to be a matter of putting a bullet in dissenter's necks, and give away agency directorships as political favors.
In other words, the UN aspires (and pretends) to live up to the highest standards of free democracies, but its actual performance is more like Europe in the late 19th century.
The Bush administration has been foolish to so openly show its disdain for the UN, but the place deserves such it. I think the UN has, on balance, made the world a better place, but it needs a a lot (I mean a lot) of improvement. Sent wirelessly from my Blackberry.
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