Thursday, September 28, 2017

Trump said what U.N. needed to hear

Opinion by John T. "Red" Ryan

WHETHER OR NOT one is a supporter or in opposition to President Donald J. Trump, one has to like his recent sojourn to the United Nations.

The venerable world organization has been increasingly moving into waters that are increasingly unproductive for world peace; being unduly supportive of states that promote persecution of religious minorities and mark for physical abuse (even death) those who are homosexual. trans-gender or in anyway don't fit into their standards.  

THE UNITED NATIONS has gone so far as to place the very countries who are the biggest offenders in these human rights areas in charge of the very committees that are supposed to seek solutions.

For example, in recent years, the U.N. General Assembly has chosen the governments of such countries as Libya and Iraq to had up important committees as the U.N.'s Commission on Human Rights; whereas these are among the very worst offenders. The result is that instead of using the strength of U,N. sanctions in those areas, we find the undue criticism directed toward the United States, Israel, Great Britain, France and the other Western powers. 

THE SITUATION HAS degenerated to just that degree. But things were far different when the organization was founded. That would be in the waning days of World War II. It was then that the sentiment got really strong for such an international cooperative. The name "United Nations" was taken from the term that was then being used when referring to the Allied Powers who were waging the war against Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, Imperial Japan and their satellite countries. These enemy nations were referred to as the Axis Powers, meaning all that revolved around the Berlin/Rome/Tokyo axis. 

THE IDEA OF having such an international member organization dedicated to maintaining world peace and encouraging cooperation in the areas of industry, commerce (business/trade), science and medicine was not a new one and such proposals had been around since the time of our American Revolution. It was first put into reality following the Armistice in World War I of November 11, 1918, at 11:00 AM (the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, to be exact.) The formation of the League of Nations was an integral component of the Treaty of Versailles (January 10, 1920), which was largely the creation of United States President, Woodrow Wilson. The League had some early successes; but failed to prevent the Second World Conflict. This was at least in part due to the fact that the U.S. never ratified the Versailles agreement; hence never became a member.

BUT NOW LET us get back to this past week and how "the Donald" fared at the U.N.  It is our feeling that he was viewed much in the same manner as was President Ronald Reagan when he dealt with foreign powers; be they friend or foe. Whether or not it was true and deserved or not, Mr. Reagan was widely thought of as being a "cowboy" or a "loose cannon" and far from his predecessor, President Jimmy Carter. Inasmuch as perception can be very powerful, this  can work very well on our behalf today, just as it did in the 1980s.

MR. TRUMP HAS been in the public view for years now and is used to meeting people who are at the top of their fields; be it business and industry, science and religion, as well as dignitaries in government from all corners of the world. When you add this to the ideas and principals as advocated in the President's best seller, THE ART OF THE DEAL, you come up with a chief executive who is both a shrewd dealer at he bargaining table as well as having the potential of being a great statesman. For just what is a "deal" but the product of negotiation?

AS FAR AS his dressing down the U.N..we feel that it's high time that someone did just that! For if the present anti-American, pro-brutal dictatorship policies continue, we'll have real trouble here at our own doorstep. As it is now operating, if we had our druthers, we'd give all these parasite nations a year to close out business and make their move anywhere; but not before they all clear up the infinitesimal number of traffic fines they've accumulated since 1945 and evaded paying under the policy of diplomatic immunity. We'd then turn the U.N. building into a combination hotel and casino complex. It would at least then be serving some useful purpose.

AS FOR THE aforementioned outstanding parking ticket fine$, the total would doubtless pay off our national debt!

NOTE: CONGRATS to you Cub fans on your team's clinching the NL Central Division!  And Cub fans remember, the League of Nations mentioned in the above column is not the same as your National League!

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John T. “Red” Ryan is a retired Chicago police officer and Garfield Ridge resident. 

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