Tuesday, June 06, 2006
United States Stands Alone
The United Nations annual operating budget is about the size of a large United States University of higher education. The United States often holds back their financial contribution to the United Nations which is about 25% of their annual budget. With anyone of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council having veto power creates a dictatorship in any of the actions the United Nation takes. No other permanent member of the United Nations Security Council has used the one vote veto more than the United States. The majority of the United States solo veto’s votes are in support of the policies and actions of the State of Israel creating a global divide.
As with so many of the problems we face as a global society the lack of balance is the key. Too often the lack of United Nations actions in global hotspots is because of the lack of financial support in creating a permanent infrastructure to meet the needs. If there was a better balance between what the nations of the world spend on military (war) spending verses peacekeeping missions. Then we would not have so many on going wars such as in Iraq, and Palestine with no way to peace. The effectiveness of military trained personnel as peacekeepers in nations of dispute is very costly over the course of time.
The United Nations is severely under funded for the global missions it confronts. If the budget of the military industrial complex was comparable to the international humanitarian organizations the problems we face would be very different. So too would be the reactions we would take in dealing with disputes and conflicts around the world. One of the most recent examples of this is the United States War in Iraq. Before the United States invasion of Iraq the anti war movement spoke out concerns about winning the peace. Many of the United States military professional spoke of the need for more military troops after the initial military invasion of Iraq to maintain the Rule of Law. Both the military professional and the anti war movement agreed that we do not have the proper military personnel mix in Iraq after the initial military invasion.
There was no question weather the United States could win the military campaign but could they win the peace was the question. Today the American military forces are taking on many more casualties than needed because of the lack of foresight and planning in the different phases of the Iraq War starting from the very beginning. The United States is finding themselves in a no win situation with the day-to-day living conditions getting worst for the average Iraqi family. Only if the United States can come to terms with the international community of nations can we win the peace in Iraq.
As with so many of the problems we face as a global society the lack of balance is the key. Too often the lack of United Nations actions in global hotspots is because of the lack of financial support in creating a permanent infrastructure to meet the needs. If there was a better balance between what the nations of the world spend on military (war) spending verses peacekeeping missions. Then we would not have so many on going wars such as in Iraq, and Palestine with no way to peace. The effectiveness of military trained personnel as peacekeepers in nations of dispute is very costly over the course of time.
The United Nations is severely under funded for the global missions it confronts. If the budget of the military industrial complex was comparable to the international humanitarian organizations the problems we face would be very different. So too would be the reactions we would take in dealing with disputes and conflicts around the world. One of the most recent examples of this is the United States War in Iraq. Before the United States invasion of Iraq the anti war movement spoke out concerns about winning the peace. Many of the United States military professional spoke of the need for more military troops after the initial military invasion of Iraq to maintain the Rule of Law. Both the military professional and the anti war movement agreed that we do not have the proper military personnel mix in Iraq after the initial military invasion.
There was no question weather the United States could win the military campaign but could they win the peace was the question. Today the American military forces are taking on many more casualties than needed because of the lack of foresight and planning in the different phases of the Iraq War starting from the very beginning. The United States is finding themselves in a no win situation with the day-to-day living conditions getting worst for the average Iraqi family. Only if the United States can come to terms with the international community of nations can we win the peace in Iraq.
