Breeze Perspectives: U.N.-necessary
Failure after never-ending failure, the United Nations continues to be irrelevent
By Craig Finkelstein, contributing writer
Posted on October 2, 2006

It has become very easy to buy into the notion that the United Nations is a great peace-loving organization that should be utilized as a means for conducting diplomacy; however, should one attempt to evaluate its effectiveness, they would find that it is a pathetic institution that undermines the security of both the United States and of the world.

With the preamble to the U.N. charter calling to “promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,” it comes as a surprise that a recent General Assembly meeting would give a forum to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has called for Israel to be “wiped off the map” as he continues to build up a dangerous nuclear arsenal capable of threatening the United States.

Instead of the U.N. meeting focusing on pressing issues such as terrorism, nuclear proliferation and human rights, it became an America-bashing session. Not only did the Kook-Nuke, as The New York Post referred to him, have the ability to diminish the essence of the United Nations with his presence and spew more radical propaganda, but the meeting also gave the corrupt socialist dictators like Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez the ability to call President Bush “Satan.” What is the point of such an organization if it is simply a forum for lunatics to rant and rave? History only reminds us what occurs when the world appeases ruthless dictators in the name of Adolf Hitler.

The United Nations has contributed to numerous international problems without ever being held accountable for its actions. The United Mission in Kosovo is responsible for the sluggish development of Kosovo as an autonomous entity of Serbia. The Rwandan genocide would not have occurred had the United Nations taken appropriate and effective action to prevent the Hutus from slaughtering thousands of Tutsis. The U.N. forces that were supposed to be guarding the Lebanon border since 2000 failed to do so, allowing Hezbollah to fire rockets into Israel, eventually leading to a full-blown war. Had the United Nations decided to act in any of these situations, many lives could have been saved and many conflicts prevented.

One of the biggest scandals that ever shook the United Nations factored into the United States’ necessity for the Iraq War. The U.N. Oil for Food Program was created in 1995 in order for Iraq to sell oil in exchange for humanitarian needs for its impoverished citizens. Instead Saddam Hussein stole millions of dollars from illegal sales of oil to the French, Russian and Chinese companies that bribed him to be awarded contracts. The money profited by Hussein was then deferred to reward Palestinian terrorism against Israel. Repeated defiance of UN Security Council Resolutions combined with Hussein’s deliberate abuse of his own people are just a few of the elements that necessitated an American military intervention.

As a regulator, the United Nations has absolutely no authority to enforce any resolution it passes. North Korea violated all of the resolutions placed upon it and is now building up its nuclear arsenal. Iraq violated Security Council resolutions, one after another, and eventually was only dealt with by America doing the work the United Naions failed to do. Had the United Nations been able to enforce any resolution, perhaps North Korea would not be developing nuclear weapons, Iran would not be enriching uranium, and the United States would not have had to intervene in Iraq.

Sanctions and resolutions will not be effective when dealing with radicals. It would be nice if we could live in a world where everyone could talk could solve problems; in reality, these tools are not plausible. Those who are fervently committed to your destruction at any cost will not be swayed by the worthless United Nations, but by the United States — as the lone world superpower — to take the lead in ensuring that we live in a safe and secure environment.

Craig Finkelstein is a senior international affairs major.