Screw the U.N.
Well, you can blame my real estate agent for making me do a serious post. We went food shopping at the local Asian market and had all kinds of funny stories with pictures to go along with them. However, Einstein couldn't figure out how to get the pictures from his cell phone to my email address so I could post them on the blog. So, instead of a funny post about Engrish, I go off on how much the U.N. sucks.
The United Nations is a big waste of money
[The Conservative] is at odds with dictators who rule by terror, and equally with those gentle collectivists who ask our permission to play God with the human race.
-Barry Goldwater
Did you know that 23% of the United Nations' funds come out of American taxpayers' pockets? I don't even like the U.N. and if I were running the show, I'd pull us out. They're not only completely worthless, they blame America for everything. Talk about biting the hand that feeds.
Here's a little trivia for you. Can you name one genocide the U.N. stopped? Now, the U.N. defenders will respond by saying we need to fund them more. Why? So they could waste more of our tax money?
I strongly believe that your money is yours. It's your choice who to give money to. I happen to support public libraries and retarded citizens. When I get more money, I'll also include burn victims. Mrs. Zombieslayer donates to Vets and Salvation Army. When we get really rich, we'll start the Zombieslayer Scholarship Foundation. That just happens to be where we feel like sending our money we set aside for charities.
If you want to support Breast Cancer or Testicular Cancer Research, more power to you. If you want to support families of Firemen who died in service, more power to you. If you want to support starving children in Ethiopia, more power to you. Why should you be forced which charities to give money to?
I strongly disagree with forcing people to give to charities that they don't support. On top of that, if you had to force people to give to charities, let's take care of local peoples. As everyone now knows from Hurricane Katrina, America has plenty of poor people to take care of.
You already know I'm not a fan of President Bush. He spends more than a Democrat. We have yet to catch Osama Bin Laden. He's for outsourcing the American middle-class and he looks the other way as millions of illegals flood into this country to undercut working class Americans, driving wages even lower. I also hate the Homeland Security concept (1984 anyone?) as well as the TSA, but that's another post.
I will give credit where credit is due though. I like John Bolton. He's a pompous jerk and he hates the U.N. Awesome. What better person to appoint to represent the U.N. than someone who believes the U.N. should be accountable for the money it wastes?
Everyone else seemed to hate Bolton. I think his appointment to the U.N. is one of the best things our President has ever done.
The U.N. is a big black hole where our hard-earned tax money disappears. Now, as someone who studied philosophy, if you want to claim something, the burden is on you to prove it. So, that said, why is the U.N. worth billions of our tax dollars every year? I'd love to hear it defended.
posted by The Zombieslayer @ 7:48 AM
18 Comments:
thought-provoking post as so many others are. i appreciate that. i always come away thinking, and that is a good thing.
Did you see that movie The Interpreter? Someone in Hollywood thinks the UN is pretty ridiculous too. I didn't like the movie all that much but it put out an unpopular view on the UN which was--it doesn't work.
you said...I strongly believe that your money is yours. It's your choice who to give money to.
Apparently, we are the only ones. Prop 75 got voted down because people actually enjoy giving money to their unions so that their unions can spend it on whatever polical hoopla with or without your appoval. Isn't that fun? My husband belongs to a union that supported John Kerry at the last election. Sweet!
You won't get any argument from me Zombie. They handed down 17 resolutions against Iraq and refused to enforce them, all because veto wielding countries were making money on the oil for food program. And as you say, what have they done for countries like Rwanda when the reason for the existence presented itself?
Not only have they NEVER stopped a genocide, how about all the UNICEF money that winds up lining the pockets of despots?
You definitely have to do the Engrish post! Our son and daughter are HUGE Engrish fans. Our son is one of the few males I know that reads instruction manuals. He does it to find Engrish. Sick pup!
I strongly disagree with forcing people to give to charities that they don't support.
According to dictionary.com the very definition of charity is: Benevolence or generosity toward others or toward humanity.
I wholeheartidly agree, forcing people to give to charity (even if they DO support it)is completely opposite of the point of 'charity'.
I'm not a political type dude, but the U.N. sucks ass.
"I like John Bolton. He's a pompous jerk and he hates the U.N. Awesome. What better person to appoint to represent the U.N. than someone who believes the U.N. should be accountable for the money it wastes?"
Hear, hear!
You always have the best quotes, ZS.
re:I happen to support public libraries and retarded citizens.
You have a way with words that is so innocent and touching. Seriously. I love reading your posts because it's obvious that you write from the heart.
I have a child name Huy in Vietnam that I sponsor. I get photos of him in new clothing and I can tell that his life has improved since I've been sponsoring him. MY life has improved too. It's so wonderful to give to someone and, not only see the results, but feel like my funds are being used for the right reasons (ie. to help someone), not to build nuclear bombs, etc.
Anyway, keep writing!
Bhakti
Lime - That's good. I'm glad somebody gets something out of it. :)
Sadie - No, never seen The Interpreter. Bummer his Union supported Kerry. If a Union really wanted to support working Americans, it would have endorsed Nader.
Scott - Excellent points. The Rwanda thing really got me because they knew it was going on and did nothing.
ZL - I'll be completely fair, but so far, nobody's defended them. Well, five more to go...
Tshsmom - how about all the UNICEF money that winds up lining the pockets of despots?
Urgh. This really gets me upset. It's a wonderful intention, but almost none of the money goes to where it's supposed to go. :(
As for Engrish, don't worry. As soon as Einstein here figures out how to use his phone, I'll have some cool pics to post.
