February 22, 2005
Bush tells UN: “Talk to the Hand”
From the text of Bush’s speech after meeting with NATO, I was struck more by the absence of something than what he said. He never used the words “United Nations”. (Actually, he mentioned it once, at the very end, while answering a question, and referring to resolutions pertaining to Iraq rather than the UN itself).
From Bush’s speech, it was very clear that he was holding out NATO as a truly working alliance, and deliberately snubbing the UN (and perhaps EU) as a bunch of useless bureaucrats.
After all, NATO is the most successful alliance in the history of the world — think about that, the most successful alliance in the history of the world. Because of NATO, Europe is whole and united and at peace. And that’s a milestone in the history of liberty.
Hmm, does someone think the UN should go the way of the League of Nations?
I appreciate so very much the transformation of NATO that’s taking place. In order for NATO to be vital it’s got to be relevant, and if it stays stuck in the past it’s slowly but surely going to fade into oblivion. But it’s not staying stuck in the past. We’ve created a NATO response force — and I want to thank you for your leadership on that, Jaap — in the chemical and biological and radiological and nuclear battalion. The NATO command structure is streamlined.
Notice the use of the term “relevant”. Does this remind you of anything? And I think Bush’s version of a “response force” will carry a little more weight than the blue-helmets.
It gave me a chance to say that the relationship between the United States and Europe is a vital relationship, a necessary relationship, an important relationship, and our relationship within NATO is the cornerstone of that relationship. So, Jaap, thank you for your hospitality. Glad to be here.
Again, although I don’t mean to harp on this, he says that NATO is the cornerstone of the relationship. Not the UN.
It is clear, and has been for a while, that Bush thinks the UN has jumped the shark. The UN is an organization that does not seem to be useful for US interests, nor do they seem to be effective at doing anything to assist the third world. It’s simply a forum for tin-pot dictators to act like they have some semblance of legitimacy to try and push around the civilized countries of the world. Bush can’t come out and openly state this, of course, but it doesn’t take much to read between these lines.
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What I want to see is a full US withdrawl from the UN within the next 10 years along with the formation of an alliance of democratic nations.
My fear is that people will try to turn the UN into a world government, which it is NOT suitable to be, since its decisions are completely insulated from the will of the citizens of member nations.
I’m with you 100% on that, Quincy.