Of course you won’t apologize to Americans you slighted because your world view sees America and Americans as evil, beyond trust -as the quote above clearly indicates.

Chan, I gave you percentages… compared US with Japan contributions for instance. You simply choose to overlook reason or facts in a defense of your opinions –which are NOT supported by a fair review of the facts.

I didn’t fail comprehension in grammar school, Chan. Nice try at diversion, but that old game of spin won’t work here. When you write: “A fact is a well established opinion, highly evident and widely accepted. The UN clearly has vital utility.” Maybe in your neck of the woods Chan… in my world facts are not just the majority’s opinions… they are, well, facts. You need to get definition between what is fact and what is a majority of opinion down pat.

Gheez. The UN does not, in my view (and opinion supported by facts) have utility. I don’t think the level of humanitarian effort validates the UN’s existence and continued support. Finally, I think you fail to understand basic considerations like the involvement of the US military in UN peace keeping missions… the inkind contributions of the US to the UN is staggering.

Fair share? Fair to whom? The UN failures masquerading as leaders?

Sorry Chan, your dog don’t hunt. The UN is a failure. It is a deep black hole we continue to fill with money without utility. And helping them build a new HdQtrs won’t make a bit of difference –or bring about any reform.

I dont see the need to apologise for anything. If you read my post with less prejudice and anger u would see that I was attacking the statement posted : “This is exactly why I have long argued that the UN is a totally useless instutition and a giant money suck of US taxpayer dollars.”

A fact is a well established opinion, highly evident and widely accepted. The UN clearly has vital utility. How do you quote US contributions to UN humanitarian efforts in one sentence and declare the UN as a useless institution in another?

I also stand by my OPINION that UN is not a giant sink of US taxpayers money. YOu have not disputed any of my facts. Quoting absolute numbers is also not helpful, relative numbers that compare US contributions with that of other nations and in relation to its own economic size might be more useful. perhaps you could also provide urls that are not linked to US govt sites.

One of the urls u used links to a second page which is not so forgiving of US treatment of the UN.
http://www.unausa.org/site/pp.asp?c=fvKRI8MPJpF&b=328793

I ended my post with an appeal for less bigotted posts backed with clear facts, why you should see it as an attack on your opinions/the american people in general is quite beyond comprehension.

Your “fact” that the US has not paid it’s fair share [of dues to the UN] is WRONG.

The fact that you apparently wish to ignore is that the US has not paid its agreed-to share of dues to the UN, whether or not you believe that that share was fair. If the US had wanted to reduce its agreed-to share, it could have attempted to do so by negotiation with the other parties involved, or, if that failed, by withdrawing from the organization. Those are the two options available in connection with most membership organizations, so why would they not be available here?

It’s nice that the US has, with reference to your first link, provided assistance to the World Food Program, the United Nations Children’s Fund, and to the United Nations Development Program, but one might seriously wonder if this assistance was similar to the US’s foreign aid assistance. Which mainly consists of purchases of products from US producers that are then distributed abroad. In other words, welfare to US producers. I don’t know for sure, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case. Corporate welfare.

The US gives more in direct and indriect contributions to the UN than any other of the 192 member states… in 2006, we’ll be at about 22% of the UN budgets… the closest ally is Japan at about 18%.

We are in arrears in some contribution areas but that arose during the era when SenGOP leaders were trying hard to get the UN leadership to adopt basic integrity goals in accounting, responsiveness to Congressional inquiries, and some transparency in budgeting. We’re loaning the UN $1.2b to renovate the complex… how high does the benchmark need be to get you to accept America is doing her fair share and a heck of lot more???

Your “fact” that the US has not paid it’s fair share is WRONG.

See here:
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/rls/24236.htm (for 2002)
http://www.unausa.org/site/pp.asp?c=fvKRI8MPJpF&b=328791 (more current)
http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:EXw3bRg74v0J:www.gao.gov/new.items/d02294.pdf+US+contributions+UN&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=4 (for a better, more informed understanding)

Like you wrote: “Facts are more important than opinions, certainly bigotted and un-informed ones.”

I’ll await an apology on behalf of the millions of Americans you slighted with your gross distortion of truth masquerading as fact.

Don’t just talk the talk… walk it.

This statement is false on many counts. The UN is not a useless organization. Most of its operations are humanitarian and non-political including the distribution of food aid and contrceptives and medical supplies to poor African/Asian nations most americans have never read or heard of.

The UN runs on a very small budget, smaller in fact than the NYPD and fire depts. and the US is NOT paid its share of the budget for many years, with other countries esp Japan paying for most of the upkeep despite not having a security council veto.

The land on turtle bay was not a donation of the american people or the american government but a donation from John D Rockefeller. and the building itself was built with european donations.

The vast majority of countries esp small ones see the UN as a vital organization and some even owe their existance and peace to the UN.
Facts are more important than opinions, certainly bigotted and un-informed ones.

Why?

Because Juan WANTS it to be true. He wants to believe that a Koran can be flushed down a toilet. America sucks and the claims of torture by those trained to do so proves it, dammit!.

Juan pisses himself over how we allegedly treat our prisoners, but doesn’t seem to give a sweet goddamn about how they treat theirs.

