Perhaps an even bigger irony to go hand in hand with this is that despite its abysmal human rights record, Iran is a sitting member of the UN Human Rights Council, which has also attracted the attention of the US House of Representatives, which this week voted not to provide any further funding for the council because of their failure to act on a variety of major human rights issues, from Darfur to Belarus to North Korea.
The UN Human Rights Council was created last year to replace the UN Human Rights Commission, which was so corrupt and misdirected that it had become an embarrassment. The problem with the Commission was that it had come to be dominated by a cabal of some of the worst human rights violators in the world, and was overlooking real human rights violations and pursuing the political agenda of a few dominant countries like Cuba and Iran instead.
So here we have a shiny new Council to replace it, but because its membership was picked on a more or less volunteer basis from the body of the UN, it has pretty much the same problem as the old Commission. Among the 47 members are such sterling examples of open government and civil rights as China, Indonesia, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, North Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela. Look them up on Human Rights Watch sometime if you want to read about atrocities, political murder, and oppression.
Of course, the first thing this new council did once it was assembled was to ignore requests to address human rights concerns in some of the most serious problem spots in the world. Instead it immediately placed Israel at the top of its watch list and then decided to act against independent human rights groups which have been monitoring activity in Cuba and Belarus. Clearly the new council is falling right into the same pattern of covering for human rights abusers which caused the old commission to be disbanded.
It's to the credit of Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) that she added this rider to the enormously bloated budget bill which cut $23 million from the UN funding to represent our share of the budget of the Human Rights Council, which she described as a "poisonous talk-shop". Yet given the United Nations' ongoing history of failure after failure, isn't it time to just consider shutting it down and starting over? Now that it has become nothing but a political tool for oppressive regimes and a cash cow for international bureaucrats, what justification is there for its continued existence? It certainly no longer fits this description found in the preamble to its charter:
To reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, and for these ends to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security...That sure doesn't sound like what the UN Human Rights Council is all about, and it certainly doesn't sound like an organization which should tolerate the blustering, genocidal ranting of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. And in fact, these laudable principles are just not shared by many of the rogue nations which should not even be allowed membership in the UN, much less a position of power, because of the way that they abuse their own citizens and threaten and endanger their neighbors. Countries like Iran and China and North Korea should not even be allowed to vote in the UN, much less serve on the Human Rights Council or (as has happened before) on the Security Council.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Lumpy
If we got rid of the UN how would we deal with international crises. Would the US just rule by imperial fiat? I doubt we can afford the cost that would bring.
2 - No more war!
Follow the money. In particular, the US dollar. It is not backed by gold or silver. It's only commodity support is the fact that only US dollars can be used to buy oil.
Saddam Hussein started selling oil for Euros. The US then invaded Iraq and now Saddam is dead. Last month Iran announced they were going to start selling oil for Euros.
3 - Cameron
Why does it bother you if the Iranian President says the Israeli government should be disbanded? To equate that with genocide is absurd on its face.
Iran protects the rights of Iranian Jews to practice their religion in Article 13 of its Constitution. There are thousands of Jews living in Tehran right now. Tehran has 23 Synagogues.
Iran has not attacked Israel. Iran has not attacked the United States. The Iranian President is not calling for the slaughter of Jews. Ahmadenijad is no different than a barking dog in a yard down the street from you. Leave him alone and he will leave you alone. He is entitled to voice his opinions.
4 - gary
< Iran, Genocide, and Human Rights: Is the UN Any Use at All?
In it's current form, no. Clearly not. The world is littered with UN failures. We need a drastic overhaul of the institution, specifically...
UnitedDemocraticNations.org
There's clearly a need for cooperation on the global level, now more than ever before, but until we reform the institution itself, keep your expectations low.
gary
5 - sr
No more war!. Ya I wish. Just maybe Mahemroid Ahmadijeckoffag will end up in a spider hole getting fucked by a horney camel or a Bill Clinton Cigar wrapped in heavy dudy tinfoil. We can only hope.
6 - troll
Lumpy: the US - with its massive consumer base and military and commitments made world wide to maintain and underwrite a system of relatively free markets - already rules and we taxpayers already fund this
NMW: imagine what would happen if the US gov stopped printing funny money consumer dollars that support international production and trade
are the Europeans actually in a position to guarantee consumption and manage inflationary pressures - ?
----
unless we empower the UN with some kind of control over our sovereignty it will remain little more than a debating society and one hegemon or another will be required to actually get shit done internationally
7 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
unless we empower the UN with some kind of control over our sovereignty it will remain little more than a debating society and one hegemon or another will be required to actually get shit done internationally
troll,
You would empower the UN with control over sovereignty? You would entrust your fate to pieces of shit like Mugabe? Isn't it bad enough that your country's balls are in a little jar in Riyadh and you've sold yourselves out to them? Please tell me that I read wrong and need new glasses. I haven't read anything so idiotic a suggestion for a long time.
8 - Lumpy
Troll. You certainly wouldn't want to give the UN as it now exists control over any part of our sovereignty. Maybe if it was replaced by a better alternative organization.
9 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Cameron,
Thousands of Jews leave Persia all the time to live here. I know lots of them. No matter how bad things are here, no Jew has to kiss Moslem ass in the Persian neighborhoods of J-lem.
