The purpose of the UN is to bring tinhorn despots into the fleshpot of NYC, let them taste the good life, put a few sheckles in thier pockets, and send them home with a hook in them. The mistake is to think that the body has a purpose beyond that. The real usefulness of the UN is as a conduit for intelligence, and all real espionage works below the radar.

Your question is a legitimate one, which has been asked by various people over the last several decades. But before we commit ourselves to this, we need to ask ourselves what a UN-less world would be like. Clearly bilateral negotiations would become more important, but to be honest, that's pretty much what goes on today.

Without a UN, could a group of nations obtain moral backing for a Kuwait liberation-type action?

Then again, without a UN, could a group of nations obtain "moral" backing for an "Israel sucks"-type resolution?

There is another alternative, in which the United States quits the UN and tells it to pack its bags and head to Geneva, or perhaps Gaza City. Some would argue that this is a win-win for everyone, since the US wouldn't have to finance the UN any more, and the UN would be free to pass any danged resolution that they wanted to pass.

The speech can be found at: http://www.nu.org/webcast/ga/61/pdfs/iran-e.pdf (but replace NU with UN... had to do this to get through the Annikafilter)

I've had this debate with a colleague of mine several times over the years. I'm with you. (What's more, it's not as if a U.N. with real power would be an improvement: Some large proportion of the governments that participate in the U.N. are illegitimate if, like me, you see legitimacy as a function of free elections.) Much like Ontario Emperor, my colleague thinks the U.N. is worthwhile because: (1) it has all the features Ahmadi-Nejad complains about and (2) many people nevertheless seem to give a shit what the U.N. says. In other words, he likes it because it can't really hurt us, and it can give an air of legitimacy to what we do.

I don't really buy that argument, but it's not crazy.

I have to agree with Ontario Emperor; boot their asses out of the US, and let them find someone else to give them a sandbox where they can pound sand on someone else's dime.

Somebody explain to me why the U.S.A, the greatest force for good the world has ever known, should be part of any organization that gives a forum to that fanatical, tie-less midget and that fat fucking South American pig AND gives veto power to China?

p.s. am I the only one thrilled to no longer have to listen to that condescending, anti-semitic, tyrant-coddling, crook Kofi?

Blu,

I really liked Chavez's remark about the smell of sulpher. Very powerful olfactory allusion designed to reach our primitive limbic areas and far more sophisticated than saying it still smelled like a lying sack of shit had been standing there.

W's remarks were such stultifying bullshit I watched like I watch an NF patient on the subway; mesmorized by the horror. Unfortunately the NF patient will die an agonizing death and W may not.

SULPHUR, christ and I studied chemistry once

Straw,
Specifics please. What exactly was bullshit?

Unlike the pig and the midget, Bush sounded rational. Perhaps as a commited communist you have special abilities to extract capitalist BS where the rest of us just sit around dumbfounded.

Please enlighten us poor, stupid peasants.

Sorry Blu,

No time tonight to set you straight. Without any irony I tell you I am going to join my distaff side and will be seeing the HISTORY BOYS on Broadway.

As I cross the Queensboro bridge I shall roll down my window so as to catch a waft of the brimstone.

Hmmmm, I wonder if a nuclear chain reaction smells like brimstone? No doubt you'll smell it soon enough, and you like your Nazi bund forebearers will have had a hand in it.

Correctemundo as usual Blu. Not only do we let these nutf-----s insult our president on our soil, we also seem to be (with some uncorrupted allies) the only country to actually take action when a U.N. 'resolution' is dissed. (Iraq)

Audible laughter after what Chavez said- unbelievable. Perhaps they should take him up on his offer and move the whole stinking shit tank to Caracas!

I am going to join my distaff side and will be seeing the HISTORY BOYS on Broadway.

More like, keeping going two blocks to the Port Authority. There, in the shitter, you'll have your BOYS (and paramour Chavez) stretch your leather starfish into the next Grand Canyon.

I've never heard of a chocolate (or choccy) starfish being called that before.

Jesus... where have I been?

Hmmmm, I wonder if a nuclear chain reaction smells like brimstone? No doubt you'll smell it soon enough, and you like your Nazi bund forebearers will have had a hand in it.

Casca,

What the fuck are you talking about? My forebearers were isolationists? I'm afraid they were all christians you dope.

Hey Blu,

I saw Bill Gates at the theater last night. Great play too.

Redneck,

Sounds like you are trying to displace Casca as the sites resident neanderthal?

"I saw Bill Gates"

Well, I wish you would have bitch slapped that fuck for me cuz Word is being a pain in my ass today!