UNITED NATIONS – President Barack Obama challenged world leaders Wednesday to shoulder more of the globe’s critical burdens, promising a newly cooperative partner in America but sternly warning they can no longer castigate the U.S. as a go-it-alone bully while still demanding it cure all ills.
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U.S. presidents — Bush included — have come to the United Nations year after year with a wish list of action items and preaching the gospel of working together. The U.S. is rich and powerful, but cannot solve problems without help, they say, whether Democrat or Republican.
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“In the year 2009 — more than at any point in human history — the interests of nations and peoples are shared,” Obama said.
Following a president pilloried for arrogance, Obama talked more modestly about the United States.
[snip]
Even while offering new cooperation from Washington, Obama was blunt that others must step up or face dire consequences: “extremists sowing terror in pockets of the world, protracted conflicts that grind on and on, genocide, mass atrocities, more nations with nuclear weapons, melting ice caps and ravaged populations, persistent poverty and pandemic disease.”
[snip]
“The world must stand together to demonstrate that international law is not an empty promise,” Obama said.
I’m not a very big fan of the UN. OK, I am not only not a fan, I tend to assign all sorts of of miscellaneous pejorative terms to the United Nations when either speaking or writing about the organization as a whole.
The UN is a classic example of a good idea, backed up with the best of intentions, going horribly wrong.
I wouldn’t bet money that President Obama’s words and points made any impression whatsoever. Countries will continue to blame everything on the US, find fault with the US [and there is fault], and the moment that any action is required… look to the US to perform that action…and bear the cost of that action as well.
I don’t expect any changes, either in perception or demands, but at least they are now officially acknowledged by this new administration.
Posted via web from SophiaZoe