Maariv reports that the IDF is planning ways to destroy Iranian nuclear facilities. I hope they actually attack them, though destroying Teheran would be a far more effective solution.
Ahmadinejad wants war. He should get what he wants - from US,in Israel - in spades.
We have the capability to do these things - we should trust in G-d and not America and finally do what is right.
10 - troll
Ruvy - you read wrong...I was pointing out what would have to happen for the UN to function as a 'world government'
that's not something that I advocate
but then that leaves some super power with a thankless job
11 - sr
Ruvy, You said it best. Trust in G-d and not in America. Israel is G-d,s territory and not America,s. I know Israel as the capability of removeing Iran/Persia off the planet. The sooner the better. Please Israel if you are reading this do not rely on the US to fix your promblems. I love my country however my fear is for Israel. Please do the job yourself. I believe your a divided country and you must be united and get your shit together. LONG LIVE ISRAEL. sr
12 - Lee Richards
Rule #1:
Run like hell away from anyone who claims to know what God wants or says.
13 - sr
Mr Lee. Just keep running like Forrest Gump. I hear it's great for the body and soul. Dont forget to drink your water. See you at the finish line.
14 - Paul2
Dave Nalle has shown in all of his posts that he doesn't have any knowledge about international law- he simply denies applicability when he sees fit: in Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Cuba or any other nation that doesn't suck up to US foreign policy. He has claimed that the US-forces have not violated international law in Iraq, Afghanistan in South America or elsewhere, although courts and institutions have made contrary assessments. He certainly does not give a fuck about human rights, besides his own. He also doesn't care about the United Nations as an Institution or its charter. He thinks it should be overruled as he sees fit.
15 - Paul2
And Ruvy- are you out of your mind ... destroying Teheran with 7 million inhabitans ?
16 - moonraven
Paul2:
I can't imagine what you are doing posting commonsense comments on this gameboy site.
The UN was economically gutted by the US--who holds it hostage to rubber stamp its massive menu of acts against international law.
Of course Israel should be de-countrified. It's a no brainer.
17 - Clavos
"I can't imagine what you are doing posting commonsense comments on this gameboy site."
And yet, here you are, mr. Again.
18 - Kayhan
The UN is a tool for the western powers. It has achieved nothing and particular with the second Lebanon war. When the zionist regime of Israel were slaughtering innocent civilians the US were veteoing every measure against the war. Iran has the second most jewish population after the zionist regime of Israel. Israel has tried to pursuay the Iranian jews to come to Israel for cash but they refused because of their proud history. Also, if the zionist regime of Israel does decide to attack Iran, it will embark the middle east. Though, the double standards the US and zionist regime of Israel of having nucleur weapons they can't afford another war. The US is bogged down in Iraq which the government has more of a close tie to Iran than the Imperialistic government of the Bush administration and Israel would provoke Hezbollah, Hamas, Syria, and most of the Islamic world. They will not win. Iran, has never attacked anybody throughout their 30 years of the Islamic Revolution. Ahmadinejad is a brilliant leader compared to the awful tyrants of Bush and Olmert. So please, if war breaks out..the US and zionist regime of Israel would drastically lose.
19 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Paul,
The fucker who runs Iran wants me and every Jew who lives in Israel dead. Hey! Why should I give a damn if a nuke kills seven million Iranians? To satisfy your notions of Christian charity? Forget it! Find some other Jesus to stick on a cross.
This asshole is sacrificing the humanity of those he rules daily with his demands for my genocide. And they are not throwing him out.
WE in Israel have been made to pay for the stupidity of our leaders. In spades. Why shouldn't the Iranians pony up, too?
Where was your international law when MY people were sitting in death camps, Paul? Out to lunch? Where were the Europeans when Hitler was slowly accumulating power? Drinking Evian water, figuring out how to close their doors to Jews and Gypsies? Where were the Americans? Hiding behind their seacoasts?
What humanity have you earned that I should respect it?
The people who want me dead deserve to die. It is a very simple concept, Paul. Kill off the fucker who wants to kill you before he gets the chance. If you don't like it, get a barf bag and throw up.
20 - moonraven
Ruvy,
Take your pills.
Clavos, I don't make any attempt to post commonsense comments on this site. It's just a place folks like you go to caress folks like Nalle. Jerkoffs.
21 - Lee Richards
Rule #2:
Run like hell away from anyone who thinks that God wants him to be an instrument of righteous wrath and punishment.
22 - troll
Ruvy - I doubt that very many folks in Tehran want you dead yet you'd kill them all not even preserving a sixth
23 - moonraven
As nuts as this guy is I am frankly surprised one of his Israeli neighbors hasn't slipped a molotov cocktail down his pants.
The ultimate wedgie....
24 - Clavos
"Clavos, I don't make any attempt to post commonsense comments on this site"
Not to worry, mr. We've noticed.
25 - dennis
The bottom line is that the UN will only become effective when morality and humanity supercede the political, military, ideological and economic interests of its member states. The record of the UN in preventing and interceding in genocide is extremely bleak. Rwanda, named officially as a genocide by the UN, was victimized by the inherent impotence of the UN. The UN has ritually condemned Israel but tolerates the activities of authoritarian despotic regimes such as Syria and Iran. The world community essentially turns a blind eye to the daily virulent anti-semitism espoused by the Palestinian media. How many more genocides are needed before the phrase "Never again" attains any real meaning? Dennis L.