Kofi Annan: Humble Servant Of Man?

The UN reached unprecedented levels of incompetence, corruption and even crime during Kofi Annan's ten year tour as Secretary General. Today in a parting editorial, Annan apparently wants us to believe he is a humble servant of humanity. Unfortunately, at the end of his tenure we see no humility at all from Kofi Annan. A better man would have at least mentioned something of his experience at the UN, such as it was.

Instead, he feels obliged to cast judgment toward the United States and President Bush. I can't help but wonder if perhaps Hugo Chavez ghost wrote the editorial for him.

Entitled What I've Learned, Kofi Annan basically proves that he has learned nothing from his disappointing, if not disastrous time at the helm of the UN. I imagine he was every bit as capable of slamming America when he came here to take advantage of our educational system fifty years ago.

If Annan had his way he would turn the world into one large welfare state. Such thinking informs that in all his years here, Annan hasn't come to understand a single thing about what makes America great. Actually, it's clear from his rhetoric that he would prefer to drag it down as far as he could, as if the equality of nations at the lowest common denominator is for the greater good. His thinking is both sad and absurd.

What an abject failure he was at the UN. I doubt he was ever qualified for the position. Or perhaps the position itself is such a joke, qualifications don't even enter into it.

On another front, Allah has video of the students protesting President "Imightneedajob" in Iran.

Comments

[daveinboca]

About the only positive one can make about this Jimmy Carter-wannabe is that he was not as obnoxious and stupid as Boutros Boutros-Ghali.

But this second-rater is going to talk about how some other organization or government is incompetent after his own tenure has been marked by corruption, scandal, and crime by his colleagues and "peacekeepers?"

Thank God this ridiculous specimen of bureaucratic excretion generated by the UN is departing. He should head back to his "homeland" where they're still butchering each other in the streets because of tribal vendettas.

But the American MSM will suck up the nonesense and defecate it right onto the broadcast/cabal sewage system.

[larry]

when annan glossed over the UN's contemptible, crimes-against-humanity inaction in re the rwanda and darfur genocides, did he at least refrain from using the phrase, "it's ok; they're only mere africans" this time?

one can only hope a special place in hell awaits him. a place where he's chased daily by machete-carrying butchers, intent on hacking him to death. a place where his home is invaded daily by arabs on horseback, who rape his wife and kill his kids in front of him. a place where he's told, "sorry, no can do; helping you might imply that a barbaric african nation is practicing genocide as a matter of policy. that would *hurt their feelings*." when he goes to (the hell chapter of) the UN for help.

it's quite a commentary on the state of the world today when people (ok, liberals) show respect to a man who's responsible for more murdered africans than idi amin.

[Purple Avenger]

Easily the worst UN Sec Gen ever. I hesitate to say the new guy can't possibly do worse though ;->

[jack]

Kofi Annan is the man!
He deserves to win the Noble Prize for peace (O wait...he has already won that Prize).

Annan is right: unilateralism doesn't work! Bush's Iraq strategy didn't work. Bush underestimated the importance of the UN.

"The responsibility of great states is to serve and not dominate the peoples of the world" --- Truman

Of course Annan is not perfect. The UN is not perfect. But he did the best he can. He tried to reform the UN (read his "In Larger Freedom" report), he did many great things for HIV/AIDS patients, he is the (only?) one who cares about the situation in Darfur, he supported America's war on terror (Afghanistan)...

Diplomacy doesn't always work and it is sometimes very frustrating. But sometimes it IS actually effective and it's better than war.

It's nonsense to say that HE is responsible for genocide in Africa.
The UN doesn't have power, if the US, France, etc. don't support its missions.

[Phoenix]

jack,

You sound unsure of your own words. If Annan is so wonderful and so powerful, why wasn't he able to convince the U.S., France, etc. to support his missions?

Hey.. I wonder if he asked Bill and Melinda Gates to help when everyone else was blowing him off for being the useless human detritus that he is? Nothing like private-sector capitalists to help out, you know.

[Rick]

"Bush underestimated the importance of the UN."

So did I. Please summarize the importance of the U.N. for me, so I won't goof again.

Cordially...

[seekeronos]

The UN is hardly more than a useless debating club, where American efforts are generally scorned. The Security Council itself is a joke, with too much tit-for-tat politicking and deals made so that some business actually gets done (You let me have this, and I won't veto you for that, etc.)

The business that actually gets done (viz. resolutions against Iran's nuke program) are typically toothless and do very little to provide real security for the global community.

The world would truly be better off if the US in particular withdrew from the UN, foreclosed on the UN building in NY and collected the back rent.

And as much of a pipe dream as that may be, I'll hope to see the UK, Canada, Australia, and NZ exit the UN as well. Perhaps the best bet is for the nations of the Anglosphere to work together on the world stage, and amongst the world in regional councils that can solve problems a bit more locally.

[jack]

@Phoenix: Kofi Annan is wonderful (in my opinion) but he's NOT powerful (and that's a fact). Why do I think he's wonderful? Because he stands for human rights, international security, multilaterism, a better Africa, etc. He came with good ideas to reform the UN and I'm convinced that he's a good man.

@Rick: If you know something about international law then you would understand the importance of the United Nations. Small countries (South Korea/North Korea, Israel/Palestina, China/Taiwan) need the help of the USA, Europe, China, etc. The USA needs Europe. A Middle East that embrace Western values is in the benefit in the USA/Europe. Etc.
The UN has a bad image in the USA, but in many countries, people have a lot of respect for the UN.
The UN can do things that individual countries can't do.
OF course the UN is not perfect: it needs to be reformed. And the UN can't please everyone, but that's diplomacy: compromises.

@seekeronos: the UN is indeed nothing more than a "debating club", but it's NOT a "useless" debating club. The USA should not "exit" the UN. The UN needs to be reformed. LOve it or hate it: we all live on the same planet, with many problems and we know that diplomacy (UN!!!) can solve many problems. Not ALL problems. Sometimes we need to use force, but using force is controversial and controversial wars can escalate (we don't want WWIII). The UN Security Council is a perfect place to discuss what is acceptable (self defence/preemptive war -> Afghanistan) or what's unaccceptable (to "spread" democracy in the Middle East -> Iraq).

[Supporter]

I may not know much about kofi but since i did the report he has really mpressed me as a young blak, I am so glad that kofi has made a statement and made me proud to be an african.

Much love to my brother,
Kofi Annan