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The Forum > Article Comments > Missed chance to right wrongs > Comments

Missed chance to right wrongs : Comments

By Ted Lapkin, published 30/3/2006

Behind the facade of reform, the UN gives a free kick to despots.

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Well said, Ted. More power to your pen!
Posted by Leigh, Thursday, 30 March 2006 10:20:34 AM
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Morning, Ted, As the associate editor of the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council's 'The Review' you might be interested in a 2002 study by San Francisco University political science professor Steven Zunes which reveals that "Israel holds the record for ignoring United Nations Security council resolutions."

He showed that since 1968 Israel has violated 32 resolutions that included condemnation or criticism of the governments' policies and actions. Turkey was in second place, followed by Morocco. Zunes also left out resolutions that could be construed as vague (UNSC Res 242 & 338) or were only condemnations. He focused only on those that included specific calls for changes in the subject governments' policies. Hence, in relation to Israel, its illegal annexation of East Jerusalem, its construction of illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories and its use of harsh measures against the Palestinian population.

And we've still got all those UNSC resolutions violated since 2002. Not to mention UN General Assembly resolutions. Is the pot not calling the kettle black here, Ted?
Posted by Strewth, Thursday, 30 March 2006 10:37:33 AM
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Well Strewth, I'd have thought that the only thing all those resolutions demonstrated, as well as the general behaviour of the UN over the past 40 years, has been that it is a model that is totally flawed and unworkable. It sounds lovely - the people of the world getting together to thrash out the problems of the world. Unfortunately, membership is open to everyone, regardless of their behaviour. Countries vote in blocs regardless of the "truth" of the issue. And a range of other criticisms that could be made, based on the very old-fashioned view that there are acceptable and unacceptable societies and countries in this world.

I would change my vote at a moment's notice to support any Australian political party that decides to withdraw from the UN and help set up a United Democracies Organisation. Why should I pretend that Zimbabwe ought to have the same voting right and moral right to talk about solving the world's problems as, say, New Zealand. Of course it's not straightforward but we could come to an agreement on what constitutes a democracy. Things like being free to debate issues, change governments, protest and generally come to opinions informed by a free media. Things like equality of all citizens and equality of treatment under a secular law.

So, I disagree about Israel. It at least tries to be those things. Just like Lebanon, Iraq and Palestine are trying. Unlike Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Zimbabwe etc etc etc.

Regards

Kevin
Posted by Kevin, Thursday, 30 March 2006 11:24:15 AM
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Kevin I guess you wouldn't be silly enough to believe the US or the UK or France would wish to join your "United Democracies Organisation". That is unless they had the same veto power they got with the current UN.
Posted by Kenny, Thursday, 30 March 2006 12:51:38 PM
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The U.N has always been a joke. It needs to be built up of only western governments, those that have proven that they abide by human rights. Why should China, or Iran, have a seat on the U.N?

The U.N failed in Rwanda, in Timor (what do leftists think of that? I mean they were ok to go in there to help them, but not the Iraqi's? What, do they hate Arabs?)

The western world are the only cultures with any morals, the rest, with their caste systems, misogyny, tribalistic rubbish don't deserve to exist.

There should be a crusade to turn them into westerners. Then they will see the logic of human rights. They all want to be westerners anyway, they all flock here right?

This is a mandate for full occupation, colonialism, call it what you want. The middle-east has been so brainwashed they think we are the enemy when in reality it's their wicked leaders, who blame their hopelessness on the west.

Palestine wouldn't even exist if not for our aid, yet they don't even know it. They think Saudi Arabia gives them money! What a laugh.

Do you people know how Palestinians are treated in Muslim nations? They live in squalid camps, can't leave, can't work, they only learn to read & write because the west pays for it.

Yet the Muslims are united on Palestinian issue? What a joke.
Posted by Benjamin, Thursday, 30 March 2006 2:21:59 PM
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Is anyone surprised by this? Look at the pattern of any authority historically. What better place for evil to hide than in the guise of Authority. Christianity gave us the Salem Witch trials, a clear demonstration of abuse of women who were different. The Catholic Church gave us the Inquisition, another example of the suppression and abuse of people who were different. Why should the U.N. be any different in that it hides abuse in the guise of human rights. A centralization of power is always suspect. If we haven't learned that by now, then what hope is there for humanity.

