August 26, 2005
YOU DON’T REFORM THE MAFIA
Bolton throws UN summit into chaos (Julian Borger, The Guardian, August 26th, 2005)
John Bolton, Washington's new ambassador to the United Nations, has called for wholesale changes to a draft document due to go before a UN summit next month aimed at reshaping the world body.Mr Bolton, a long-standing UN critic who was given a temporary appointment by George Bush three weeks ago after the United States Senate failed to agree on his nomination, has proposed 750 amendments to the draft and called for immediate talks on them.
The 29-page document has been drawn up by a committee under the UN general assembly president, Jean Ping of Gambia, over the past year, during which time several drafts have been circulated.
Critics complained that the US objections had come towards the end of the drafting process, with only three weeks to go before the summit.
But Benjamin Chang, a spokesman for the American team at the UN, said Mr Bolton had simply been restating long-held US opinions. "Those are not new positions; surprise positions," he said. "We've been engaged in this process, since the first meeting." [...]
In a letter to his fellow ambassadors, Mr Bolton was quoted as urging quick action on the American proposals.
"Time is short. In order to maximise our chances of success, I suggest we begin the negotiations immediately - this week if possible," he wrote.
Farhan Haq, a spokesman for the UN secretary-general, Kofi Annan, said ferment over the draft statement was a positive sign. "We actually feel fairly confident that member states are taking UN reform seriously," said Mr Haq. "There is stepped-up activity everywhere, and very serious high-level negotiating."
Obviously the bull-o-meter is overheating on both sides here. Whatever chortles and guffaws we may enjoy watching this slapstick, the President’s decision to defend the UN’s legitimacy and support its reform made a needed, principled attack on the supremacy of international law and multilateralism impossible and was a huge missed opportunity.
Posted by Peter Burnet at August 26, 2005 9:21 AMWhatever chortles and guffaws we may enjoy watching this slapstick, the President’s decision to defend the UN’s legitimacy and support its reform made a needed, principled attack on the supremacy of international law and multilateralism impossible and was a huge missed opportunity.
Peter,
I'm not sure what that densely worded sentence means precisely—ignorance on my part.
Respectfully
Posted by: Wyck at August 26, 2005 9:35 AMWyck:
He's stating his opinion that the UN and its affiliated doctrines are completely worthless. Meanwhile, sending in a guy to "fix" and "reform" the institution makes it sound like the UN should be taken seriously when, in actuality, we should tell them the building is closed and they all have ten minutes to move their cars.
Did I characterize your opinion correctly, Peter? Okay, okay...five minutes to move their cars.
Posted by: Matt Murphy at August 26, 2005 10:24 AMYes, Matt, thank-you very much. But there is no need to be mean and spiteful. I'd give them thirty days and one heck of a going away party, but then we Canadians have always been known for our politeness.
Wyck: Durban, 9/11, the intifada, the WOT, Iraq, etc. all brought the baseline conflict between positive law and morality on the international scene into stark relief. They also brought home the hard reality that the UN is far from just a talking shop/aid agency that tries to resolve conflicts and feed hungry children. It asserts a legal supremacy over national sovereignty based upon straight line votes, with anyone with a flag and presidential limousine counting equally. Goodbye national interest (including self-defence--just ask Israel), goodbye "the West" and goodbye any distinction between the free and enslaved. Want to free a tortured people? Better ask France and Russia first.
I am extremely disappointed that the spirited, articulate attacks on the UN and multilateralism of two years ago by the likes of Hitchens, Hansen and many others have petered out and the US is now publically swearing fealty to the UN while sending a wild man there to rant about T-shirts and play bureaucratic guerilla.
Posted by: Peter B at August 26, 2005 10:48 AMPeter B, doesn't it remind your of the short-lived Contract with America and its author's grandiose rhetoric to dismantle the Dept of Ed. and I think Commerce and Labor, I can't remember all the details and defund public radio and television.
The left as usual dug deep into their bag of dirty tricks and made public Newt's office romance causing him to resign in disgrace and then they exposed the sordid affairs of the next couple of putative Majority Leaders before finding the most underestimated man on earth, the incomparable Dennis Hastert.
So too went the brave talk of dismantling the UN and its disastrous program of multiculturalism. Let's hope that Bolton will prove as fine a choice as Hastert even though, you're right that the momentum was lost.
The previous post was made by me, erp. Wonder why the name didn't come up.
Posted by: erp at August 27, 2005 9:53 AMJust giving the UN one last chance by forcing the contradiction out into the open.
(What? Bolton actually expects the UN to work? Well, it may, if a lot of those bureaucrats want to keep their jobs. Then, again....)
So likely, a mere prelude to the revamping of an international organization.
Posted by: Barry Meislin at August 27, 2005 3:28 PMThe House passed nine of the ten Contract With America items; the Senate was the snakepit.
Posted by: Michael Herdegen![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://brothersjuddblog.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at August 27, 2005 4:58 PM