Bridget - I won't deny the concept is noble either. It's just that once they get in there, they're more about patting each other on the back then doing anything. Huge waste of money.
Bsoholic - I remember it was either you or Thom who posted something on the 5th Circle of Cubic Hell blog about the U.N. and its worthlessness.
Miranda - You're back! Happy to see you. :)
Thanks. I ought to write political speeches because I've always had a strength for catchy one liners.
Bhakti - Oh yes. Those make huge differences. Those kids end up getting decent nutrition and an education. Thumbs up to everyone who sponsors a kid. My parents sponsored a kid in Puerto Rico for years. We all wrote letters to him and he wrote back.
i've lost my faith in UN since the day they couldn't do anythin about the war in iraq!!
ps: Hey Zombia ...missed you too....so very much...thanks for poooooooppppppppin by:)
TC - What really gets me about the UN is that they're always complaining about the U.S., and we're not only supplying them with 23% of the funding, but we host them as well. They've failed to stop so many recent genocides too.
Amen... The UN is a ruse... a distraction... a facade... a vehicle for people to assuage their moral conscience with other people's money and efforts.
I've seen the UN in action. The UN means four well-fed locals, palms greased, driving around in late model Toyota crew cab 4X4 pickups or LandCruisers, going nowhere, doing nothing, while my friends are bailing mosquito and bacteria infested water from a swamp, 20 yards from an American funded UN well, with a handle that's been broken for three years.
That's where the money goes that gets extorted by the "policy" folks, while those peddlers of "the white man's religion" are on the ground, getting shot at by the LRA and doing the work of education and saving lives.
When I heard the eeeeevil George Bush was sending $15 billion to fight AIDS in Africa, I thought "Oh well, a lot of UN folks are going to get new digs, some fine clothes and a case of Blue Nile beer, while about $.0001 billion actually makes it to some sort of AIDS stuff. Then, I saw the funding restrictions and I felt better. But, then, the advocates of "institutional compassion" started wrangling over the the restrictions and kibitzing and I got depressed again. Who knows how much will actually get to the people who are or will be infected (everybody there is impacted by AIDS)? I think the insightful and passionate Zombieslayer knows the answer to that one.
You have to keep in mind WHY the UN is so useless. The US helped create it, and then removed all of it's power to do anything. Go to the UN website and read the conventions: the UDHR, Conventions on torture, CEDAW, etc - they're all very great documents with great ideas and promote human rights. There's one thing they all are missing - an enforcement mechanism. Why? Because when the UN was created it was US, the U.S. that put the breaks on giving the UN any kind of authority. The UN is centered around the US - we're a permanent seat on the security council? Why? Because we must have a say in EVERYONE's business and veto things that aren't in our best interests - but at the same time, we give lip service to the importance of international law. We won't participate in the ICC - we want OTHER countries criminals to be tried there - but whoa! OUR people? No way. Sorry, that's hypocritical.
You can't say you want an international governing body to settle international disputes, and then give it no effective way to operate.
So it really IS our fault that the UN is useless... You can't have it both ways.
So when are you running for office??
Jenbeauty - So when are you running for office??
Probably in six to eight years.
Laura - The whole concept of Security Council kills it. Back in the Cold War days, either Russia or we would veto things, so nothing ever happened. Now it's China or us who veto everything. So it ends up being a worthless joke.
Bo - That was absolutely wonderful. I remember that you actually have been to places like Uganda and saw the UN in action. I'd love it if you did a separate post on the UN in action, since you saw them first hand.
Man, I'd love to go there. Heard it's one of the most gorgeous places on Earth.
But yes, I knew good people who lived in both Central America and some poor Asian countries who tell me stories of the UN's worthlessness while civil wars raged and thousands of innocents were slaughtered.
The UN is bullshit in many ways. GIVEN.
BUT, In theory, they could be awesome.
They could provide much need security throughout the world with the right leadership, and enough power. That basically ain't gonna happen though.
About Bolton:
The Bolton nomination reeks of cronyism which has come to define the Bush administration. And since everything Bush touches basically turns to shit, I am inclined to think he'll be no exception.
Joe - Agreed with the UN. I don't think the idea is bad, it's just that in reality, it's been a money pit and absolutely nothing more.
As for Bolton, Bush has done a few things right. His guy before Miers (forgot his name, I have a bad case of C.R.S.) was excellent.
Mokuyubi - Doctors Without Borders are an excellent org. I'd love to support them, but like I said, I currently support libraries and retarded citizens, and next on my list will be burn victims. I wish money wasn't an issue, because I'd love to support them as well.
What kind of global organization do you propose in replacement? What do you propose the different first world democratic countries of the world do about countries that torture and murder their own citizens?
These are excellent questions. I think the UN is a wonderful concept, but in actuality, it does nothing and just drains money.
We tried moving into Somalia to break up the anarchy there and look where that got us. At least we tried to do something. The UN is too busy patting themselves on the back to do anything, then they ask for more money.
Read Bo's post. That's the sad truth about the reality of the UN. He said it much better than I would have, and he saw it first hand in Africa, whereas I just read about it.
As for torture and murdering their own civilians, one of those nations is on the Security Council. That same nation uses body parts and organs of political dissidents. So, you see why pretty much anything good would get vetoed anyways?
Oh, and wanted to add, I failed to answer your question about a replacement. As for now though, I really think we need to focus on improving the situation in North America alone. The American South, the Appalachians, Mexico, and Central America all have an unacceptable level of poverty that needs to be dealt with. I really think we need to focus on our own backyard before we fix overseas.
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