Decentralise power, that's the only path to true Democracy. Bureaucracy, national, or international, will only serve itself, not the people who need justice. At the risk of being labeled an anarchist, when will the revolution begin? I'm ready are you?

"Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it" These word are just as true today as when they were first penned.

The definition of insanity - Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

I hate to resort to cliches, but sometimes cliches fit. Viva the revolution!
Posted by Patty Jr. Satanic Feminist, Thursday, 30 March 2006 3:52:30 PM
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Kevin, The UN is a bit like our own parliamentary democracy, chokas with structural problems, in need of reform, some terrible resolutions (especially in 1947 when it was still largely a white man's club), mostly excellent resolutions, toothless in so many ways etc etc, but we abandon it and the system of international law we now have at our peril. Now, as for your delusions about the state of Israel: Israel is a great democracy, but only if you're Jewish. 20% of its population is non-Jewish, Palestinian Arabs who managed to escape the Great Ethnic Cleansing of 1948-49 which resulted in today's Palestinian refugee problem. As a state that subscribes to the ideology of political Zionism, Israel is not the state of its citizens, Jewish and non-Jewish, but the state of an ideological construct known as the Jewish People. This is why, under the discriminatory Israeli Law of Return, any Jew from New York or Sydney is automatically accepted as a citizen, while the vast bulk of the indigenous Palestinian Arabs, whose roots in Palestine go back to the very beginnings of human habitation there, are barred from re-entry into and full citizenship in their ancestral land because it might upset Israel's demographic balance, ie its Jewish monopoly. If you want to know what it's like for non-Jews to live in a Jewish state, I recommend Susan Nathan's wonderful new book, 'The Other side of Israel'. I'd be equally wary of upholding any brand of theocracy: Jewish, Christian, Islamic, Hindu, whatever.
Posted by Strewth, Thursday, 30 March 2006 5:30:44 PM
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Benjamin I sure it is easy to come up with thoughts like yours if you simply ignore reality. While everyone acknowledges that everyone failed Rwanda including the UN. There is no suggestion that some Western government based org would have acted quicker. The point about Timor is foolish, Australia and the UN waited until Indonesia agreed to let them in. So comparing it to Iraq is silly. As for your comment “The western world are the only cultures with any morals” well what can I say. What morals do the western world have that the rest of them have not? After all it was the Arabs that gave us three of the major religions in the world. Yes that's right all the cats in the Tora, Bible and the Koran were all Arabs. The class system is alive and well in most of the western world perhaps you could enlighten us on how it differs from caste systems? You must not watch TV and have never travelled to believe that tribalism, nepotism and is also wide spread in the western world.
Crusade really in what form might that take maybe “become a capitalist or die” that would be up holding their human rights. And while we are talking about human rights who’s version are we talking about. The one Australia subscribes to means the US is in violation them should the be subject to a crusade? Are you including Asia in this little Crusade of your, what about the worlds largest Muslim country which has a democratically elected leader? What about India the world largest democracy?
Rereading your post shows your grasp of the subject is tenus at best and your knowledge of the Palestinian's is infantile. That may give the game away I beginning to think your some punk kid trying to pretend to be an adult.
So what is it are you a ignorant lazy Adult or a spotty silly kid? Given that only a few seconds of googling by yourself would show all of your points about Palestinian's are wrong my vote is the latter.
Posted by Kenny, Friday, 31 March 2006 8:48:17 AM
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I am pretty that this new council will not invite any of the rogue states that are the biggest Human rights abusers with the Chinese communist regime being the biggest abuser on all accounts.

This will speak volumes to the rest of the world and the western Governments will have to openly admit and change their policy on trading and supplying China with uranium for instance??

For years since 1989 the Chinese communist regime has been hiding behind the acceptance of their member ship in the United Nations; Hiding behind the glory and acceptance of the Olympic Games Committee; lying to the World health organisation about SARS Aids and now the bird Flu and now winning our governments over by bribery in trade.

It certainly shows that whoever and whatever murders liars torturers infiltrate they soon bring ruin upon that organisation government and nation .
Posted by Jana Banana, Sunday, 2 April 2006 3:07:19 PM
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The problem with the UN is that it is a club of governments. That would be fine if all governments were chosen by their respective populations, but they are not.

Too many of the world's countries are ruled in spite of or at the expense of their populations. It is ludicrous to regard dictatorships as legitimate governments, and yet that is the moral basis of the UN
Posted by Ian, Tuesday, 4 April 2006 4:31:23 AM
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