4 ms·

One benefit of the UN, though it may not take proactive steps, is that it is an outlet to prevent a problem from becoming worse. It's very much cathartic theate

One benefit of the UN, though it may not take proactive steps, is that it is an outlet to prevent a problem from becoming worse. It's very much cathartic theater. So, when the Soviet Union put down uprisings in Hungary and Czechoslovakia that were tacitly encouraged by the US, there was a forum whereby the Soviet action could be condemned while avoiding military action that would have made the situation much much worse. Viewing the UN through the lens of cathartic inaction speaks to a different kind of utility.

bluefirebrand 6y ago
I'm sure that the people in Hu gary and Czechoslovakia were thrilled that it didn't escalate beyond that. What a relief!
- tsimionescu 6y ago
  Given how 99.9% of wars end up for the people in whose country the war is waged, yes, the people of Hungary and Czechosovachia are probably thankful.
rblatz 6y ago
I'm not sure why you are downvoted, but you are correct. The UN was created to prevent another world war. Which it has been successful at.
- jgon 6y ago
  Nuclear weapons and basically nothing else is why there has not been another world war. The UN has had absolutely no part in this outcome and I struggle to think of any positive thing it has been successful at, beside possibly peacekeeping missions, for the entirety of its existence.
  - sofixa 6y ago
    The Cuban Missile crisis got pretty far with nuclear weapons, and UN embarrassment and pressure played a part in the USSR's response and ultimate back down.
    - deodorel 6y ago
      Actually the us backed down. The crisis was triggered by the installation of us nuclear missiles in turkey, a arm length away from russia. They responded by putting missiles in Cuba. The end game was us pulling its missiles from Turkey and ussr from Cuba.
  - idownvoted 6y ago
    The UN is to international peace what the FIFA is to soccer: Somewhat involved in nurturing it to a higher level, although that would have happened without it anyway. Beyond that completely devolved into a curruption feast. Look no further than what entities made it into the current "UN human rights council": Usbekistan, Cuba, Russia and China. And its not a coincidence: Prior to them Sudan, Lybia, Mauretania, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela got to be the Champions of Human Rights. A complete joke. Meanwhile the same UN issued more condemnations of the democratic state of Israel than of all other nations combined (2006-2015: 61 against Israel, 54 all others, none against China).
    - GekkePrutser 6y ago
      Indeed, that human rights thing in particular is a total joke. I'm sure those awards were the result of some kind of negotiation but by doing this the UN just completely undermines itself in the public eye.
    - sofixa 6y ago
      > Meanwhile the same UN issued more condemnations of the democratic state of Israel than of all other nations combined (2006-2015: 61 against Israel, 54 all others, none against China). I don't see what democracy has to do with it. Plenty of democratic countries have and still do violate human rights, and Israel is particularly egregious. Maybe the UN considers they have more authority/clout over Israel than Myanmar? Maybe it's due to this usually happening via the General Assembly, where there are quite a lot of Muslim countries who have a bone to pick with Israel by default, so jump at any opportunity ( and there are plenty of them)?
      - idownvoted 6y ago
        > Israel is particularly egregious Of course you won't delight us with any facts that prove your anti-semitic statement, will you? Does Israel put Palestinians into Gulags ("Re-Education Camps") like China does? Does it jail people for voicing their opinion like Cuba and Venezuela do, or kills them if they pray to the wrong god or love the wrong gender? Surely you will back your statement up, with enough data, that explains how Israel is more evil than all the atrocities mentioned above combined (eg "2006-2015: 61 against Israel, 54 all others, none against China"). Surely.

bluefirebrand 6y ago

I'm sure that the people in Hu gary and Czechoslovakia were thrilled that it didn't escalate beyond that. What a relief!

tsimionescu 6y ago
Given how 99.9% of wars end up for the people in whose country the war is waged, yes, the people of Hungary and Czechosovachia are probably thankful.

rblatz 6y ago

I'm not sure why you are downvoted, but you are correct. The UN was created to prevent another world war. Which it has been successful at.

jgon 6y ago
Nuclear weapons and basically nothing else is why there has not been another world war. The UN has had absolutely no part in this outcome and I struggle to think of any positive thing it has been successful at, beside possibly peacekeeping missions, for the entirety of its existence.
- sofixa 6y ago
  The Cuban Missile crisis got pretty far with nuclear weapons, and UN embarrassment and pressure played a part in the USSR's response and ultimate back down.
  - deodorel 6y ago
    Actually the us backed down. The crisis was triggered by the installation of us nuclear missiles in turkey, a arm length away from russia. They responded by putting missiles in Cuba. The end game was us pulling its missiles from Turkey and ussr from Cuba.
- idownvoted 6y ago
  The UN is to international peace what the FIFA is to soccer: Somewhat involved in nurturing it to a higher level, although that would have happened without it anyway. Beyond that completely devolved into a curruption feast. Look no further than what entities made it into the current "UN human rights council": Usbekistan, Cuba, Russia and China. And its not a coincidence: Prior to them Sudan, Lybia, Mauretania, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela got to be the Champions of Human Rights. A complete joke. Meanwhile the same UN issued more condemnations of the democratic state of Israel than of all other nations combined (2006-2015: 61 against Israel, 54 all others, none against China).
  - GekkePrutser 6y ago
    Indeed, that human rights thing in particular is a total joke. I'm sure those awards were the result of some kind of negotiation but by doing this the UN just completely undermines itself in the public eye.
  - sofixa 6y ago
    > Meanwhile the same UN issued more condemnations of the democratic state of Israel than of all other nations combined (2006-2015: 61 against Israel, 54 all others, none against China). I don't see what democracy has to do with it. Plenty of democratic countries have and still do violate human rights, and Israel is particularly egregious. Maybe the UN considers they have more authority/clout over Israel than Myanmar? Maybe it's due to this usually happening via the General Assembly, where there are quite a lot of Muslim countries who have a bone to pick with Israel by default, so jump at any opportunity ( and there are plenty of them)?
    - idownvoted 6y ago
      > Israel is particularly egregious Of course you won't delight us with any facts that prove your anti-semitic statement, will you? Does Israel put Palestinians into Gulags ("Re-Education Camps") like China does? Does it jail people for voicing their opinion like Cuba and Venezuela do, or kills them if they pray to the wrong god or love the wrong gender? Surely you will back your statement up, with enough data, that explains how Israel is more evil than all the atrocities mentioned above combined (eg "2006-2015: 61 against Israel, 54 all others, none against China"). Surely.