Submitted by Brian Stewart, Dec 9, 2007 01:34

I know a lot of Americans are frustrated with the UN, but it should be remembered its just an organization, not a government. It isn't intended to rule the world, but rather be an accepted worldwide forum to get nations talking, and voting on advocacy issues, and at times intervene in selected problems around the globe. It can't be all things to everybody, its going to have to take a lot of other nations views seriously. It can't just rubber stamp everything we in the US want it to do, and yes it can get silly at times when Libya was chairing the human rights affairs at one point. We are better off with it and from a practical point of view it brings a ton of wealthy diplomats and their embassy staffs to New York where they spend a lot of money and if you just visit the UN area you can see all the money flowing along with many tourists. Also the UN houses a number of NGO's or nongovernmental aid and education organizations that do some good worldwide as well as get some smart people into areas of the world formerly off-limits which is a good thing. Yes, it wastes some money, but so do gas guzzling SUV's, and it gives voices to our adversarys and liberals. But so what, its one of the modern worlds crown jewels cracked and blemished but very useful to the US at times. Europe is more liberal than we are and Russia and Asia more socialist and Venezuela more bombastic, but we are big boys on the block and can deal with that. Bolton might make a good conservative analyst, but he isn't the best American politician for the UN. We have to stop acting like the school superintendent and use our ears and senses more to learn all we can from all these worldwide people we host. I look at the UN as more a big earpiece to hear all the sounds in the park.

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