The first thing to acknowledge about the United Nations is that – they’re not. There are currently 192 United Nations member states, roughly 1/3 of which can be considered democracies. It is a given that on any issue the United States brings to the U.N., it will be in a minority and will not receive support. We fund 20% of the U.N. budget, but continue to be the whipping boy for every two-bit dictator and we continue to allow it.
Last week it was Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, the kind of man who makes one rethink Executive order 12333.

While enough has been written about Mr. Chavez and his remarks certainly say more about him and United Nations than they do about our president, Chavez did make one comment this past week that is worth evaluating when he said the United Nations was worthless. At some point, the United States is going to have to acknowledge that funding dictators and tyrants and then begging for their support in matters that go against their beliefs and best interests may not be the best way to run our foreign policy.

While I would certainly be open to a United Nations of democracies, or at least of like interest, the current model just doesn’t make sense.

This is an organization that last year condemned Israel 19 times, but did not condemn Sudan and their acts in Darfur even once. It is an organization that will only move when there is genocide, so they simply refuse to label any act as genocide.

The United Nations will accept any act, any comment, any view, as long as it is anti-America. Imagine the world’s outcry if John Bolton had called another world leader a devil, crossed himself (by the way – a religious act) and referred to a smell of sulfur. He would have been pilloried. However, Hugo Chavez possesses the two traits that get him a free pass throughout most of the world and certainly from the left in our own country.

He hates America and loves Castro.

America should acknowledge – and then act on the acknowledgement – that every single action we take, every dollar we invest (here or abroad) and every decision we make starts with a single premise – is it in the best interests of the United States of America.

If it is, move forward. If it is not, withdraw. It’s that simple.