Saturday, August 27, 2005

What America Does Not Believe In

Having now seen most of the deletions, amendments and insertions to the draft UN summit agreement, the rest of the World now clearly understands this Bush Administration's Foreign Policy. These changes were presented by John Bolton, a cynical, politically maneuvered appointment, placed to ensure that the UN is finally finished off. John Bolton's core belief is the US interests should always take precedence over the search for compromise with the international community. Here are some of the core values of this American administration:

  1. America does not want "respect for nature". In other words, it wants the freedom to rape and pillage the world's resources for its own selfish desires.
  2. It does not support all efforts to uphold the sovereign equality of all states. America arrogantly believes it is superior to all other countries and will pay lip-service to those countries' independence that "support" it, while having the freedom to violate other countries' freedoms and independence when it suits or needs.
  3. America does not want the right of self-determination of peoples which remain under colonial domination and foreign occupation. Obviously, once America has invaded a sovereign state, it needs the time to subjugate the people, so that it can rape and steal that country's resources - the only reason America invaded in the first place. (Unfortunately, they are not very good when it comes to military action - inparticular; Exit stratergies).
  4. America does not want to provide the UN with the organisation and resources to fully implement its mandates. Clearly, America wants to reserve the right to cherry-pick the countries it wants invaded, and as there is no oil in Dafur or Niger, that's why no action is being taken in those countries. There is no material spin off for America stopping children and babies being slaughtered by a regime that appears more blatantly vicious than Saddam Hussein's.
  5. America does not want to implement it's part of the internationally agreed development goals, and in particular want to renege on the millennium development goals. In other words, America only provides help to countries that are useful to it.
  6. In the global battle against corruption, America does not want corporate responsibility and accountability to be a part of that fight. Clearly, Bush's friends want to continue to make money by whatever means with impunity.
  7. America does not want to develop a timetable to achieve the Official Development Assistance of 0.7% GNP by 2015. This Administration's attitude appears to be; "Who cares, if the rest of the world is falling behind, as long as we have everything we need, and no international body can hinder our greed and desire for other countries resources".
  8. America does not recognise that climate change is a serious and long-term challenge that will affect every part of the world (including the USA). America does not want to develop institutions for the sustainable use and management of natural resources
  9. America does not want to take action against man's role in affecting climate change. It's very happy being the dirtiest country in the world, allowing it's own population to choke on it's own pollution, and cares not that the pollution is carried to the rest of the world on the jet-stream and ocean currents.
  10. On the treatment of HIV/AIDS in Africa, America does not want to provide prevention, care and treatment ..."on a grant basis, and encourage [its] pharmaceutical companies to make anti-retroviral drugs affordable and accessible in Africa". No, the Administration wants to be sure that its pharmaceutical companies can continue to make the outrageous profits it has been, well into the future.
  11. Obviously, America does not agree that the use of force should be considered as an instrument of last resort. Come on, think of all those American arms manufacturers who don't make a profit unless countries are fighting each other.
  12. America does not want to disarm. A great example to those who are thinking about developing the "bomb". If its right for America; its right for me.
  13. America, obviously, does not want to co-operate with the international criminal court, or any other appropriate mechanism for international justice. It can't support this because it would be in the dock itself.
These are just a few of the things that Bush and his cronies want changed and reflected, to ensure that the draft charter is so watered down that it becomes meaningless. The reality, of course, is that Right-Wing America doesn't want a UN at all, as it can prove meddlesome when America is trying to secretly achieve its aims, or trample all over other people's freedoms. What a shining light of leadership and moral example to the rest of the world the US is at the moment.

In terms of human history, the UN is still in its infancy, with the prospect of becoming a true global power for good. Unfortunately, for the sake of greed and the moment, the American administration of today wants to destroy it. Perhaps it is "unpatriotic" to seek security through agreement, rather than violence.

4 comments:

Lake Jackson Citizen said...

Hands across the water. Thank you for bringing me up to date on Yosemite Bolton's latest misdeeds on our behalf. My attention span can surround only so much evil. The UN issues are of vast importance but I'm afraid I haven't been paying enough attention to them.

Mark said...

Thanks Tom. To us on this side of the pond, the UN is a very importany institution, and one that individual countries shouldn't play fast and loose with.

sandegaye said...

Excellent posting mark! I'm going to recommend people read it!

*btw, my last 2 comments on your blog haven't appeared.. something screwy is still going on in Blogger world.

Julie said...

my neighbor works hard in the environmental fight here, check out his work http://web.utk.edu/~nolt/default.html

his vita speaks for itself, his books are outstanding. But unfortunately he is among few in an uphill battle here.