Just in case anyone thinks the folks at the UN don’t work long hours, check out the news on the UN General Assembly budget vote, held at 5:55 A.M. — on Saturday morning, no less — following “marathon talks that lasted through the night.” The result was the adoption of a record-busting $4.17 billion core budget for 2008-2009, passed by a vote of 142 to 1.
And who was that lone dissenting member state? You guessed it: as Mark Steyn has called it, America Alone.
Is that because 142 member states (including Belarus, China, Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Laos, Libya, Burma, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Venezuela, Vietnam and Zimbabwe) are right? and America is wrong?
Or is it because the UN system is structured to encourage the mob of member states to treat American money as an all-you-can-eat buffet?
American taxpayers bankroll 22%, or $917 million of this whopping biennial core budget — by far the biggest contribution of any one member state — with just a handful of other countries, including Japan and a few from the European Union, accounting for the bulk of the remainder.
This is just the core budget, of course. The UN system-wide budget is about ten times the size (and for that, the U.S. foots an even bigger portion of the bill, or about 25%), thus likely to total well over $40 billion for the same two-year stretch. Though due to a UN system growing like kudzu, and just as impenetrable, the exact numbers are almost impossible to keep up with.
And does all this money go to make a better world? In a statement to the General Assembly, the U.S. ambassador for management reform, Mark Wallace, noted that this budget contains funding for a conference dubbed Durban II, “an event noxious to my country and a disgrace in the International Community.” That funding was approved 141 to one (yep, America alone) by the UN budget committee at 1:05 AM Saturday, just a few hours before the pre-dawn General Assembly vote. Details of that remarkable scene on Inner-City Press. (And then there is the usual roster of high-ticket UN endeavors entwined with the usual UN money and sex scandals, legitimization of tyrants, routine demonization of Israel and the U.S., and failure to stop the genocide of the hour).
Finally, there is the interesting spin in the UN press release headline about this budget vote, which offers no hint that the U.S. had good reasons for its dissent. Instead (also linked at the top of this post), from the UN we get “General Assemby approves nearly $4.2 billion UN budget despite US Opposition,” and from the New York Times (can anyone spot the difference?), we get “Despite U.S. Opposition, United Nations Budget is Approved.”
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27 Comments
1. bourne2y:“UN General Assembly budget vote, held at 5:55 A.M. — on Saturday morning, no less — following “marathon talks that lasted through the night.””
See? You see?
Despite the naysayers, UN can and does work hard when something important like demanding American money is at stake.
So now it’s back to business as usual – a conference at Bali, a conference at Durban, what’s the dif? Oh, and another latte, if you please.
Dec 23, 2007 - 2:05 pm 2. Rubicon:Perhaps most distressing in this matter is that a goodly amount of those hundreds of millions or billions will be used to undermine America, American sponsored projects & activities, and to work on whatever the latest plan is to bilk America out of existence by granting the UN taxing authority and/or ability to collect taxes from carbon credit trading, undersea ventures, and so much more.
Dec 24, 2007 - 10:08 am 3. CE:Once the UN has a lucrative funding stream independent of member nations’ oversight. In situations where no member nation can object to the spending of their dues for any project or activity, the UN can act unilaterally on any issue it (or the adversarial 142 member states who decide to stick it to the gullible Americans once again), bureaucrats at the UN will push their global socialist agenda no matter how much America protests.
It is ironic the very nation where capitalism proves to be successful & creates the funds the UN says it needs to operate, is the nation these tyrant 142 member nations attack. They seek to bite the hand that feeds them by insisting America’s way is unfair. Yet when spending the money that nations provides, those nations surely act unfairly by forcing America to let them waste money in the extreme.
Those very same 142 adversarial nations have government systems that simply do not work. Or more accurately, do not work for their people, other than the elite class that profits from the labors of those nations working class peoples.
