June 30, 2004

KOFI'S HAPPY FAMILY

Claudia Rosett, who deserves a Pulitzer for her ceaseless work exposing the UN, observes a crucial difference between that organisation and the US:

"Let freedom reign," wrote President Bush as Iraq regained sovereignty Monday.

"Today, the secretary-general welcomes the state of Iraq back into the family of independent and sovereign nations," said a United Nations statement.

In the gap between those two statements, you can see the world of difference that lies between the U.S. and the U.N. in approaching the worst troubles of our time. For America, and Mr. Bush, the struggles now upon us are basically about freedom, and rule of, by and for the people. For the U.N., and Mr. Annan, it is all about paternalism, consensus, family. And I'm sorry to say that the family that springs first to mind has a lot less to do with Gramps, Grandma and the kids than with the Mafia clan of TV fiction fame, the Sopranos. And not just because both families claim tax-free status for their rackets.

Posted by Tim Blair at June 30, 2004 06:26 PM
Comments

The major difference between the UN and the Mafia is that the Mafia spends very little on office supplies. Come to think of it, that is probably the only difference between the UN and the Mafia.

Posted by: Ernie G at June 30, 2004 at 10:59 PM

That and the Mafia unlike the UN will actually have resolve to deal with problems.

Posted by: JBB at July 1, 2004 at 12:16 AM

And that the Mafia actually bought and paid for their various Noo Yawk properties.

Posted by: tree hugging sister at July 1, 2004 at 01:10 AM

Mafia-run restaurants serve great food.

UN-run restaurants get sacked by their customers.

Posted by: Eric Jablow at July 1, 2004 at 01:33 AM

I don't think the Mafia should be mentioned in the same sentence as the UN.
The mafia after all actually have a purpose..

Posted by: scott at July 1, 2004 at 04:35 PM

Slander! Comparing the family to the UN, you all get dirt naps!

Posted by: Papa Sortelli at July 2, 2004 at 11:47 AM