There were times in the past where I proposed that we get out of the United Nations. When I wrote a letter to that effect to the editors of a local newspaper, a university librarian countered with a letter on the “good” the UN did “for the children” in the developing world. I could have countered with a comment about the UN’s “oil for food” scam but just let it go. Now I wonder if a DOGE-type audit of the UN might salvage that organization.
The United Nations was a post WWII replacement for the failed League of Nations spearheaded by Woodrow Wilson. The UN idea is commendable from a humanitarian perspective but impossible to achieve from a human perspective. Tribalism or nationalism, whatever you want to call it (even patriotism) is difficult to overcome at the global level. The current UN setup is not sustainable. The New York headquarters is a pleasure palace for despots seeking an escape from their theocracies on the false premise of humanitarian missions. Now a Congressional proposal is circulating.
The proposal calls for the elimination of funding for more than 20 international organizations, including the United Nations, NATO and the Organization of American States. It is true that we contributed around $13 billion to the United Nations in 2023 and around $3.5 billion to NATO. The proposed budget calls for allocating $2 billion for "America First" priorities. It also proposes a 54% cut to global public health funding, but with carve-outs for malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis. It also proposes a complete elimination of international peacekeeping funds. Peace keeping? UN peacekeeping has been a failure since the still unresolved Korean War. The UN assisted in the 1949 rebirth of Israel but has done little to protect it. Other ventures such as Somalia are still unresolved.
The unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine is another example of UN impotence. In February 2023, the UN General Assembly called for ending the war in Ukraine and demanded Russia’s immediate withdrawal from the country, in line with the UN Charter. It adopted a resolution calling for an end to the war. The Assembly reiterated its demand that Russia “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine and called for a cessation of hostilities.” It urged Member States to “cooperate in the spirit of solidarity to address the global impacts of the war on food security, energy, finance, the environment and nuclear security and safety.” The resolution reaffirmed the Assembly's “commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders, extending to its territorial waters.” The Assembly also emphasized the need to “ensure accountability for the most serious crimes under international law committed in Ukraine through independent national or international investigations and prosecutions to ensure justice for all victims and the prevention of future crimes.”
Asking an organization that includes more authoritarian regimes than actual democracies (that truly believe in individual freedom) is contrary to common sense. The UN may also suffer from a condition called “mission creep” and an independent audit may be useful. The question then may be “What do we, Americans, want the United Nations to actually do?” If a practical mission is defined, then help organize to perform that mission. If not, get out.