Paul Martin speaks out against UN

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

Thu, September 23, 2004

 

PM tells UN: Get tough on Sudan

 

By STEPHANIE RUBEC, OTTAWA BUREAU

 

PRIME MINISTER Paul Martin chastised the United Nations yesterday for its dithering approach to crimes against humanity and called on its members to radically reform the organization. Martin used unusually strong and blunt language during his 15-minute address to the UN General Assembly to criticize its members for failing to get tough with human rights abusers.

 

Martin had harsh words for the Security Council, scolding it for getting bogged down in debating the conflict in Sudan and the term "genocide."

 

"The fact is though that while the international community struggles with definitions, the people of Darfur struggle with disaster," the PM said.

 

Martin led by example yesterday, cutting a $20-million cheque to help the African Union military force.

 

Martin's speech was crafted to influence a high panel preparing a December report on reforming the organization. He called on the panel to give the UN the tools to take quick action against offending nations such as Sudan where 50,000 are dead and 1.2 million displaced.

 

"The United Nations is our moral conscience and the time has come for us to act," he said to polite applause.

 

Countries such as Russia, China and some African nations are cool to the idea of giving the UN the tools to intervene quickly when its members deem it necessary.

 

Martin said he received encouragement from members at the luncheon hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, but admits his ideas will be a tough sell. "Moving international opinion is something like pushing a string up a hill," he said. "It's not going to come tomorrow but that doesn't mean that we should stop."

 

http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/TorontoSun/N.../23/640093.html

 

I agree with Martin 100%. It is about time that the UN gets their fat asses off the couch and actually do something about this.

[Highland 0]

A pity he did such a great job as Finance Minister slashing the Canadian military budget that today all we can do is just make speeches.

[Vyce 0]

"The United Nations is our moral conscience

Then we're all very, very fucked.

 

Martin does have a point in one sense: Khoffi Anan seems to have the time in his busy schedule to claim that the Iraq War was illegal, but doesn't really seem to have the time to comment on what the U.N. is going to do to stop, oh, you know, a GENOCIDE, from happening right in front of everyone's eyes.

 

Tell me again why anyone should give the U.N. anything even remotely resembling respect?

[Guest MikeSC]

"The United Nations is our moral conscience

Then we're all very, very fucked.

 

Martin does have a point in one sense: Khoffi Anan seems to have the time in his busy schedule to claim that the Iraq War was illegal, but doesn't really seem to have the time to comment on what the U.N. is going to do to stop, oh, you know, a GENOCIDE, from happening right in front of everyone's eyes.

 

Tell me again why anyone should give the U.N. anything even remotely resembling respect?

Hell, he's spent more time bitching about the Iraq War than he did about Saddam's constant and perpetual violation of UN sanctions.

 

We have no need for the UN. Period.

-=Mike

[Red Baron 0]

I don't know why the States are still in the UN. I mean its like a 25 year old still living with his parents. They can say they can handle it by themselves, and when they can't, they turn back for support.

 

I agree with Martin on this, and this should have happened months ago, in Sudan.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

Tell me again why anyone should give the U.N. anything even remotely resembling respect?

Because if one person so flagrantly breaks the rules, what's to stop everyone else from breaking the rules and chaos breaking out?

[Guest Cerebus]

It's happening already. The UN does need a fundemental change before it goes the way of the League of Nations.

[Guest MikeSC]

Tell me again why anyone should give the U.N. anything even remotely resembling respect?

Because if one person so flagrantly breaks the rules, what's to stop everyone else from breaking the rules and chaos breaking out?

You mean like Saddam?

-=Mike

[AndrewTS 0]

I don't know why the States are still in the UN. I mean its like a 25 year old still living with his parents. They can say they can handle it by themselves, and when they can't, they turn back for support.

 

I agree with Martin on this, and this should have happened months ago, in Sudan.

Yes. We need to throw the UN the hell out and tell them to support themselves.

 

Martin +5 SP in my book.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

A good way to start this is to get rid of the veto crap on the Secruity Counsel. Once you take that power away from France maybe things will actually get done.

[Guest MikeSC]

A good way to start this is to get rid of the veto crap on the Secruity Counsel. Once you take that power away from France maybe things will actually get done.

Nah. Just remove FRANCE from the Security Council.

 

They were a joke of a power when they were put on it to begin with.

-=Mike

[Vyce 0]

Tell me again why anyone should give the U.N. anything even remotely resembling respect?

Because if one person so flagrantly breaks the rules, what's to stop everyone else from breaking the rules and chaos breaking out?

You mean like Saddam?

-=Mike

Hey, the U.N. took good care of him.

