Zimbabwe: The Case For No U.N.

Here I thought the United Nations was supposed to protect the world's downtrodden, but, Holy Cow, it appears they are too busy quibbling over the wording of documents on human rights and passing resolutions condemning Israel for wanting to continue to exist to actually care about people.

Why do we even bother to have a U.N. when one day's news brings these two stories?

The men who pulled up in three white pickup trucks were looking for Patson Chipiro (pictured), head of the Zimbabwean opposition party in Mhondoro district. His wife, Dadirai, told them he was in Harare but would be back later in the day, and the men departed.

An hour later they were back. They grabbed Mrs Chipiro and chopped off one of her hands and both her feet. Then they threw her into her hut, locked the door and threw a petrol bomb through the window. (Times of London)

And this:

Zimbabwean authorities confiscated a truck loaded with 20 tons of American food aid for poor schoolchildren and ordered that the wheat and pinto beans aboard be handed out to supporters of President Robert Mugabe at a political rally instead, the American ambassador said Wednesday. (Times of New York)

Robert Mugabe has given the world more than enough lessons in why he should not be allowed to remain in power in Zimbabwe. By his hand, his country lies in ruin, thousands of graves are filled with people whose only crime was to question his government, and hunger for hope competes with hunger for food as the national past-time. But the U.N. lets him rule, pretending that the recent toss-up election was somehow fair and Mugabe somehow has a continuing right to leadership.

As evidence, Sec Gen Ban Ki-moon met with Mugabe recently in Rome for a little chat (Obama supporters take note), and now is dispatching a senior emissary to the country:

Haile Menkerios, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, is expected to visit Zimbabwe from next Monday until 20 June, a spokesperson for Mr. Ban announced today.

Mr. Menkerios will discuss the political situation and the upcoming presidential election – which is scheduled to take place on 27 June – while in the Southern African country. (UN News)

And what will come of that? Another report that says things are bad in Zimbabwe? Great. Try to find room for it on the shelf. How about this for an alternative?

Prior to the election, Banki can get behind the mikes and say that if Mugabe is re-elected or otherwise continues to hold onto power, he will push for Zimbabwe to be expelled from the United Nations as a "worthless state." So much for aid and assistance.

Then all the UN Peacekeepers in the area can be re-routed to Zimbabwe temporarily (giving the local populations of young girls and boys in the countries the Peacekeepers come from some blessed relief), in order to present an armed presence at the polls -- with shoot to kill orders for anyone attempting to disrupt the election.

Then, the UN could collect all the ballots and with international oversight, count them.

Then, the results in hand, they could arrest Robert Mugabe and his henchmen and ferry them off to The Hague for their trial as criminals against humanity.

In my dreams. The Mugabes of the world exist because the UN exists, giving them a legitimacy they don't deserve ... which is pretty easy to do, since the UN steeps in legitimacy it doesn't deserve.