I am reduced to humble admiration in the face of your expression of hope and idealism about the UN. For only someone who still hopes can feel that the UN failed “utterly to stop Iran’s nuclear bomb program”, that is, that the UN actually tried, and failed. Such a sentiment supposes that the UN as a whole is still trying to live up to its Charter in good faith, that it may yet redeem itself. For this inherent idealism, I salute you. Though, beware — an idealist is too often condemned by the disappointments of this relative world to tread the bitter path of the cynic.

Sadly, after viewing the General Assembly’s tumultuous Mahmoud and Hugo Show, and the boffo response of the delegates and ministers of the member states, I can no longer share the hope that I find implicit in the first paragraph of your post. Any group, even the UN, is governed by the collective consciousness of that group. UN membership today is made up mostly of despotic totalitarian/terrorist supporting/kleptocratic states. Only 46% of UN member states are technically democracies (v. Eye on the UN), and even amongst those states the intent of some is questionable (v. France). The events of this year’s G.A. was the last straw for me. It confirmed for me that, if anything, the vast majority of UN member states consider Iran one of their own, and are rooting for Iran’s success in its various aspirations. Such a group does not act to thwart the efforts of those it cheers. If anything, they would applaud the advent of an Iranian nuclear bomb.

My reluctant conclusion is that the UN is a lost cause, and that it is past time for us to close up shop for them and see them off. The installation of Mr. Ban as S.G. seems from early reports to portend an era of Kofi Lite. Though the, shall we call it, gift giving spree of the South Korean government to Security Council member states, to smooth Mr. Ban’s way to the big chair may yet show Mr. Ban to be a worthy successor to our Kofi. I would be delighted to see events contradict my weary conclusions.

Isn’t it time for a Federation of Democracies to lead the world to actually fulfill a higher canon of aspirations rooted in the principles of freedom and human rights? I, for one, have had enough of the despots and kelptocrats of Turtle Bay.