Abstraction vs. Reality

The leftists claim reality in their ongoing struggle against faith. They turn to “scientists” as the foundation for every cause which denigrates the presence and importance of a Creator in our lives. They claim the pursuit of their selfish goals has sound evidence for the “good” it will produce to mankind. They further maintain the availability of hard facts to substantiate every assertion of success in directing the lives of their followers.

Abstraction however, has proven to be the only master stroke they have been able to deliver. A classic example of abstraction is the United Nations.

The great advertised dream at it inception was a conception of member nations all sitting at a round table of equality seeking the ideals of world peace and justice for all men. From the onset, the stress was placed on peaceful negotiation and reason to seek solutions to solve the problems facing mankind. It projected a conclave of benign administrators with noble intentions casting aside national interest, tribal aims, and selfish goals to achieve universal peace.

What could possibly go wrong there? The answer in a nut shell is: everything! The organization has proven the most strident claims of its opponents. It has shamed every concept of human dignity, wasted 100’s of billions in treasure, harmed the most defenseless of God’s creatures, committed endless felonies, and served as a feather bed full of posturing fools and opportunists. It is an endless round of bureaucratic nightmares and waste which these popinjays continue to tout as a solution to world’s problems. These are just observations of the positive things they have accomplished.

We shall over the course of the near future, examine in detail some of the threats which are posed by this body. We shall also examine actual historical evidence of inefficiency, avarice, cronyism, criminal activity, and endless failures of the United Nations. We shall examine finance, “peacekeepers”, ecological/political postures, food programs, medical resources, and, most telling, a membership made up of tin pot dictators, tyrants, scoff-laws, and buttoned down purveyors of every failed political dogma known to man.

This abstraction (the United Nations) became a reality at a time when the world was weary of an all pervasive war which had touched the lives of every living person on the planet. Seen as the solution to so much pain and suffering, it was eagerly embraced and foolishly endowed with power well beyond its moral capacity to execute. War brought the issue of self-preservation to the front of every sane mind. Survivors of the world conflict then provided a pool of talent who had demonstrated their skills in protecting themselves. Those same attributes were revealed in surviving nationalism and were then funneled into the world body. Therefore, each member’s first duty was to his own country’s self interest and goals.

In the convoluted assignment of power, the Security Council became the most powerful authority and seats were awarded on the basis of the “spoils of war.” From the onset, the absolute veto awarded to members, crippled the organization and set the stage for the circus it became. The now defunct USSR, which had slain far more of its own citizens than it had the enemy, became the moral equivalent of the US, Britain and others who strove to defeat a worldwide threat and seek peace without slavery.

In the beginning, the Security Council had ten members with five assigned permanent status – China, France, USSR, United States and the United Kingdom. The rotating non-permanent member’s number was increased in 1965 to ten making the total currently sixteen. I am certain you would have no difficulty naming them.

I’ll admit, I did have some difficulty with one of them; Burkina Faso (land of upright men.) I turned to the name of the capitol city for a clue – Ouagadougou – and found no help there. A bit of research revealed a country slightly larger than Texas with a population about 55% of that state, located in west central Africa, land locked and one of the poorest in the world – average monthly income $107. Formerly know as Upper Volta – renamed in 1984 -- it has made strides in education by doubling literacy to 25.3% over the last 18 years.

Their presence on the Security Council is probably as warranted as any of the other members.. These spots are rotated among nations representing various geographical areas throughout the globe. Most of the membership squabbles arise over criticism of the five permanent members. Since the principal job of the Security Council is maintaining peace and security, the status of the five permanent members is backed by them being legal possessors of nuclear devices. Although a clumsy apparatus the lack of nuclear attack since 1945 does speak to some success.

We shall revisit this subject soon and review some classic boondoggles. In the meantime, say a prayer of thanks for our Constitution and its origin and its outright superiority to any other system.

In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon