i'm thinking iraq had a problem with UN sanctions. anytime the UN takes a position dramatically counter to the position of an individual nation, that nation has a "problem with the UN." we're not the only ones.
I don't think the UN gets enough coverage of what it does that is NOT controversial in the minds of the American public. I definitely agree with FB on that, and Major points to that as well. However, I don't know why its unreasonable to expect the public to have an unfavorable view of the UN considering what they DO see are images of: US soliders dying on a UN mission in Somalia, US soldiers stopping genocide in Bosnia when the UN refuses to act, generic stereotyping of the US and consistent US bashing by other members of the UN Security Council among others, vast anti-american demonstrations as a result of UN actions (sanctions in Iraq, Somalia for example)all while we pay the majority of the bill for the whole UN operation. These are not images that have just emerged with the Bush Administration.
Serious question here: If we, the United States, completely dissociated ourselves from the UN, would that cause the UN to disband within a couple of years or am I overestimating our role in that organization?
I think that's a fair question, Manny. Maybe it will even happen, pending the results of the '04 election. I personally do not think this would cause the UN to disband. It has loads of problems, but most nations realize that the modern world needs some such organization and they want to improve it, if anything. Our economic role in the UN is somewhat overstated locally, in my understanding, since we are very far behind in our UN payments anyway.
I think the UN causes untold amounts of trouble with their special definition of Palestinian refugees, the only refugee population that grows as time passes following a war. Any organization that puts freakin' Libya as the chair of a human rights committee has some fundamental problems. We get far less out of the UN than we put in. I think we should pull out of it and leave it to everyone else, NATO too. We need to make individual alliances with individual countries that give us tangible benefits.
The article was talking about ordinary citizens. I would think if a similar poll was taken in Europe, Asia, South America, Africa, Canada and Australia there would be a more favourable response towards the UN.
again, i'm thinking the "ordinary citizens" of iraq weren't real happy with the UN sanctions. i'm thinking the "ordinary citizens" in bosnia (particularly the muslim ones) weren't real happy with UN inaction.
