Pull the plug on UN funding until Kofi steps down

I'm sure it has happened, but in my memory I cannot recall Kofi Annan ever saying anything that can be labeled "intelligent". If any readers of this post have any intelligent statements from Kofi, I would be interested in reading them (no, simple criticism of Bush does not count). To me every time I see him talking I think of some muppet on Sesame Street. Then he just mumbles out some kind of statement and it is like some fly buzzing in your ear. There is nothing to grasp onto that ever warrants or justifies the high position that he has been granted. He is truly at best an international embarrassment.

The recent opportunity for Kofi to embarrass himself over is the flap over his deputy Mark Malloch Brown. This flap is described by Reuters:

U.S.-U.N. tensions flared anew last week after U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown accused the George W. Bush administration of keeping its extensive reliance on the United Nations "a secret in Middle America" because working with the world body was "not perceived to be good politics at home."

Brown also included jabs against some talk radio personalities in his comments including Rush Limbaugh. He seemed to be chaffing against the spotlight that talk radio and conservative blogs shine on the UN. Where the rest of the world seems to set the threshold of satisfaction with the UN if they every now and then belch out a criticism of the US and George Bush; the conservative media asks quite a bit more for the UN to justify its existence.

Actually, the notion that the US is reliant on the UN is quite laughable. Bush '41 set a precedent of working through the UN and Clinton practically sold out our sovereignty to the place. Bush '43 leans more toward his father's policy which is more of a "let's be a team player" mentality. In other words, neither Bush nor the US needs the UN (any more than a dog needs a tick) but he bends over backwards to cooperate with this corrupt and backwards institution to show goodwill to the rest of the world. The US bears much of cost of the UN including hosting the place. We cover much of the security of the UN. We must deal with the full brunt of their diplomatic immunity with crimes ranging from simple traffic violations to rape and murder. Worst of all we must put up with their ingratitude and arrogance as they both criticize and work against our interests while enjoying the benefits of our funds and our land.

John Bolton (who continues to impress me with every word out of his mouth) rightly demands that Kofi press his deputy to withdraw his rude comments. This is no simple childish reaction to being insulted. The UN takes full advantage of the US' hospitality and then takes every opportunity to undercut and weaken us. Bolton is absolutely correct to draw a line and say "No more". What other permanent member of the Security Council is ever singled out for such criticism? So when Kofi sticks by his deputy "Fife" Bolton lays down the gauntlet and claims that funding will be withheld. If we cannot get past the UN's inebriation at criticizing the US, then the entire idea of a UN is an exercise in futility and should be scrapped.

So now the UN faces a severe budget crisis. Instead of doing the right thing what does Kofi say:

"For someone to say that 'because you have not reformed to my satisfaction I am going to pull the plug and stop all the activities,' it is going to be a very hard sell for all the member states to swallow and rightly so." Annan added.

What reform? Kofi is dragging out reform at a snail's pace. You would think with his term ending soon that he would want to pick up the pace. Reform takes tough words and tough actions to back them up. Kofi has never said a tough word in his term (unless it is against the US). The fact is that Kofi has been at the helm during throughout this rash of corruption and unrestrained misdeeds. He has either been heavily involved or grossly absent and irresponsible having failed to prevent it. Kofi needs to go. Bolton backed by the administration needs to go beyond demanding Brown to apologize. They need to demand that Kofi step down or no funds. If that does not work, then we can ask the UN to pack their bags and move somewhere else. Maybe if the UN were moved to a country in missle range of Iran and North Korea, we might actually see some effective action on that front as well.