{"id":911,"date":"2023-04-24T20:13:43","date_gmt":"2023-04-24T18:13:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hrvhealth.org\/blog\/?p=911"},"modified":"2025-12-16T06:22:49","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T05:22:49","slug":"the-un-is-past-its-sell-by-date","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hrvhealth.org\/blog\/?p=911","title":{"rendered":"The UN is past its sell by date"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>After Ban Ki-moon, the outgoing Secretary General of the United Nations announced that he was standing for Korea\u2019s presidency, based on his performance at the UN, I wrote an article giving prospective voters an insight into the reality of that performance. Nothing to do with the article, but he stood down pretty soon afterwards.<\/p>\n<p>The UN is accomplished at separating donors from their money, as I\u2019d experienced with the handling of both the 2009 and 2010 elections in Afghanistan<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_911_1('footnote_plugin_reference_911_1_1');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_911_1('footnote_plugin_reference_911_1_1');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_911_1_1\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[1]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_911_1_1\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hrvhealth.org\/blog\/?p=906\">Why America lost the war in Afghanistan<\/a><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_911_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_911_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });<\/script>. Those are your tax dollars they have been wasting!<\/p>\n<p>You can be sure that whenever there is a catastrophe somewhere in the world, in a matter of hours the UN will come up with an estimate of how much it will cost to fix. And of course, they\u2019ll do the repair job.<\/p>\n<p>Winston Churchill and FDR were determined that the Second World War should also be the last World War<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_911_1('footnote_plugin_reference_911_1_2');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_911_1('footnote_plugin_reference_911_1_2');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_911_1_2\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[2]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_911_1_2\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/No-Ordinary-Time-audiobook\/dp\/B004Z4V24U\/ref=sr_1_1?crid=38B3HYLSKXSJL&amp;keywords=no+ordinary+time+by+doris+kearns+goodwin&amp;qid=1682058544&amp;sprefix=No+ordinary+time%2Caps%2C167&amp;sr=8-1\">No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II<\/a><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_911_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_911_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });<\/script>. The United Nations was their brainchild.<\/p>\n<p>Both were absent during the final negotiations of the UN charter with Stalin at Potsdam<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_911_1('footnote_plugin_reference_911_1_3');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_911_1('footnote_plugin_reference_911_1_3');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_911_1_3\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[3]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_911_1_3\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/The-Accidental-President-audiobook\/dp\/B075FWQMCT\/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3126U4UTBFO4A&amp;keywords=the+accidental+president+harry+truman&amp;qid=1682357193&amp;sprefix=The+accidental+president%2Caps%2C182&amp;sr=8-1\">The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months That Changed the World<\/a><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_911_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_911_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });<\/script>. FDR had died of hypertension and Churchill had been ousted by the British electorate. The UN was crippled from the start, with each of the five permanent members having veto powers.<\/p>\n<p>The World Bank, and the World Health Organisation fall under the umbrella of the UN, and the recent past confirms their collective incompetence.<\/p>\n<p>The WHO should have co-ordinated the strategy dealing with COVID-19. Instead they took a backseat, as countries adopted contradictory strategies on how to deal with the virus<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_911_1('footnote_plugin_reference_911_1_4');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_911_1('footnote_plugin_reference_911_1_4');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_911_1_4\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[4]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_911_1_4\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hrvhealth.org\/blog\/?p=876\">Are we being lied to again?<\/a><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_911_1_4').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_911_1_4', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });<\/script>.<\/p>\n<p>Among World Bank\u2019s responsibilities is the task of publishing the world\u2019s economic data. The health data are four years out of date<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_911_1('footnote_plugin_reference_911_1_5');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_911_1('footnote_plugin_reference_911_1_5');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_911_1_5\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[5]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_911_1_5\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\"><a href=\"https:\/\/data.worldbank.org\/indicator\/SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS\">Current health expenditure (% of GDP)<\/a><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_911_1_5').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_911_1_5', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });<\/script>. When we asked them when the figures would be updated, they referred us to the WHO.<\/p>\n<p>Going back to the reason for founding the UN, the prevention of another World War.<\/p>\n<p>Looking at the war in Ukraine provides clear perspective of the extent of the UN\u2019s failure to fulfil its purpose. When the Secretary General succeeded in negotiating an agreement releasing grain from Ukraine, he announced it as probably the most important thing he had done in his time heading the international body<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_911_1('footnote_plugin_reference_911_1_6');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_911_1('footnote_plugin_reference_911_1_6');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_911_1_6\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">[6]<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_911_1_6\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-europe-62268070?at_medium=RSS&amp;at_campaign=KARANGA\">Ukraine war: Deal signed to allow grain exports to resume by sea<\/a><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_911_1_6').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_911_1_6', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top center', relative: true, offset: [-7, 0], });<\/script>. Really?<\/p>\n<p>I have lived and worked in some of the world\u2019s poorest countries, Afghanistan, Somalia, Yemen, Mozambique. In the midst of this frightening poverty, the UN vehicles stand out as some of the most expensive on the roads.