7 ms·

I can actually understand the impulse to keep this quiet. Lack of trust in Aid missions or Peace Keeping missions is already hurting a lot of people.

deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
kmfrk 11y ago
These days, fucking up seems to be everything the UN peacekeepers are known for, though. The number of sexual assaults committed with impunity is staggering. I don't recommend googling it, because some of it is so heinous beyond your wildest imagination.
- verytrivial 11y ago
  Bad peacekeepers should be imprisoned. And a special place in hell is reserved for people who cover up abuse. That said, "what they're known for" may say more about the controversy-obsessed nature of media that anything. "Peacekeepers keep peace" will not sell, will it? And there are of course certain groups who would rather all authority be removed from the UN so they can operate freely.
  - mseebach 11y ago
    > That said, "what they're known for" may say more about the controversy-obsessed nature of media that anything Yeah, they're a lot like Blackwater that way. Snark aside, I find it deeply fascinating just how broad a benefit of the doubt UN peacekeepers get, compared to anything that has to do with the US military, or, heaven forbid it, Blackwater. Especially considering that most of what we hear about those organisations is filtered through the very same "controversy-obsessed" media.
    - marcosdumay 11y ago
      > I find it deeply fascinating just how broad a benefit of the doubt UN peacekeepers get, compared to anything that has to do with the US military Yes, it's really hard to imagine why UN peacekeepers have a bigger benefit of the doubt than a foreigner invading troop. Very hard. \s
- matt4077 11y ago
  Indeed, but consider that these efforts have benefits that are hard to measure, mostly because there's no counterfactual control group. If UN peacekeepers have had their intended effect ('keeping the peace') just once how many lives did that save? How many rapes are avoided? It's unfortunate that we have no other worlds to experiment with and no news channels dedicated to non-events.
  - kmfrk 11y ago
    I'm not saying UN peacekeepers aren't good; I just don't think it helps their cause to sweep all their glaring disasters under the rug. If the goal is trust, then this strategy seems self-defeating. Better to have transparency and justice.
- TorKlingberg 11y ago
  To be fair, what they are known for to you will depend mostly on what is reported by the media and what gets upvoted on social media sites.
emblem21 11y ago
"Our great and noble intentions accidentally wiped out a bunch of people... but we swear we are the good guys!!!!" I've seen hundreds of marketing types and executives prefer to chase their greed over recognizing the importance of accountability. Now, I'm witnessing altruistic types chase unfalsifiable humanist ideologies over recognizing the importance of accountability. I can't tell if you assume the downtrodden are so stupid they'll accept any charlatan who spouts beautiful intentions no matter the actual cost or that the noble hearts are so special that they deserve freedom from consequence indefinitely. Without accountability, both conclusions are the foundation of atrocity.
- seivan 11y ago
  As long as your views are pure and noble you are the good guy. Didn't you get the memo? Jokes aside, that's pretty much the standard modus operandi of most disingenuous assholes who pretend to care for minorities and/or the poor.

deleted 11y ago

[deleted]

kmfrk 11y ago

These days, fucking up seems to be everything the UN peacekeepers are known for, though. The number of sexual assaults committed with impunity is staggering. I don't recommend googling it, because some of it is so heinous beyond your wildest imagination.

verytrivial 11y ago
Bad peacekeepers should be imprisoned. And a special place in hell is reserved for people who cover up abuse. That said, "what they're known for" may say more about the controversy-obsessed nature of media that anything. "Peacekeepers keep peace" will not sell, will it? And there are of course certain groups who would rather all authority be removed from the UN so they can operate freely.
- mseebach 11y ago
  > That said, "what they're known for" may say more about the controversy-obsessed nature of media that anything Yeah, they're a lot like Blackwater that way. Snark aside, I find it deeply fascinating just how broad a benefit of the doubt UN peacekeepers get, compared to anything that has to do with the US military, or, heaven forbid it, Blackwater. Especially considering that most of what we hear about those organisations is filtered through the very same "controversy-obsessed" media.
  - marcosdumay 11y ago
    > I find it deeply fascinating just how broad a benefit of the doubt UN peacekeepers get, compared to anything that has to do with the US military Yes, it's really hard to imagine why UN peacekeepers have a bigger benefit of the doubt than a foreigner invading troop. Very hard. \s
matt4077 11y ago
Indeed, but consider that these efforts have benefits that are hard to measure, mostly because there's no counterfactual control group. If UN peacekeepers have had their intended effect ('keeping the peace') just once how many lives did that save? How many rapes are avoided? It's unfortunate that we have no other worlds to experiment with and no news channels dedicated to non-events.
- kmfrk 11y ago
  I'm not saying UN peacekeepers aren't good; I just don't think it helps their cause to sweep all their glaring disasters under the rug. If the goal is trust, then this strategy seems self-defeating. Better to have transparency and justice.
TorKlingberg 11y ago
To be fair, what they are known for to you will depend mostly on what is reported by the media and what gets upvoted on social media sites.

emblem21 11y ago

"Our great and noble intentions accidentally wiped out a bunch of people... but we swear we are the good guys!!!!" I've seen hundreds of marketing types and executives prefer to chase their greed over recognizing the importance of accountability. Now, I'm witnessing altruistic types chase unfalsifiable humanist ideologies over recognizing the importance of accountability. I can't tell if you assume the downtrodden are so stupid they'll accept any charlatan who spouts beautiful intentions no matter the actual cost or that the noble hearts are so special that they deserve freedom from consequence indefinitely. Without accountability, both conclusions are the foundation of atrocity.

seivan 11y ago
As long as your views are pure and noble you are the good guy. Didn't you get the memo? Jokes aside, that's pretty much the standard modus operandi of most disingenuous assholes who pretend to care for minorities and/or the poor.