[Paladin2]

Hay!, Haiti turned out GREAT!

....no wait, it didn’t....

Even PR seems to want to become Venezuela.

[Paladin2]

"If anything we should use our involvement with the UN to promote American values, democracy, the rule of law, and human rights. There’s no better example to show that off in the global hub that is New York City where the U.N. headquarters is located. "

False. Today's NYC "values" are not that American anymore... It could be argued that the presence of the UN outlaws has deeply hurt the Rule of Law in the City. The UN should move to Harare, Zimbabwe if they are looking for a place to "fix".

[avenir]

“Bad company corrupts good character”

[rktman]

Freddie who?

[Wuli]

“Save some small to medium conflicts there has been no world war since World War II, and most importantly no nuclear war since before the creation of the UN. Through the height of Cold War and the ever looming threats of another World War the world still had a place to come to the table to resolve its issues.”

Other than the Korean War this is a B.S. statement. The most important agreements to end or stave off conflict were not hosted by or conducted at the U.N., they were bilateral agreements between the major parties concerned, and independent of the U.N.

Yes, there has been a U.N. sponsored anti-nuclear-proliferation agreement, forming the group of nations that have signed onto it. However, the facts are that some of its signatories have violated it on numerous occasions, making it worth less than the paper it’s printed on.

The main reason there has been no nuclear wars is that M.A.D. (Mutual Assured Destruction) apparently works, as a deterrent to using nuclear weapons in conflict, even when you have them. M.A.D. more than the U.N. and more than any agreements is primarily why there has been no nuclear wars.

The author gives the U.N. more credit than it is due.

[Wuli]

“These values in many ways are antithetical to the Trump administration’s protectionist and anti-immigrant worldview. “

How in the H did this writer get this crap on Townhall???

[SamuraiScot]

anti-immigrant worldview

Sorry. Credibility killer.

Next!

[Pirate Ragnar]

There is no reason the United States cannot develop treaties and humanitarian efforts with with other countries outside of the UN. There is no reason to contribute to and participate in a corrupt, anti-Semitic anti-US, Socialist, feckless committee of envious blue helmeters who run at the first sign of a fight.

[Billthedrill]

The author is measuring the UN on its aspirations, not on its actual performance. UN security forces brought cholera to Haiti and failed to stem the Rwandan genocide, and have a record of rape and other human rights violations in deployments to Africa. The author notes that there have been no nuclear wars since the advent of the UN; unfortunately he cannot cite any single thing the UN has done to prevent them, making that claim as pertinent as noting that there have been no nuclear wars since the moon landing or the advent of the microwave oven. So what?

Is there a place for an international diplomatic clearinghouse? Certainly, at least in theory. Is that proper place in New York City? The author offers a vague invocation of "American values" that are apparently intended to be promoted by osmosis or some sort of contagion. There is, naturally, no metric to confirm that any such process even exists, much less is working or even workable. The diplomats do get in some great shopping, to be sure. It isn't quite the same thing.

The cold truth is that the UN is a bloated, self-aggrandizing, wasteful, expensive, and corrupt mess that benefits the international diplomatic classes and is signally absent a track record of success in accomplishing the aspirations listed by the author. Nor are its numerous skeptics bad people for having the temerity to point this out, or cheapskates for not wishing to charge a country's taxpayers to fund an organization that actively works against their own interests.