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The UN is way past its sell by date, and should be disposed of as soon as possible.<\/p>\n<div class=\"speaker-mute footnotes_reference_container\"> <div class=\"footnote_container_prepare\"><p><span role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_reference_container_label pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_911_1();\">References<\/span><span role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_reference_container_collapse_button\" style=\"display: none;\" onclick=\"footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_911_1();\">[<a id=\"footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_911_1\">+<\/a>]<\/span><\/p><\/div> <div id=\"footnote_references_container_911_1\" style=\"\"><table class=\"footnotes_table footnote-reference-container\"><caption class=\"accessibility\">References<\/caption> <tbody> \r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi pointer\"  onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_911_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_911_1_1');\"><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_911_1_1\" class=\"footnote_backlink\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>1<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hrvhealth.org\/blog\/?p=906\">Why America lost the war in Afghanistan<\/a><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi pointer\"  onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_911_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_911_1_2');\"><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_911_1_2\" class=\"footnote_backlink\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>2<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/No-Ordinary-Time-audiobook\/dp\/B004Z4V24U\/ref=sr_1_1?crid=38B3HYLSKXSJL&amp;keywords=no+ordinary+time+by+doris+kearns+goodwin&amp;qid=1682058544&amp;sprefix=No+ordinary+time%2Caps%2C167&amp;sr=8-1\">No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II<\/a><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi pointer\"  onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_911_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_911_1_3');\"><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_911_1_3\" class=\"footnote_backlink\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>3<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/The-Accidental-President-audiobook\/dp\/B075FWQMCT\/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3126U4UTBFO4A&amp;keywords=the+accidental+president+harry+truman&amp;qid=1682357193&amp;sprefix=The+accidental+president%2Caps%2C182&amp;sr=8-1\">The Accidental President: Harry S. Truman and the Four Months That Changed the World<\/a><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi pointer\"  onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_911_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_911_1_4');\"><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_911_1_4\" class=\"footnote_backlink\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>4<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hrvhealth.org\/blog\/?p=876\">Are we being lied to again?<\/a><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi pointer\"  onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_911_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_911_1_5');\"><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_911_1_5\" class=\"footnote_backlink\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>5<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/data.worldbank.org\/indicator\/SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS\">Current health expenditure (% of GDP)<\/a><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi pointer\"  onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_911_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_911_1_6');\"><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_911_1_6\" class=\"footnote_backlink\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>6<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-europe-62268070?at_medium=RSS&amp;at_campaign=KARANGA\">Ukraine war: Deal signed to allow grain exports to resume by sea<\/a><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n <\/tbody> <\/table> <\/div><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> function footnote_expand_reference_container_911_1() { jQuery('#footnote_references_container_911_1').show(); jQuery('#footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_911_1').text('\u2212'); } function footnote_collapse_reference_container_911_1() { jQuery('#footnote_references_container_911_1').hide(); jQuery('#footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_911_1').text('+'); } function footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_911_1() { if (jQuery('#footnote_references_container_911_1').is(':hidden')) { footnote_expand_reference_container_911_1(); } else { footnote_collapse_reference_container_911_1(); } } function footnote_moveToReference_911_1(p_str_TargetID) { footnote_expand_reference_container_911_1(); var l_obj_Target = jQuery('#' + p_str_TargetID); if (l_obj_Target.length) { jQuery( 'html, body' ).delay( 0 ); jQuery('html, body').animate({ scrollTop: l_obj_Target.offset().top - window.innerHeight * 0.2 }, 380); } } function footnote_moveToAnchor_911_1(p_str_TargetID) { footnote_expand_reference_container_911_1(); var l_obj_Target = jQuery('#' + p_str_TargetID); if (l_obj_Target.length) { jQuery( 'html, body' ).delay( 0 ); jQuery('html, body').animate({ scrollTop: l_obj_Target.offset().top - window.innerHeight * 0.2 }, 380); } }<\/script>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After Ban Ki-moon, the outgoing Secretary General of the United Nations announced that he was standing for Korea\u2019s presidency, based on his performance at the UN, I wrote an article giving prospective voters an insight into the reality of that performance. Nothing to do with the article, but he stood down pretty soon afterwards. The&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/hrvhealth.org\/blog\/?p=911\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">The UN is past its sell by date<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,74],"tags":[93,92],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hrvhealth.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/911"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hrvhealth.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hrvhealth.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hrvhealth.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hrvhealth.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=911"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/hrvhealth.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/911\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1532,"href":"https:\/\/hrvhealth.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/911\/revisions\/1532"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hrvhealth.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=911"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hrvhealth.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=911"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hrvhealth.org\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=911"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}