Socialism has failed in almost every attempt around the world over the past 50 or more years. Yet the leaders of these adversarial 142 nations cling to this system of government. The answer to why is somewhat complex and simple at the same time. They do not understand capitalism and more importantly, the ruling classes want the system they control to remain in effect so they can maintain their iron control of those nations.
Their peoples suffer. Their natural resources go wasted. Their leaders create demons out of everyone else, especially America, so the people of those downtrodden gwat nations, will direct their anger over their miserable conditions, at someone other than the ruling classes.
What a deal. But one day, as the well goes dry for one reason or another, the UN will have to explain its malfeasance & ineptitude. And so too will the leaders of those adversarial 142 nations whose peoples will finally one day ask them to explain why everything is a mess, but America is not involved!
For those collecting the money, the UN is useful, even necessary. For those paying the ridiculous bill for petty tyrants practicing to be world class despots who feed on all, but return nothing, the UN is the problem. They are blocking us from doing real good for the worlds poor & needy.
One day Americans will get wise & go it alone, doing more good with their money in five years than the UN has done in 50 years.
Somehow, I think if America spent that 11 billion dollars to do good in the American tradition, we would see seriously positive results. But then those socialists & enviro-nets who are against development or American democracy, would be apoplectic! I can’t wait. I hope they froth at the mouth. Now that, I would love to see!!!!
Can anyone one give me a good, compelling reason WHY we are even participating in the UN??? WHY?
Dec 24, 2007 - 2:45 pm 4. Bill Bradley:Claudia, a Christmas reality check for you.
Is the annual UN budget even a week of the till recently extraordinarily screwed up Iraq policy?
Yep, that is a rhetorical question.
I look forward to your answer.
America can win.
But not with bile and shortsightedness.
Dec 24, 2007 - 3:58 pm 5. Rowsdower:Bill, there are many things that are huge wastes of money AND cost less than the Iraq war. Just because the war costs a lot doesn’t mean we should burn it in UN bonfires or hand it out to thugs.
Dec 25, 2007 - 4:03 am 6. RE:There’s no better way to support institutionalized corruption and fraud than to keep sending money to the UN. It’s a disgrace.
Thanks for your all your work on exposing the UN scandals, Claudia! I expect there will be many more to report on, seeing it is one place where crime does pay.
Dec 25, 2007 - 7:38 am 7. Alex Reed:So, the lads and lassies at the UN have gotten into the Christmas spirit. Little prezzies for everyone! And Big Daddy, Uncle Sam, is buying. Japan, too. And all the other chump-democracies out there. Way to go, guys! There’s one born every minute, n’est-ce pas?
bourne2y: Rest assured that the largesse of the UN Masters of the Universe extends well beyond another latte, or the champagne that was flowing in the Delegates’ Lounge as they waited to greet Saturday’s rosy fingered dawn. They worked hard for our money, and they intend to enjoy it, and spread it around to their friends, and our enemies. They mean to turn us and our way of life into so much steak tartare, and to use our own tax dollars to buy the grinder. Quite the clever philosophes, reflexive or simply bent, eh?
And then there’s the abomination that is Durban II whose preliminary budget was included in the now approved first chunk of the UN budget…… but Durban II is a dark subject that we should put away for tonight. In a few days, though, do have a careful look at the new Eye on the U.N. on You Tube. Included are videos of the Eye on the U.N./Hudson Institute, et al., sponsored conference, “Hijacking Human Rights: The Demonization of Israel at the United Nations” that took place in Manhattan on 18 November 2007. For a brilliantly elucidated, restrained yet impassioned exposition of the perversion and evisceration of the human rights agenda in the UN system, you should start with Anne Bayefsky’s magisterial presentation. The facts of the situation, when confronted all at once, present us with a stark and, I’ll say it, terrifying, prospect. Many great speakers. Perhaps, even a word or two from our gracious sponsoress here? Dunno, haven’t seen it all, St. Nick duties intervened. This was an important event where true human rights finally found its voice, even in these fraught times.
