Mickey Z

Cool Observer

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Monday, April 11, 2005

Is Bolton UN-important?

Lots of talk lately about Wolfie heading the World Bank and John Bolton being nominated to represent (sic) the U.S. at the UN. I’m wondering, based on the track records of those institutions, if any of this matters enough to dedicate so much time, energy, and web space to it. The U.S. dominates the UN and the World Bank (not to mention the WTO, IMF, NATO, etc.) to such a degree that it’s not unreasonable to question those who believe these organizations can be reformed in any way worth celebrating.

(Oops...wrong Bolton)

This line of thought made me dig out something I wrote some 15 years ago on the concept: “It’s crucial to avoid wasting time fighting battles not worth winning. If the corporate-owned politicians want to dismantle PBS, let ‘em. It’s time to create our own independent media. They want to end the NEA? Fine. It doesn’t take money to create art; it takes balls. The Food and Drug Administration is being weakened? It won’t matter to anyone engaging in a healthy lifestyle that involves vegetarianism and (so-called) alternative medicine. They’re challenging affirmative action? Great. Why would any progressive female or minority want access to all that corruption anyway? City University of New York is raising its tuition? Hey, since when did the U.S. educational system offer anything worth paying for? In other words, let the capitalist hierarchy drown in its own hypocrisy, fear, and greed. We’ll be too busy creating an independent society to notice or care.”

Naive? Sure...but no more naive than those who think blocking Bolton at the UN will be a major victory. It also seems that no matter who Dubya nominates at the UN (or anywhere), the loyal opposition will reflexively cry foul. This knee-jerk reaction runs the risk of presenting the false perception that someone like Kerry or Gore would have made “better” choices (or Clinton and Carter did). The UN sucked long before Bush suggested Bolton. Consider this piece I wrote when most people had never heard of Ward Churchill:
http://www.counterpunch.org/mickey12202003.html