Stephen P. plants tongue firmly in cheek...

This comes from Historical Methods student Stephen P.:

The recent oil for food program has come under fire for allowing many in the United Nations to profit from unethical business relations while Iraq suffered under United Nation sanctions. While the extent of the corruption remains unseen, it’s clear that Kofi Annan has lied about his son’s involvement and has had to “clarify” his statements. The following articles show the hypocrisy and secretive nature of the United Nations. A supposed model of world government, tasked with promotion human rights and international law lacks the simplest assurance when it comes to freedom of information. Here by allowing its members to secretly prosecute their agendas without fear of public knowledge. Behind a mask of internationalism the United Nations continues to pick and choose what aspects of the world it chooses to ”help” but surely the United Nations’ calling of internationalism out weighs its minor errors?

http://www.nysun.com/article/5372

“(…) One of the next big chapters in the United Nations oil-for-food scandal will involve the family of the secretary-general, Kofi Annan, whose son turns out to have been receiving payments as recently as early this year from a key contractor in the oil-for-food program. (…)”

What the press fails to realize is those who answer the call of world unity and peace do not fall prey to such trivial notions of personal gain. The future must be forged from a homogeneous position of international law and human rights and the men and women of the United Nations wield the hammer of international law and have the anvil of human rights.

“(…) But investigators are now looking into new information suggesting that the younger Annan received far more money over a much longer period, even after his compensation from Cotecna had reportedly ended. (…)”

“(…) The Wall Street Journal reported that even after Kojo Annan's Cotecna consultancy ended in 1998,he continued to receive payments from Cotecna through the end of 1999, as well as having use over that same period of a company credit card. (…)”

Clearly continuing to pay officials in the United Nations would not affect any decisions they are bound to make during their tenure at this esteemed institution. Clearly the press does not understand the personal integrity of a high member of the United Nations.

“(…) The pattern in this scandal has been that Secretary-General Annan, until confronted by the press, has either failed to spot or failed to disclose timely information about Cotecna's paychecks for his son. (…)”

But why should he? Surely the United Nations is above the press and lesser sovereign governments? The very idea that one would question this higher institution of the civilized world is absurd. After all aren’t they the ones who stopped the genocide in Rwanda and Kosovo? A reputation and moral high ground above question, such petty inferences from the press and partisan governments only delay more important matters of internationalism.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/world/2920140

“(…) The paper listed about 270 former government officials, activists, journalists and U.N. officials from more than 46 countries suspected of profiting from oil sales. (…)”

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=285035

“(…) Kojo Annan, the U.N. leader's son, was paid $2,500 monthly — a total of $125,000 — by Geneva-based Cotecna from the beginning of 2000 through last February, as part of an agreement not to compete with Cotecna in West Africa after he left the firm, U.N. chief spokesman Fred Eckhard said. (…)”

“(…)The United Nations had previously disclosed that Kojo Annan was given monthly $2,500 payments only through the end of 1999 after leaving Cotecna at the end of 1998. Cotecna approved the payments just days after the contract was awarded. Kofi Annan and the United Nations have previously denied any wrongdoing or ethical lapse in awarding the contract. (…)”

Paying Kojo Annan $2,500 a month is totally consistent with the skills he brings to the company. Just look, he was able to help the company win a very profitable contract with the United Nations oil for food program. What company would want someone like that working for the competition?

“(…) Congressional investigators say Saddam Hussein's regime reaped over $21 billion from kickbacks and oil smuggling before and during the time the now-defunct program was in operation. (…)”

If not solely for the moral obligation to allow a government to provide for its people, any money which found its way to Saddam Hussein’s regime surely increased the stability of the progressive secular government of Iraq.

One day the people of the world will realize the importance of a homogeneous international utopia and forget these petty flea bites. One day an international body and court will rule all peoples and such “liberal” ideas of liberty and freedoms will no longer interfere with the greater good of the human race. What archaic society would not forfeit its sovereignty for the creation of such a benevolent international body? These worthless claims of abuse in the United Nations only stress the need for such a body to exist and to police the actions of all those around, as to avoid such partisan divides amongst governments. It’s amazing that after the twentieth century, the bloodiest in the history of man what anyone could argue against the creation of larger more powerful government bodies.

How come so many of my best students are such reactionary wingnuts? :)