Here’s a bit of a clue for you, Juan. Our prisoners are alive. Their prisoners are DEAD.

Now, who are the assholes here?

The true test would be to find a picture of Kofi with a tin foil hat on his head… then we’d know for sure.

I’ve been wondering if Kofi Annan and “our very own” raj/ian are the same person.

I can’t speak for Ian, but if I were to be confused with Kofi Annan, I would have to grow a few inches in height, get a very deep suntan, and learn another foreign language.

Neither has much use for the United States.

Au contraire. The US is a wonderful place to make a few bucks. And it’s particularly easy if you’re politically connected, like Jack Abramoff and his many, many friends.

I’ll be pleased to make the few bucks that I can make–and after taxes, keep–in the US. I just don’t have a lot of interest in spending them in the US.

The equivalent *language* used means that you *believe* this crap. Because people have been crying “torture torture torture” you believe that they are talking about torture… not mistreatment, even, or abuse, but TORTURE. Stop claiming we should try maintain a HIGHER STANDARD when you actualy really believe that we do EXACTLY what the other guys do. We aren’t “as bad as them” because on a relative scale of expectations we fail. We’re as bad as them, apparently, because we do exactly what they do… beat people to death and sodomize them.

Allegations made aren’t true just because an enemy of the United States made them. What we *know* has been done at Guantanimo really and truely *does* equate to “uncomfortable.” And perhaps it shouldn’t have been done. Personally, I can’t imagine the utility of coersive interrogation this far along in any case.

On the other hand, it wouldn’t bring me to tears if they took every US provided Koran and flushed it down the loo.

I know it’s fashionable to kick the big guy about human rights violations, particularly as our actual and *real* record on human rights puts every single other nation on the face of the earth to shame. Shame can be a powerful motivator.

The US isn’t perfect, our justice system isn’t without flaws, capital punishment puts us on the top of “human rights abusers” lists all the time, there have been incidents in this war that were criminal… and those involved have faced and are facing military courts for what they’ve done.

Until and unless Kofi can clean up his own house, he’s got no moral standing to complain at the odd roach in ours.

And even then… there’s a hell of a lot of pain and horror in the world that goes on ignored or even encouraged because the tyrants and despots involved will just give the UN the finger. And then they’ll point that finger at the US. And the UN will nod sagely and will again denounce the US, because it’s the safe thing to do, and far more likely to get results since there are so many of our citizens who will agree to play that game.

Because people hung for being gay or mutilated for being female or forced into the sex trade or just plain slaughtered in other countries aren’t REAL to them at all.

Even if the allegations of torture at Guantanamo were accurate, that still doesn’t excuse Kofi Annan for asking the US to close that facility while remaining silent about even worse violations by other UN member states.

I continue to argue that this post is simply deferring the blame and spinning the issue. By attacking the UN as opposed to demanding an end to torture at the hand of Americans. I’ll agree Kofi should ask others to close down their institutions of terror. But, he has as much a right as every American, Congressman and International Organization to demand that Americans stop torturing detainees.

So the US, failing to live up to our “higher standards” our “beacon on the hill” are evil because of that.

Meanwhile, in Kurdistan they’ve made a museum of the children’s prison run by Sadaam’s regime and Abu Ghraib, which contained a building so drenched in human blood that the US commander ordered it razed, is now a hospital. But *still* we’re the bad guys when it comes to human rights because children’s prisons and human slaughter-houses committed by tyrannical despots are EQUIVALENT to insulting a prisoner’s religious sensibilities with an Israeli flag and fake menstral blood.

Because the US is held to a higher standard.

It’s time for Americans to get some back bone and say that we just won’t take it anymore. Before offering to help us with the speck in our eye Koffi and the UN should remove the 2 by 12 by 16 foot chunk of lumber from their own.

Torture is in violation of international law, much has been said regarding our role in torturing captives, Bush opposed congressional resolutions publicly calling for an end to torture and countless generals and military officials are stating publicly that torture is sanctioned by the US. Why do you have such a problem with any organization asking the US to put an end to torture?

And what is your stance, because aside from the fact that you make a very clear argument that the UN is not allowed to ask for torture to end in the US, you don’t state whether or not you support the activity. Are you willing to add your voice to others (conservative and liberal alike) asking the administration to end torture?

And all the puppet leftists like Kofi can do is sit and fume, because their kickback money from Iran will be cut off if they interfere in the least with the operation of Iran’s puppets.

Regards,
Peter H.

Couldn’t agree with you more. The UN has become an enabler of terrorists and thug nations. Disband them now, or let them have their headquarters in the Sudan for instance. I would love to see Donald Trump build luxury apartments in Turtle Bay, much better use of the land, and think of the revenue NYC will get from property taxes.

I remember when the situation got hot in Bagdad, the UN put their tail between their legs and ran away. (image of The Holy Grail comes to mind- run away! run away!)
So what do they do in Lebanon? Make sure to leave all “unarmed” (they have arms, they simply aren’t “allowed” to use them) in place right next to where Hizballah is shooting off rockets.
I find Kofi Anan to be no different from Nassrallah. Both of them are happy to have either civilian Lebanese casualties or dead UNFIL, because it makes Israel and by extension America look bad.

Or putting Bill Clinton in charge of White House intern orientation.