Is the UN corrupt?

[cynatnite]

This has been suggested by more than one news article. I was reading one about India wanting UN membership, but was given a firm 'no'. The only reasoning given was that the corruption in the UN was why. This makes little sense to me.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050718/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_india_9

snip:
Considering a litany of alleged mismanagement, corruption and other failings at the world body, U.S. officials think an overhaul of U.N. operations must be under way before any reshaping or expansion of the Council can be considered. The United States, Russia, China, Britain and France now hold the only five permanent spots.

*****

Is it a RW talking point that the UN is corrupt? I know they have little regard for the United Nations and it wouldn't be too far off the mark to suggest they'd like to see it done away with. The neocons seem to think that Bolton is the guy that can help reform it. Reform what? I've never been able to figure out what needs to be reformed. The only problem I've read about is the oil-for-food scandal.

[Egalitariat]

1. Every governmental, or quasi-governmental, entity of that size is corrupt

The UN is no more, and no less, corrupt then the US Government.

[bullimiami]

2. the US is the biggest player at the un. yes it is corrupt and we

have had a big hand in corrupting it.

it is probably not corrupt in the way that the RW media spin makes it out to be but rather in a twisted, pro us pro rich pro corporate keep the power in the hands of the powerful way.

[Maple]

3. Yes, the RW wants it gone

The current reason is 'corruption'.

They've tried everything else to get rid of it, without success.

So now it's the 'oil for food' deal. Even though it's turned out that many US companies are involved.

The UN has been around since WWII. The world has changed tremendously and the UN needs to keep up.

The UN has been working on a plan to do so for years. Unfortunately one country keeps holding up the needed reforms.

[Midnight Rambler]

4. It's probably naive to think that there isn't some level of corruption

However, the RW has always had a pathological hatred for the UN, partly linked to xenophobia/American exceptionalism, but also to some degree the fundie armageddon wet dreams (i.e. the UN leads to one world gov't, thus becoming an agent of the antichrist or something like that). So any whiff of corruption, no matter how small or isolated, will be seen as a smoking gun to all their anti-UN screeds.

[CatholicEdHead]

12. I agree, parts are corrupt, but it is not as bad as the

tin-foil hat far right talking points put it.

[The2ndWheel]

5. What isn't corrupt?

If it's run by humans, it's a guarantee. When things get that big and complex, it's not easy to manage. Hell, small institutions can be as corrupt, just not on as large a scale.

[Behind the Aegis]

6. India is a member.

India has been a member of the UN since 30 Oct. 1945.

[Village Idiot]

7. Hell, YES!!!

But no more corrupt than most other world governments, and certainly less than the WH...


heh heh heh....

[Cleita]

8. My way of thinking these days is that if the RW says

it's corrupt, then it probably isn't. They just want to see it gone.

[Behind the Aegis]

9. Is the sky blue?

Of course, the sky can be many colors. So, yes it is sometimes blue. It is similar to the UN. Is it corrupt? Sometimes, but not always. Like any organization, it is not immune from corruption, bigotry, and plain old-fashioned stupidity.

[damntexdem]

10. Is the UN corrupt compared to what?

Compared to the Dubya Administration, the UN is a pure as the driven snow. Oh, OK -- I guess I don't have to set the bar that low.

[Zorra]

11. Nice catch! That really is some shining RW propaganda.

It's like saying

"Of course, everyone knows that the UN is corrupt. We can't really specify as to how it is corrupt, because there really is little or no evidence of corruption at the UN. So just take my word for it, the UN is corrupt."

That is exactly how Rove and the RW media operates, and is partly how they have successfully brainwashed so many Americans.