And yet, the US government, an organization seemingly run these days by invertebrates, does nothing — except sign checks to fund this surreal horror show that the UN has become. To his credit, Ambassador Mark Wallace stood up for what was right, only to have his voice drowned out by the “mob”, as Claudia so correctly puts it. Will we ever get it? What will it take to wake us up? I shudder to think…. Or, given the recent Iran NIE debacle, must we consider whether senior cadres of our own government want things to devolve into catastrophe (surely, no one, even the former State Department hacks who wrote the released synopsis, could be so unwittingly, unremittingly stupid without a purpose?), and would have been delighted to party down with the UN kleptodips. We’ll find out all too soon.
Far too many dark thoughts for a beautiful night with Mars almost as bright as the full Moon. A time for doing the Santa thing with sparklers out in the night — wonderful fun, though chilly work, no matter what the Goracle and his merry band of gamelan players would have us think!
So, tonight, let’s count our blessings….. For all the kleptocrats, and worse, inhabiting the upper reaches of the UN hierarchy, and with all the insidious corruption they have spread throughout the organization and its many, many satellites, it’s easy, far too easy, to forget that a lot of the people who work at the UN really are dedicated to fulfilling the goals of the UN Charter. I have been guilty of this again and again, blinded by the white heat of my reaction to so many sly betrayals of an ideal, to the arrogant lies and corruption everywhere evident at the UN. Mea maxima culpa! Where the klepto overlords of the UN seek only to work their will on the world and to fill their pockets, there still remains a core of decent and very idealistic people who take up their work every day at the UN and try to realize the promises and ideals the UN said it would strive to secure for the world. Evidence that this core of people, the real UN, has also had about enough of the klepto overlord types, and are doing something about it, is gloriously on display at the UNDP Watch website mentioned here some days ago. Long may they flourish! Check it out, and you’ll see why Ad Melkert (fresh from his ignominious turn in the World Bank assassination of Paul Wolfowitz) must be deservedly hitting the Maalox bottle very hard indeed. Cheers!
And while we’re counting blessings, let’s be grateful for the intrepid, brilliant, resolute, and, above all, just soul that shines in Claudia Rosett. It takes a great soul to look at the seemingly unending inequities and corruption in the huge UN system, and say, No, this will not stand! Enough! And then to move ahead with unwavering determination to throw open the windows on the stygian UN realm and solve its serpentine mysteries — to change the situation. It’s easy, for us armchair readers, who follow along astonished in her wake, to get caught up in the stunning details of each new instance of cosmic UN chicanery that she has brought to light. If we lay off the zoom lens once in a while, however, we will see the enormity of what she has achieved. There is no area of corrupt UN endeavor that has escaped her laser attention, or her wry wit. She’s shown us how the UN plays the game, what the meta-structures are and how they work. The multi-layered, web-within-web-within-web UN house system is a mystery no more thanks to her analysis. It is a great work she has taken up, and a great achievement she has already carved out. Everyone who wants to see the UN live up to the promise of its Charter, and everyone whose lives depend on the UN doing so, are forever in her debt. Long and happy may she sail!
Dec 25, 2007 - 8:38 am 8. R. S. Ellis:@ Bill Bradley:
Here is a reality check for you. . .Iraq has every bit to do with US national security. . .the UN does more to undermine our national security and world peace than any other non-state–propping up dictators and terrorists in the name of “development”, diverting money and attention away from its mandate, rewarding the proliferators with leadership posts, praising the terrorists as martyrs, and even going so far as doing the unimaginable like making cash deposits into the accounts used to buy ballistic missiles for our Dear Leader.
But if you are so concerned with America’s fiscal standing, I am sure you will find enough people in America’s heartland who will join you to get our money out of the UN and diverted to our sons and daughters fighting for freedom and liberty.
Dec 25, 2007 - 11:28 am 9. Ken Hahn:The US should immediately stop paying all dues and contributions to the UN and its subsidiaries until all UN financial records are turned over to the Justice Department and the UN promises to extradite any official for trial if indicted. We should also inform the UN that any action taken to punish the US for this will be taken as abrogation of the UN treaty with immediate loss of extraterritoriality and diplomatic immunity.
Dec 25, 2007 - 2:50 pm 10. BLOC:Bill Bradley wrote:
“Is the annual UN budget even a week of the till recently extraordinarily screwed up Iraq policy?”
tu Quoque fallacy.
Even if you believe (I do not) that the Iraq policy is (or was) extraordinarily screwed up, and that too much has been spent on it, any such errors would not justify spending money for another erroneous purpose — as in for a corrupt UN.
Just FWIW. There’s never been a war whose policy hasn’t been “extraordinarily screwed up” tactically, strategically and politically — but what often distinguishes the winners from the losers is that the former can adapt more quickly and more appropriately than the latter to setbacks. You might wish to read Victor Davis Hanson’s piece on the history of war blunders entitled In War: Resolution .
A most excellent book that should help you understand war in all its aspects is War: Ends and Means, by Codevilla and Seabury.
Such readings are pleasurable only to people who can stomach reality. Those who delight in being outraged because reality isn’t congruent with their carefully-constructed fantasy utopia won’t enjoy either work.
Merry Christmas!
Dec 25, 2007 - 3:58 pm 11. czekmark:Let’s see. If the annual rental
Dec 26, 2007 - 1:44 am 12. bourne2y:of the UN building which happens to be on American soil was 4.17 billion….
“the UN building which happens to be on American soil”
Not true.
The UN property in New York has the same status as any nation’s embassy quarters – it is not, legally speaking, “on American soil”. One in fact leaves the United States when visiting the UN.
Dec 26, 2007 - 11:22 am 13. Pistolero:“The UN property in New York has the same status as any nation’s embassy quarters – it is not, legally speaking, “on American soil”. One in fact leaves the United States when visiting the UN.”
So, if we forceably evict the UN and seize the territory, who’s going to stop us? Oman? France? the EU?
Dec 26, 2007 - 4:01 pm 14. Patricia Pender:With the impending danger to the USA looming in the distance is there anything we as taxpayers can do to stop funding the frauds? Also Negroponte is one of the enablers of the fraud that is and has been going on since Dag Hammershjold was assassinated. That was so many years ago.
Dec 26, 2007 - 4:53 pm 15. BLOC:bourne2y wrote:
And enters a world unique unto itself.
Dec 26, 2007 - 4:55 pm 16. Hongqi:Claudia,
Very nice post. We need more people pointing out just how useless the UN really is.
Dec 26, 2007 - 5:51 pm 17. Wind Rider:Hmm. 22%?
The UN budget should be whatever they want, with the tab divided evenly amongst member states.
A member state can’t match their required contribution for the imagined largesse with OPM?
Well, pay what they can afford. And the lowest figure becomes everyone’s contribution.
Yeah, and the US should be charging rent, and utilities.
And that comes off the top.
Dec 26, 2007 - 5:52 pm 18. Sparky:The United States of America pays huge for the priviledge of having tin horn countries take our money and return the favor with a nice swift slap right across our stupid chops. Oh..I forgot….there are US citizens that think we deserve that slap..and more…stupid me
Dec 26, 2007 - 6:17 pm 19. Mark Ducharme:The first candidate for the GOP nomination, who promised to leave the U.N. and kick their corrupt carcass out of our country, would lock it (the nomination) up.
Claudia Rosett, America is forever indebted to you, but if you could find an opportunity to whisper the above in Rudys’ ear (in a convincing manner),you could be a king maker.
Dec 26, 2007 - 8:28 pm 20. coldjoint:it does seem like a monumental waste of time and money. we might as well go our own way and keep our own money. some fat cats might have to take one for the team. ron paul is a nut but occasionally he has a good idea. like pulling all foriegn aid from everyone, and then they could worry about their own asses instead of trying to destroy us.
