John Bolton gave a speech in February where he discussed the role of the U.N., the international community’s attempt to use the United Nations to manipulate United States foreign policy, its inability to carry out appropriate reforms that its leaders have tried to conduct… and the reforms it does put in place are worse (even by the New York Times’ standards) than what they replace.  Lacking adequate accountability and potency to act responsibly and effectively in its mission.  John’s answer makes a lot of sense:

What I concluded following my 16 months as ambassador-and based on my work in the U.N. system dating back to my earliest service in the Reagan administration-was that efforts at marginal or incremental reform of the U.N. are doomed to failure. Instead, I believe that we should focus on one issue: changing the arrangement by which financing of the U.N. is mandatory.

What is scary is the manipulation from within our country.  Bolton specifically references the 2004 presidential campaign and Senator John Kerry’s attempt to hold U.S. foreign policy to a “global test,” presumably by seeking the approval of the U.N. Security Council (or some other international body).  Bolton suspects the same topic will crop up this year.  Keep in mind, some have sought to convince us to suspend some of our basic and most cherished rights, such as the right for individuals to bear arms, or to determine ourselves whether we should continue to use the Death Penalty, all because the U.N. has decided these things are wrong.  In the same breath I say the U.N. is ineffective, I also say I’m glad it is.

Let’s shut it down and start over.  Or maybe, let’s just shut it down.

Bolton’s speech is found in this month’s Imprimis, a publication of Hillsdale College. I receive Imprimis each month (subscriptions are free), and it always contains high quality commentary from some of America’s best conservative minds.  Imprimis is high on The Conservative Reader’s recommended periodicals list.