Spring Break
Real change is needed within the UN
Caleb Thorton
Issue date: 4/9/09 Section: Opinion
Every time I get a glance of Kim Jong-Il, a bit of a shiver runs down my spine.
I don't know whether it is the freaky old-man afro, the glasses that are thick enough to deflect a bullet or the stare that could make the devil himself cower in fear, but the North Korean dictator gives me a strong sense of uneasiness just to look at him.
Considering the public outcry put out by the Obama administration over Jong-Il's decision to test a ballistic missile that could potentially reach the Western U.S., I would say that the president might possibly share my same sentiment.
Thankfully, for all of us concerned, the missile test did not go as well as the dictator had probably hoped -- crashing into the ocean before making orbit. And for those within the United Nations, the incident played out perfectly, allowing for the single international body set up to deal with this type of situation to respond in its own typical fashion- by doing nothing.
In fact, despite all the tough talk from Washington, London and other allies across the globe, the big news out of New York City on Monday was that the Security Council had failed to pass even a resolution condemning the dictator's choice to test the missile, much less put in place any substantial punitive measure that had also been threatened.
News reports claimed that both Russia and China opposed any such resolution, thus killing any action that the international body might have taken.
The way I see it, this latest incident just exposes a glaring problem within the international body: It is next to impossible in today's age to accomplish anything within the UN of real or lasting significance.
Much of this is due to the fact that a unanimous vote is needed in the Security Council for the body to take significant action, which, understandably, is nearly impossible in many situations to accomplish -- especially if the issues do not directly affect the permanent nations on the Council.
I don't know whether it is the freaky old-man afro, the glasses that are thick enough to deflect a bullet or the stare that could make the devil himself cower in fear, but the North Korean dictator gives me a strong sense of uneasiness just to look at him.
Considering the public outcry put out by the Obama administration over Jong-Il's decision to test a ballistic missile that could potentially reach the Western U.S., I would say that the president might possibly share my same sentiment.
Thankfully, for all of us concerned, the missile test did not go as well as the dictator had probably hoped -- crashing into the ocean before making orbit. And for those within the United Nations, the incident played out perfectly, allowing for the single international body set up to deal with this type of situation to respond in its own typical fashion- by doing nothing.
In fact, despite all the tough talk from Washington, London and other allies across the globe, the big news out of New York City on Monday was that the Security Council had failed to pass even a resolution condemning the dictator's choice to test the missile, much less put in place any substantial punitive measure that had also been threatened.
News reports claimed that both Russia and China opposed any such resolution, thus killing any action that the international body might have taken.
The way I see it, this latest incident just exposes a glaring problem within the international body: It is next to impossible in today's age to accomplish anything within the UN of real or lasting significance.
Much of this is due to the fact that a unanimous vote is needed in the Security Council for the body to take significant action, which, understandably, is nearly impossible in many situations to accomplish -- especially if the issues do not directly affect the permanent nations on the Council.
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