Mark Steyn: There is no cure for the UN

The Spectator (U.K.) ^ | 09/17/05 | Mark Steyn

[Felicity Fahrquar]

Let's go another step in thinking. What if President Bush said, "We are pulling out of the UN effective immediately and will use that money to pay for recovery from Katrina, Ophelia, etc. The UN is welcome to leave by December 2005 and after that we will be charging rent, giving parking tickets and allowing no diplomatic immunity for UN members in the US."

Wicked girl, now you're just toying with our emotions... :)

This is one of Steyn's best, and that's saying something.

[NZerFromHK]

See my post 40. I think the US should actually raise their guards against the ASEAN as well, because unlike the EU they are actually developing economically.

[maica]

We have to hope that all countries are being watched. Most Americans are so ignorant (as in unaware) of Asian countries that it is sad, and scary.

US Media power lives in the NY to DC corridor and PacRim is a concept they are oblivious to.

[Neophyte]

Well, I totally agree with your assertion that Mark Steyn's wit is biting:

"thugocracies", "Undeportable, that's what you are"

but would like to add my choice to your quotes:

he’s always a reliably decaffeinated Kofi.

[nothingnew]

Thanks Pokey

FMCDH(BITS)

[mmercier]

Too nauseating to read past:

>> a discredited and damaged secretary-general clinging to office is as good as it’s likely to get

Let them twist in the wind. We will pay one way or the other, might as well get a laugh out of the trillions these pygmies will cost us over the next decades.

[finnigan2]

"Western proponents of ‘sustainable consumption’ and some of the other loopy NGO-beloved eco-concepts up for debate in New York this week have at least this much in common with psychotic Third World thugocracies: both groups find it hard to win free elections, both regard transnational bodies as useful for conferring a respect unearned at the ballot box, and neither is unduly troubled by the lack of accountability in global institutions."

- Jeez, when I was in college years ago I can remember a bunch of us buying some cheap wine and sitting around all night arguing the merits of a statement like the one above. With insights like that, Steyn should be teaching international relations at some reputable university. I'm sure his lectures would be overbooked.

[NZerFromHK]

I think it is an absolute must, because Southeast Asian anti-Americanism are from a confident economically newly-developed people with classical nationalistic aspirations and perhaps with some religious fervours as well. They are not from rich, spoiled, hedonistic, but economically dim as is the European Union, nor are they from countries that are sunk in hopelessness as do many of the Thirfd World banana republics.

They have the thoughts, and the will, and the means to actually threaten America. In particular, watch out Malaysia because this is a country where Muslims do know how to make and do business. Do a "divide-and-conquer" approach to the camp: develop relations with Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, and perhspa (ugh) Vietnam, and isolate Burma (which is of course nasty and coincidentially also propped up by P.R. China), and engage Indonesia.

[maica]

I don't understand why these countries would want to challenge America, as opposed to becoming trading partners with America.

Have you ever visited the States? You should try to spend some time here. We are so strong economically, as well as emotionally, it is hard to imagine from afar.

[maica]

With insights like that, Steyn should be teaching international relations at some reputable university. I'm sure his lectures would be overbooked.
#####

He would be a Rock Star of lecturers.

[NZerFromHK]

Yes I have been to the US for four times (first time in 1991, and the most recent being 2 years ago) and with a brother as permanent resident. Spent time in all the popular tourist destinations (Hawaii, LA, San Francisco, Las Vegas, NYC, Boston, Philly, DC, Niagara Falls, Orlando and Disney World), as well as places that are "Average America" like Pittsburgh, Rochester NY, and suburban SE Michigan. Understand the US better than most Asians.

In fact it is interesting to note about Southeast Asia. They are newly rich with new highrises and skyscrapers literally everywhere - they are going through what Boston or NYC went through 100 years ago. They have the newest rapid transit systems (subway/metro), and literally everyone owns 3G mobile phones and with the latest PDA and iPod in their pockets. They are not starving. When you were taught at school that we are progressing and the West is stagnating, you would have assumed the US is like Europe in stagnation. Of course they then become confident and thinking that they will be destined to become the driving seat of history in the 21st century.

Another thing to consider is that there is no postmodernism as an intellectual current in Southeast Asia. They have nationalism and modernistic development, and they view the West's postmodernism as a sign that "their primes are now a thing of the past". Of course American heartland disagrees with postmodernism, but most Southeast Asians are extremely ignorant of the American heartland like Missouri or Kentucky or Iowa.

If you look at photos of major Southeast Asian cities, you will notice how uniformly modernistic they are. Photos of Kuala Lumpur:

Singapore:

Jakarta

Bangkok:

Little do they realize how actually Middle America lives. Or maybe they do, but they are thinking "Look at these poor Americans! They are still using analogue mobile phones!"

[GretchenM]

bump

[Steve0113]

Steyn sees the UN for exactly what it is. He reminds me of an AC-130 circling over a target, blasting it into oblivion. This is (another) keeper.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Can the US force the UN to reform itself? I mean really reform itself, not just get-Kofi-off-the-hook reform. Well, look at it this way: with hindsight, the UN was most effective when it was least effective — that’s to say, the four decades between Korea and the Gulf when the Cold War mutually assured vetoes at least accurately represented the global stand-off. Now, however, we’re in a unipolar world. And, as a result, the UN is no longer a permanent talking-shop for the world’s powers but an alternative power in and of itself — a sort of ersatz superpower intended to counter the real one. Consider the 85 yes-or-no votes America made in the General Assembly in 2003:

Short answer: NO

[Watery Tart]

Transnationalism is the mechanism by which the world’s most enlightened progressives provide cover for its darkest forces. It’s a largely unconscious alliance but not an illogical one. Western proponents of ‘sustainable consumption’ and some of the other loopy NGO-beloved eco-concepts up for debate in New York this week have at least this much in common with psychotic Third World thugocracies: both groups find it hard to win free elections, both regard transnational bodies as useful for conferring a respect unearned at the ballot box, and neither is unduly troubled by the lack of accountability in global institutions.

Thanks, Pokey. Now compress this to fit into a tag-line....

[BartMan1]

College sophmores find it useful to argue the merits of Steyn's argument.

Grownups know it is true.

Your sarcasm is somewhat cryptic.

[finnigan2]

"Your sarcasm is somewhat cryptic."

- Sardonic perhaps, but not sarcastic. Everyone understands that college freshmen are idealistic by nature and take such ideas as Steyn presents very, very seriously.
You have to have had first hand experience with the breathtaking hypocrisy and cynicism of UN and NGO functionaries to really appreciate the truth of Steyn's observation on this point.
Unfortunately, most freshmen still retain the innocence which makes the statement debatable.

[knighthawk]

It will isolate the US from the rest of the world, but moving Bolton into the UN gave them a signal we don't take it anymore and maybe the UN knows the country who is paying for them is fed up with the corruption and dictators running the show.

[knighthawk]

Hey is the best!

[jokar]

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