Punditry StaffWhether one observes American police brutality at home against innocent citizens, Iranian brutality against women refusing to wear the Hijab, or Russian troops targeting schools and hospitals in Ukraine, one cannot but wonder why such barbarity is so prevalent around the world. Human rights are under assault in many corners of this planet, yet we cannot put an end to the savagery of humans acting against other humans. Other than the socioeconomic reasons behind our barbarism lies the United Nations structural failures as the international body to protect human rights, which keeps failing the world because of its inherent veto weakness.
No country, no matter how powerful, should have a veto power over any motion or proposal the United Nations decides to launch, debate, or investigate. The U.N. is not a serious project to protect ourselves from our own barbarism. Imagine five U.S. Senators holding veto powers over any legislation at the Senate to fully grasp why cruelty, in today’s game of conquerors and conquered, is so frequent against fellow human beings.
The moment the absolute majority of Americans decide that our humanity can no longer stand for racism and its barbarity is the day we embrace civility over savagery.
RACISM IS A HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE
In the U.S., for example, in the post-era of George Floyd, many towns and small communities are cracking down on police brutality. Yet, it keeps happening because racism is more powerful than fear. The racists among us are willing to lose their jobs or lose their freedom to practice their hateful craft. We believe the United Nations should put those U.S. communities and repeat offenders on notice the very same way we put Iran on notice against its horrible human rights record.
And even though our own government and most of our legislators stand against police brutality in our communities, unlike in Russia or Iran where the state itself promotes violence against its own and others, the fact remains that racism is a human rights issue the United Nations should highlight in its annual human rights reports. Even if our laws provide the guarantees against such racism.
Why the United Nations will not touch such a hot rod? Because the United States is the beacon of freedom many look up to as the standard baseline every country should aspire to pursue. Even though police brutality against black Americans continues to plague our society.
The moment the absolute majority of Americans decide that our humanity can no longer stand for racism and its barbarity is the day we embrace civility over savagery.
We are basking in the glory of our veto power at the expense of the torture and deaths of millions around the planet.
THE UNITED NATIONS IS HELPLESS IN STOPPING IRANIAN ATROCITIES
A veto power is a form of tyranny, if you ask us. What gives any country the right to tell others what is acceptable for their nation and those of its allies is not acceptable for others. A large nuclear arsenal? A superpower status? Or mere arrogance? If the United States truly began acting like Sweden or Denmark, why would we need the veto at the United Nations? That singular form of monopoly promotes violence and barbarism even when the United States does not intended to be, or its laws refute a violent outcome.
On Iran, we are all watching with absolute horror what the Iranian regime of terror is doing to its people. Yet, here we are standing frozen to act to save the innocent because of our own making. We are basking in the glory of our veto power at the expense of the torture and deaths of millions around the planet.
In fact, the lowest common denominator in our efforts to brandish the veto power renders all attempts at civility quite minuscule as compared to how easy it is to employ barbaric ways to achieve our goals.
Fix the United Nations or generation after generation will witness nothing but extreme violence in every corner of the world.
THE RUSSIAN VETO POWER
Many who discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine do so by highlighting the Russian nuclear arsenal as the most critical threat. Many don’t even delve into the veto power a violent country, like Russia, possesses to skirt accountability.
In reality, if Russia did not hold that veto power, we could, instead of unilateral sanctions, impose global sanctions on the country to force it to moderate its behavior. Such cannot happen today. Astoundingly, Russia is immune from any accountability. To include killing women and children in Ukraine, or anywhere else.
What kind of system encourages such animalistic behavior? The veto system at the United Nations does. The United Nations structural failures encourage cruelty and violence against conquered peoples and lands.
For any person, be they in a position of power or not, to call this world order humane would also be promoting barbarism over human rights. We cannot allow the violation of other people human rights become the norm because it will always, like a metal press bending steel, yield more discontent, more anarchy, and more and more lawlessness.
Ours is a world disorder as long as we cannot establish a system to respect the human rights of others. Imagine for a moment this world where blood flowing is one we dub “western civilization” to fully understand our own shortcomings as humans responsible for the welfare of our own species.
We cannot be cruel against others and call ourselves civilized, or tout a world order of any kind. It’s the very essence of malicious intent.
Fix the United Nations or generation after generation will witness nothing but extreme violence in every corner of the world.
The United Nations Structural Failures Encourage Cruelty
Punditry Staff
