Posted on 10/04/2007 9:29:26 AM PDT by stan_sipple
Recent U.S. policies and behavior have greatly diminished the nations standing in the world, United Nations advocate Gillian Sorensen said Wednesday.
The U.N., she said, provides an opportunity to restore a spirit of international cooperation with the accompanying benefit of burden-sharing.
Its time for us to join the rest of the world, Sorensen told a University of Nebraska College of Law audience.
Sorensen is senior adviser and national advocate for the United Nations Foundation and former assistant U.N. secretary general. She is the wife of Ted Sorensen, the former aide and adviser to President John F. Kennedy and a UNL Law School graduate.
Despite a drumbeat of attacks on the United Nations from the hard right, Sorensen said, the world organization can play a vital role in the future of the United States.
Fox News and Rush Limbaugh make it a popular sport to bash the United Nations, she said. But the U.N. could be a vehicle for restoring U.S. stature, credibility and moral authority while ending this nations self-isolation from the rest of the world, Sorensen said.
When U.S. policy allows American agents and soldiers to torture with impunity, the nations credibility is demolished, she said.
The United States acts as the worlds leading purveyor of arms, fueling conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere, she said.
It was our choice to go to war (in Iraq) without letting the U.N. weapons inspectors do their jobs, Sorensen said.
The evidence was not credible, not verifiable. And it was false.
We went to war on our own with a pre-emptive strike, setting a very dangerous precedent.
Iraq is now seen as an American war against Islam, Sorensen said. What have we done?
Sorensen said she views her criticism of actions taken by her own country as tough love.
The new U.S. ambassador at the United Nations, Zalmay Khalilzad, has made an enormous difference in improving the U.S. presence, she said.
John Bolton is gone, Sorensen said with a sweep of her hand.
The United States, she said, ought to pay its (U.N.) dues in full on time without conditions and support U.N. reform efforts.
The policy of American exceptionalism that leads to U.S. refusal to sign onto a series of United Nations conventions, or agreements, and ignore the Geneva Convention requirements for treatment of prisoners should end, she said.
The United Nations is not, and never has been, irrelevant, Sorensen said. It is imperfect, but it is indispensable, she said.
And monkeys could fly out of my butt.
“Recent U.S. policies and behavior have greatly diminished the nations standing in the world, United Nations advocate Gillian Sorensen said Wednesday”
Hey Gillian, replace “UN” for “U.S.” and “organization” for “nation” and you nailed it.
But the U.N. could be a vehicle for restoring U.S. stature, credibility and moral authority while ending this nations self-isolation from the rest of the world, Sorensen said.
__________________________________________________________
The UN is NO MORAL AUTHORITY, I prefer to keep them at a distance, preferably moving the UN out of the US.
Mmmm, when the rest of the worlds population is striving to come to the greatest nation on earth legally or illegally?
Perhaps the U.N. could learn something by appreciating OUR way of life!
Sorenson you are a misguided fool!
Someone had to say it. ; )
While recent revelations of UN corruption, malfeasance, and hubris have polished the halo of THAT august body ...
Ms. Sorenson, you can fall to the ground, throw a tantrum, and whine until the day you die.
We, as a sovereign nation will maintain with pride.
Tells you ALL you need to know. The UN is a socialist crime, one of the biggest mistakes ever concocted. There should be no surprise that Alger Hiss had a hand in this. It was his parting gift to the USA before he got drawn into his trial.
Recent U.N. policies and behavior have greatly diminished the organizations standing in the US, United Nations opponent Parmenio said Thursday.
Hey Gillian, this here is all the moral authority that we need in the world today!
While the U.N. sat on it's hands, played switch, and showed compassion for evil via resolution after resolution.
In the meantime, we as a nation took it upon ourselves to stifle the evil AFTER 3000 Americans were laid to rest.
NOW Ms. Sorenson, let's talk precedence!
The UN can go to Hell.
As usual the attempt to be "fair" is disingenious not only because of the false charges but the fact that Sorenson doesn't enumerate the supposed imperfections of the UN.
I’d like to talk to this character.
Now THAT is a pretty picture! : D
Let the UN have a go at Darfur and leave the WOT to US.
Methinks not. It is well past time for a league of democracies to compete against the UN. That idea deserves our full financial and moral support.
Just another socialist nut case. The UN is totally irrelevant. A money sucking, do nothing house of cards. Send it packing to Euroland, IMHO
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.