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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsA Misguided War On The United Nations
In the wake of World War II, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt took noble action to ensure that the unrelenting conflicts that had defined the early 20th century wouldnt doom future generations.
His vision was clear: to defend life, liberty, independence and religious freedom, and to preserve human rights and justice in their own lands, the global community would need to come together and create a post-war organization that would protect the sovereignty of all nations.
It was American leadership that mobilized the international community to create the United Nations. Its successes are many: eradicating smallpox and fighting famine; responsible arms control, disarmament, and preventing nuclear proliferation; ending conflicts and preserving peace in fragile states; and ultimately, preventing another World War.
Supporting the United Nations is both a moral imperative and aligned with our own national security interests.
But you wouldnt know that from listening to some of the reckless rhetoric from the White House and on Capitol Hill.
The Trump administration proposes a 27% cut to U.S. assessed contributions to the U.N. regular budget and U.N. specialized agencies, and a 37% cut to peacekeeping operations. The budget elminates funding for the UNICEF, as well as the U.N. Development Program, Women's and Humanitarian Affairs offices, Population Fund, High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR), and the Framework Convention on Climate Change.
When I asked Ambassador Haley what point was being made with this budget, she replied to build up our military - but decreasing U.S. support for U.N. peacekeeping efforts will actually end up costing us more in the long run.
The U.S. only pays $24,500 per year for each deployed peacekeeper, compared to $2.1 million per year for an American service member deployed to a war zone about 86 times as much.
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D - VA)
At: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/a-misguided-war-on-the-united-nations_us_595cfc05e4b0da2c73265f46?vg7
Thomas Hurt
(13,903 posts)since at least the birchers. UN plots to take over the US. Whispering black helicopters. The Jews and the communists and socialists in Europe trying to cripple the US. More plots of inciting the brown folks to rise up (ala slave uprising). Now it is the Muslims.
Donnie buys into this crap too, that is part of why he hates European leaders and NATO.
Russia is a shining example of good old fashioned Randian hyper-individualism. Trump and his evangelical leg humpers can relate to that, just brush the despotism aside.
MineralMan
(146,338 posts)gives too strong a voice to the "colonial" nations.
longship
(40,416 posts)"Get the USA out of the UN"
It is kind of amazing that this has become mainstream, that these people now have control.
It makes me sick. That they are aligned with the wacko fundie Christian lunatics, doubly so.
It is times like this that we all need to unite and KBO.
MineralMan
(146,338 posts)The right wing doesn't like the idea of countries of color having any input into anything.
longship
(40,416 posts)As always,
MineralMan
(146,338 posts)Countries with mostly people of color are considered by right-wingers to be "colonial" countries." They believe that such places should have no say in anything. Those countries only exist to provide cheap labor and raw materials to "ruling" countries.
The entire anti-UN campaign is a racist campaign.
longship
(40,416 posts)I went to a John Birch Society meeting with an acquaintance when I was in high school. I had heard of them and was more than anything else curious of what they were about. This was in the mid-sixties.
I was utterly shocked about what was said during the meeting. My memory of it, now sadly fogged, is that all the country's problems stemmed from black revolutionaries who amongst their leaders was none other than Harry Belafonte, who would be a leader of a revolution to take down the real (ahem, white) government.
It was utter madness.
Now, these idiots are in power!
MineralMan
(146,338 posts)They are, and were, a bunch of ignorant, bigoted jackasses. It's a shame that they have risen to the level they have now reached.