 

No, I mean - they really DID take GOOD care of him.

[Lightning Flik 0]

A good way to start this is to get rid of the veto crap on the Secruity Counsel.  Once you take that power away from France maybe things will actually get done.

Nah. Just remove FRANCE from the Security Council.

 

They were a joke of a power when they were put on it to begin with.

-=Mike

The whole Security Council needs to reformated so that it is appropriate with the world as it is today and not as it was after WW2.

 

It's not just France that needs to go, but almost all of them except USA and China. USA as it is still the powerhouse of the world and China because its country has the largest population in the world. As for who else, I don't know. I'll leave that up to you guys of CE. I'm not as politically sound as you guys.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

Hey, the U.N. took good care of him.

 

No, I mean - they really DID take GOOD care of him.

He wasn't bothering us during sanctions, and there's been nothing we've found yet that could imply he had the means to deliver anything we should be concerned about to us.

 

I know some people (cough) get tiny orgasms every time they get to take a crack at France, but removing them in favor of a larger power isn't something I'm opposed to. Japan is trying to move towards getting a permanent seat, and they have a bigger economy and military than France. Also, no more than one EU country at a time at the table, please.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

I'm curious, is Sudan still on the Human Rights Commission?

[Guest Cerebus]

Yup. Apparently they were re-elected by the African block to sit till 2007.

 

Ain't it grand?

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

Japan has the second largest military budget in the world. They should definitely be on the council.

 

My picks: USA, Britain, Russia, China & Japan

 

You might be able to make a case for Germany or India, but the above are the big five.

[EricMM 0]

You could argue that the U.S. has no real ah need or use for the U.N. because well, the U.N. is, at heart, IIRC, a body designed to prevent World Wars and other kinds of strife.

 

Who the FUCK is going to go against America with their military? I can see other countries in the world being on equal footing, but the U.S. has no military equals. There's just no reason to attack the U.S., it's unprofitable to anyone who COULD damage us.

 

I think.

 

Anyways, the only think I think the U.N. could have helped out with was enabling Kyoto Protocols and similar global initiatives. But these things just never work out. If anyone is going to fix their pollution, it's going to be because they want to, not because they have to.

 

As far as "world policing" the U.N. hasn't IIRC done very well in a LONG ASS time...

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

They did a good job running with their tails between their legs from Rawanda after the first death.

[2GOLD 0]

I don't know what to do with the U.N. I'm yet to figure out if they do anything at all except yell at the U.S anytime we do something they should have done a long time ago.

 

I get the feeling the U.S will have to go in and clean up Sudan and the U.N will bitch at the U.S for doing it.

 

I'm just waiting to see if there is a poster to come in and defend the U.N.

[Guest MikeSC]

Would this be called a thread-killer?

-=Mike

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

I don't know what to do with the U.N. I'm yet to figure out if they do anything at all except yell at the U.S anytime we do something they should have done a long time ago.

 

I get the feeling the U.S will have to go in and clean up Sudan and the U.N will bitch at the U.S for doing it.

 

I'm just waiting to see if there is a poster to come in and defend the U.N.

When is INXS expected to be on?

[Guest MikeSC]

I don't know what to do with the U.N. I'm yet to figure out if they do anything at all except yell at the U.S anytime we do something they should have done a long time ago.

 

I get the feeling the U.S will have to go in and clean up Sudan and the U.N will bitch at the U.S for doing it.

 

I'm just waiting to see if there is a poster to come in and defend the U.N.

When is INXS expected to be on?

I think he's gone to psychotic left-wing site pandagon.

-=Mike

[Guest INXS]

I'm around. I actually believe that the UN are dragging their heels over Darfur; aid has been sent but clearly not enough. What I think we all agree needs to happen is that a UN (NATO) peace keeping force need to go in and stop the genocide.

 

The US or any other country going it alone in to Sudan needs to be avoided. The UN is there as a collective weight and should be used in that way.

 

I don't agree with all this UN bashing and that the US should leave the UN.

[Guest MikeSC]

I'm around. I actually believe that the UN are dragging their heels over Darfur; aid has been sent but clearly not enough. What I think we all agree needs to happen is that a UN (NATO) peace keeping force need to go in and stop the genocide.

 

The US or any other country going it alone in to Sudan needs to be avoided. The UN is there as a collective weight and should be used in that way.

 

I don't agree with all this UN bashing and that the US should leave the UN.

Do you want to go into the UN's history of how well it does "keeping peace" anyways?

 

If the UN is in charge, we'd simply have a genocide WITH a bit more prostitution of 12 year old girls.

-=Mike