This type of discussion leads me to believe the UN is Table Fare (aka dead meat). The above discussion, viewed in a “focus group” context leads me to believe that no country will rely on the UN for anything other than possible humanitarian “window-dressing” along the lines exposed by the “Diplomad”.

The only way to see if the UN can function is to develop a way of testing it to see how it will react. The short answer is there is no way to test it as the test will be fake or an exercise in “clubby” diplomacy. Without some sense of comfort that the UN can provide value to a nation, it will wobble in it’s orbit and fall to earth. Any country trying to “catch it” or support it would likely be hurt by it’s fall.

“All this might have been avoided had the secretary general responded properly in 1999. The panel is surely right that the United Nations badly needs stronger conflict-of-interest rules that spell out how to resolve possible conflicts of interest. A cavalier response is the road to trouble, and Kofi Annan needs to demonstrate that he has learned from past mistakes and can still be the strong, effective leader the United Nations needs so badly at this time.”

A scolding from Mama.

So let’s watch how the Times and its Annan allies try to re-make this flawed bruised man into ” the strong effective leader. . . blah blah.” The moves of the UN PR machine are gearing up now.

All those big books. Good luck. Me. Barely touch the stuff anymore. Didn’t know what the heck I was doing when I was pretending I was reading them. I have never read this Strauss guy. Or at least read him with any care. I heard Shils talk about Hegel for a few weeks before he hit me over the head with his walking stick. Figuratively speaking. In any case, if I should mention anything about those kinds of things I am obviously drunk.

By the way our trains go swooooooooooooooooooooosh. Or

Zzzooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooom. Today, just errands around the house. One of those days when you can’t do your work until someone else finishes their work.

Your comment concerning Hegel (a week or so ago) caused me to order ‘Phenomenology’ (know thy enemy). I imagine that along about page 150 I will be experiencing some ascerbity at the sight of one of your posts which may result in the grief that you mention. In the interim prior to its arrival I continue to reread Strauss – ‘The Rebirth of Classical Political Rationalism’ this week (or more) and ‘The City and Man’ next. Then Machiavelli followed by Strauss’ commentary. I wonder if I shall be able to finish ‘Phenomenolgy’ without shredding it.

Don’t miss ur choochoo.

Straw man a thread and then complain about being straw manned. The you “straw manned me” defense is so often straw manning to an extreme.

But make sure you also give me a bit of grief too. My comment surely deserved some. I won’t stand for harry/jc having all the fun of being on the receiving end of Rick’s good natured ridiculing. I’m jealous that way.

Here is that link.

p.s. I love the part when they start talking about foreign aid as a percentage of GDP vs. “raw money.” Even ten percent, heck thirty percent of not much is not much.

I would have preferred ‘Hie thee hence, knave, your presence is an offence to your betters.’ but I’m working on a kinder, gentler image. It’s a pity that Denise the Pleasant is tied up in tax fraud schemes.

At any rate, it is a true pleasure to watch someone attempt to plant, fertilize and water astroturf. The “strawman” comment was hilarious after the use of Kevin Drum in an appeal to authority.

How do you know when Sean Hannity and Terry’s parents are truly desperate?

When they return a call to and agree to give a political opportunist like Jesse Jackson a stage to use their daughter’s name…

How do you know the Terry Schiavo case has become a circus?

When Jesse Jackson is using it to mainstream himself on Hannity and Colmes using reference to the Rosa Parks and the need for National Health Care.

How do you know when not to believe something Jesse is saying?

When the camera is on and his lips are moving.

How do you know when Jesse gives a hoot about Terry Schiavo?

Are there any cameras around?

What a brilliant, cynical and calculated move.

Jesse knows -

1) She is now going to die either way

2) He can make a sympathetic statement at no cost to him

3) He gains media exposure from Fox News and Hannity of all places without any tough personal questions.

4) He mainstreams himself and burnishes his image once again on a huge national stage on a huge national issue.

COST OF PANDERING SINGULAR EXPOSURE?

1 plane trip and phone call to Terry’s parents.

COST OF ACTING LIKE HE CARES?

Nothing

COST OF REFURBISHING HIS NAME, POWER AND MONEY?

Priceless………….

Meet Jesse Jackson the man who hid behind a car when his “friend” MLK Jr. was shot and then hung around after all his real friends rushed him to the hospital squirted Ketchup on his shirt and started crying for reporters about how he held Martin on the porch.

Yes, the same man who Abernathy and company had caught stealing from the SCLC and were kicking out of the organization. And the same person that used his burnished fake image after Martin’s death, thanks to the NY Times and MSM to capitalize and put the SCLC out of business.

A noble man – a principled man – a man with organized crime ties – a man who has monopolized ‘Civil Rights’ to blackmail corporations and make himself a hundred millionaire – a man who yet today still ‘deserves’ much deference – and finally a man who has buddied up to every anti-American dictator.

A man who ran for President of the United States.

Mike