This is going to be fun.
"So the U.N. should be pressing nations worldwide for human rights, freedom and better living conditions ..."
That's not what it was founded for. The United Nations were intended to be a forum where the sovereign nations of this planet should peacefully resolve their conflicts. Period.
Ahem. From the U.N.'s own website:
Most of us have heard about United Nations peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance. But the many other ways the UN affects all our lives are not always so well known. This booklet takes a look at the United Nations — how it is set up and what it does — to illustrate how it works to make the world a better place for all people.
The United Nations is central to global efforts to solve problems that challenge humanity. Cooperating in this effort are more than 30 affiliated organizations, known together as the UN system.
Day in and day out, the UN and its family of organizations work to promote respect for human rights, protect the environment, fight disease and reduce poverty. UN agencies define the standards for safe and efficient air travel and help improve telecommunications and enhance consumer protection. The United Nations leads the international campaigns against drug trafficking and terrorism. Throughout the world, the UN and its agencies assist refugees, set up programmes to clear landmines, help expand food production and lead the fight against AIDS.Hell, sorry I got that one wrong guys.
It was not meant to be the front for any one nation to draw up the master plan of what the world ought to be like and break the news to the others.
I see. So you think France should be removed from the security council for violating this mandate?
The spirit of democracy in the U.N. died a quiet death with the right to block any decision reserved for the Big Five with the Nukes - the U.S.A., Russia, France, the U.K. and the People's Republic of China.
But there's quite a number of islamic nations in Northern Africa and Asia that could easily out-vote the U.S. if the U.N. decided by a simple (and democratic) count of "one nation - one vote".
Yes and some of those "nations" are no bigger than Rhode Island and change governments on a monthly basis. I'm glad there's such a wealth of valuable political experience in the U.N. Jesus, it's like having a blind guy be a driving instructor.
If the weight of votes were to be decided by the sheer number of inhabitants a nation can field, U.N. politics would be a game between India and China with all others on the sideline.
And if a frog had wings he wouldn't bump his ass when he jumped either.
The fact is, it's not decided that way so let's throw out the hypotheticals and stick to the fact that the U.N. is not doing what it supposed to do because countries like France abuse it as leverage for their own foreign policies. Instead of using their security council power for the greater good, they instead wield it in attempts to improve their own position in the world. They make no distinction between the U.N. as an organization and an instrument of their own foreign policy.
Just how would the U.N. press the U.S. of A. into granting some amount of legal counsil to the prisoners of Guantanamo? Like seeing their ambassadors, speaking with lawyers and such? All those basic rights that you expect to get from even the most remote banana republic on this planet ...
Beats me. Personally, I blame it on the Lybians for being in charge of the Human Rights Committee. Damn slackers!!!!
The facts are that the Taliban have no ambassador and POW's do not get the right to speak with attourneys unless tried in a military court of law. So when the war is declared "over" they'll get released. If the Red Cross would like to arrange a visit from one of their loved ones, that would be okay with me as long as the visitor was searched and any conversation recorded. It might just uncover some more terrorists.