Put The UN Out Of Its Misery, Please

First, a confession. We detest the UN system -- the simultaneous mirth and rage its naive, therefore dangerous, idealism evokes in us cannot be overstated.

UN is where all nations come together, as equals, for world peace. Yeah, right. Rampant corruption is more like the UN's slice of brie. And standing up for the sovereign rights of miserable dictators like Saddam Hussain, and cretinesque dictaorships like Pakistan seeking "self-determination" for another nation's people. Give us a break.

The UN is socialist in its design -- therefore deeply flawed, even immoral. Even if we set aside its corruption and ineffectiveness, the UN's funding and expenditures, in theory, are based on that evil idea "from each according to his ability, to each according to his need".

Evil? Is that not too harsh?

A system that eliminates positive incentives that impel people and nations, no matter what their station in life, to quit complaining, chin-up, and bootstrap out of their present misery is surely evil. For UN to sustain itself, human misery has to stay in place (as it has remained even after half a century of UN benevolence -- it's even arguable that in parts of the world today people live more miserable lives than any of their ancestors have ever lived). Thanks a lot, UN.

Idealists among us have tasked the UN to attack human misery, thereby committing organizational hara-kiri (what, afterall, is the UN's value in a post-misery world?). Anyone who knows bureaucracies knows this ain't gonna' happen.

So, here's a suggestion. Once the upcoming, so-called reform is through, and India is predictably denied the Security Council seat it so (pathetically) covets, it should quit whining, chin-up, and bootstrap itself out of the UN.

Imagine the aftershocks. A billion people democracy disawows a corrupt and unrepresentative UN. WOW! Now that's an act of demonstrated power and confidence.

The world's going to have to deal with India, UN or no UN. In the high-noon shoot-out between the immoral East River bureaucracy and the moral Indian democracy, guess who'll come out ahead. By showing leadership and confidence, India would have made the first great-power splash of the 21st century -- believe us, there are many other nations who will then follow India's lead and that will, finally, thankfully end this blue-helmet charade we call the UN.

You want to be a great power, India -- here it is, a whopper of an opportunity. Put the UN out of its misery, please.