Dec 26, 2007 - 9:07 pm 21. cubanbob:Get the the US out of the UN. Give them 60 days to leave New York. 62 years is long enough to get the point that these Utopian fantasies do not and never will be useful.
Let the third world crooks and gangsters hold court in Geneva if they wish, they can visit their money and conduct “business” to hearts content on their dime. We have a consulate in Geneva should we need to have an “observer” status and deal with the criminals at their consulates. Too much valuable real estate in Manhattan to waste on this trash never mind the outrageous recurring costs.
Dec 27, 2007 - 2:02 am 22. clifford thompson:The trouble with you Americans is your always falling over yourselves in your rush to be liked by everyone,plus a lot of you suffer from this new western disese of self loathing,Start being proud of what you have achieved and stop questioning your nation,if you think America is right then support it,if you think America is wrong ,leave and get a better deal somewheres else ,if you can!throw out the U.N. and stop their funding and start putting the boot in to people and regimes that hate you,the world will soon sit up and smell the coffee.
Dec 27, 2007 - 3:00 am 23. Mike:Yup it’s mice to know that the UN works especially in Rwanda when so many innocent people were killed. Yup they put their minds together on that one didn’t they. They must have worked long and hard not to send any money or troops in there.
Dec 28, 2007 - 8:37 am 24. Free thinker:The UN is out dated and needs to reorganize and become more efficent.
The extravaganza in Bali which was supposedly staged to save the world from oblivion is just another example of the hypocrisy that permeates the thinking of UN leadership.The only thing truly deserving of oblivion is the UN itself.
Dec 28, 2007 - 12:34 pm 25. andycanuck:That’s the problem with U.S. money buffets, half an hour later and you’re hungry for more.
Dec 28, 2007 - 2:24 pm 26. jim Coles:I’ve worked with the UN on several occasions, reporting to the Security Council Directorate…and folks, just the memory of dealing with that crowd of Third World pirates & thugs leaves a very bad taste in my mouth.
My major involvement with the UNSCD was the Korean Armistice. The US Dept. of Defense is the UN’s executive agent for maintaining the Armistice Agreement and I will tell you that the folks at DoD are crackerjack experts at the political-military processes that have been largely responsible for keeping the Korean peace; as opposed to the morons who fill seats at the UNSCD. What the UN staffers don’t screw up through incompetence, they damage through malicious intent to harm the US and our staunch allies in Seoul…The actions of the UNSCD staff proved to me that if an action will benefit the US or one of our long-term, reliable allies then they are against it and will do whatever they can get away with to impede our objectives.
My other interactions with the UNSCD involved Middle East peace-keeping missions and regional reconstruction in the Balkans. In both cases, UN staffers and (so-called) diplomats worked hard to ensure that US & multi-national force peace & stability initiatives were not as successful as they could be because, in my assessment of the situations, our success would mean cronies of these UN bureaucrats would lose money, power & control.
The time is long past for the US to get out of the UN — and to get the UN out of the US…and for our nation to form a “League of Democratic Nations” that will look after the interests and coordinate the efforts of the few functional and pro-people governments on the planet.
The thugocracies that currently reap unearned and ill-gotten wealth from America’s well-intentioned but naive efforts to help our fellow humans will founder once we push them away from the US taxpayer’s teat.
Dec 28, 2007 - 5:32 pm 27. mike in canada:I agree with Jim Coles. I do not understand why the US continues to be the major funder for the most completely usless orginization in the world. This orginization demands US dollars while it never misses an opportunity to s**t on the US. This is the Great Organization that allowed the genocide in Rawanda, is allowing genocide in Dafur, but never misses an opportunity to eat caviar and drink wine while 10 MILLION CHILDREN STARVE WORLD WIDE.
Dec 29, 2007 - 1:05 am