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Bush Bids Farewell to UN
For the eighth and final time, George W. Bush addressed the opening of the General Assembly of the United Nations yesterday. He’s never liked the UN. When he said “jump,” the UN didn’t ask “how high” but rather “why?” His rambling speech should probably have been phoned in for all the difference it made, and it would have spared Mr. Bush a trip to New York.
There was one shining spot in the speech, and credit where credit is due, it is probably the best thing Mr. Bush has done in foreign policy during his presidency. He said,
Experience also shows that to be effective, we must adopt a model of partnership, not paternalism. This approach is based on our conviction that people in the developing world have the capacity to improve their own lives -- and will rise to meet high expectations if we set them. America has sought to apply this model in our Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Every nation that receives American support through this initiative develops its own plan for fighting HIV/AIDS -- and measures the results. And so far, these results are inspiring: Five years ago, 50,000 people in sub-Sahara Africa were receiving treatment for HIV/AIDS. Today that number is nearly 1.7 million. We're taking a similar approach to fighting malaria, and so far, we've supported local efforts to protect more than 25 million Africans.
However, Mr. Bush’s appeals to multilateral organizations and his praise of them and their potential were nothing short of disgusting given his unilateralism of the last few years. He actually said, “The United Nations and other multilateral organizations are needed more urgently than ever.” He has shown almost no interest in them up to now. Clearly, this is posturing for the history books.
On the two wars he’s losing in Central Asia, he said, “In Afghanistan, a determined people are working to overcome decades of tyranny, and protect their newly-free society. They have strong support from all 26 nations of the NATO Alliance.” The writ of the central government goes no farther than the suburbs of Kabul, the Taliban is making a come back, and the opium crop this year will set a record. In Iraq-Nam, “the fight has been difficult, yet daily life has improved dramatically over the past 20 months -- thanks to the courage of the Iraqi people, a determined coalition of nations, and a surge of American troops . . . . And the United Nations is carrying out an ambitious strategy to strengthen Iraq's democracy, including helping Iraqis prepare for their next round of free elections.” He failed to mention the Madhi Army’s unilateral ceasefire for the last year and that the next round of elections should have been set for next month, but they have been postponed indefinitely due to the inability of the Green Zone Government to agree on a law covering them.
After a single paragraph about the financial crisis that threatens the world order more than Usama bin Laden ever could, he said, “The objectives I've laid out for multilateral institutions -- confronting terror, opposing tyranny, and promoting effective development -- are difficult, but they are necessary tasks. To have maximum impact, multilateral institutions must take on challenging missions. And like all of us in this chamber, they must work toward measurable goals, be accountable for their actions, and hold true to their word.” Mr. Bush held accountable for his actions and held true to his word? The man has no shame.
© Copyright 2008 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.
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