From The Nation:
US Ambassador John Bolton was wearing an uncharacteristic smile when he came to the microphone outside the Council chamber to give his spin on the almost certain confirmation of Ban. Some observers saw joy at the election of Bolton’s favored candidate, others the smile of an assassin wiping his blade and contemplating his handiwork, scuppering other candidates with a discreet and anonymous veto.
(Hat tip to {Oh God, do I really have to tip the hat? Yes, it is the polite thing to do.} Smintheus at the Daily Kos.
That Kosmonaut also linked to a piece from the Guardian that calls Ban ‘faceless’ and says that UN rank-and-file workers are ‘glum’ about his likely election.
Interestingly, Joshua at the Korea Liberator is also pessimistic about Ban’s rise for similar reasons:
I suppose this moment completes my transition from internationalist, to U.N. skeptic, to one who now believes that there is no hope for the U.N. to become an effective enforcer of international peace, security, or human rights. Now organizations like NATO, the Proliferation Security Initiative, and various ad-hoc coaltions must do the heavy lifting. If Ban can keep control of the U.N., let it become a global public health clinic. If Hugo Chavez and company wrest it away, let it fade into obscurity.
As a bit more of an old-school conservative, I see Ban’s appointment as a welcome development. Putting as ineffective a person as possible in the Secretary General’s position could help our European brothers and sisters shake their illusion that the UN can be an effective enforcer of international peace, security or human rights. The UN could never do anything if one of the major powers in the Security Council opposed it. The U.N.’s one great success in stopping armed aggression (Korea) was a historical accident brought about by a Soviet boycott.
Even if there is no major power opposition, UN resolutions are useless unless one or more of the major powers step up to enforce them. Witness Lebanon: the UN mission there will fail unless the French step up with enough troops. In any case, if the UN mission there actually succeeds in disarming hezbollah, I would be shocked.
In short, the UN can only do something of substance in places and incidences where doing so would not conflict with the interests of any of the major powers (like, say, feeding starving babies). To expect anything more than that of it is to invest your hopes in a pipe dream.
Given that, my first choice for Secretary General of the United Nations would be an orang utang in a tuxedo. But Ban Ki-moon will do just fine.
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re the guardian article: just more racist claptrap from people who’ve made racism an art form. just the other day, the paper said that south korea was buying the un post. it’s also the paper that suggested that had pyongchang won for the winter olympics, an investigation into vote rigging would have been in order.
just more racist claptrap from those who excel at racism. nothing more.
re claptrap: but I thought the Guardian was a British paper not a South Korean one…
the reality that pawi would rather not admit: koreans are in full bragging mode and giddy with “look at us and all our diplomatic power” pride about ban’s likely winning the secretary general…but they’re not willing to deal with the inevitable criticisms and heat that come with having that position.
as usual, they want all the recognition and publicity but none of the responsibility that comes with it. crying “racism” is the default response for any critic that points out the “timely” aid packages to african countries with a vote, or the obvious fact that ban is running on empty in the gravitas department.
Kinda goofy of korea passing out the cash-filled envelopes (and grand pianos!?) when the blandness of Ban had the position wrapped up–must be in the SOP. Guess the nation couldn’t leave to chance the opportunity the rush to the bow, throw out its arms, and shout “I’m the king of the world!”
Still hoping for an October surprise that’ll knock Ban out and outrage korea; there’s nothing funnier than an outraged korea. But it looks like I’ll have to content myself knowing the inevitable shannigans of Ban’s wife and kids will be in the headlines a few years from now.
That’s right Pawi, a left-wing newspaper that spent decades criticizing apartheid, that now fights against Islamophobia, that always loved having a black guy at the head of the UN, is the paper that has “made racism an art form.”
Why? Because it points out the obvious fact that a man so bland and dull and poor at communicating could hardly have knocked everyone out of the running on his own merits. (This may come as a shock to Korean people, but English-language skills are not hard to find at the UN.)
Norman Jacobson: “In the West, power follows wealth. In Korea, wealth follows power.” We know the implications of this sad fact for Koreans who make it to the top of their own organizations or international ones for that matter. See how that ninny in the International Olympic Committee disgraced Korea. Let’s just hope Ban can break the mold.
But Pawi, the Guardian is perhaps the leading LEFTIST newspaper in the west, and usually leads the finger-pointing “Racist!” shame campaigns any reader of this blog could imagine you enthusiastically approving of. They once had a columnist so lefty-mad that once, while in Pakistan after 9/11 to ‘feel their pain’ and collect denunciations of his own country for his column, he was beaten close to death by a Muslim mob that formed around him in the street and then wrote from his hospital bed that he deserved it for his crime of being white and British. I know you share his feelings, on the white part at least, so perhaps an apology to your ideological brothers at the Guardian are in order.
About the nomination: Does anyone else predict extensive Korean outrage and angst when the new Secretary-General begins receiving the usual insults and sneers from the American right? Secretary-General’s have always been the favorite whipping boys of the American right, but I predict the national huff (here in Korea) when radio host A and minor Congressman B commence the insults will be great theatre for us all.
Indeed, Hugh, they will be freaking out. Especially since their own media aren’t telling them that the US is putting Ban in the post in the first place.
ahhhhhhhh, do you all feel better now? feel more manly? feel more virile? make you ready for a night in texas?
‘a left wing newspaper! a left wing newspaper! they defended muslims!’ cried the lil guy named montclaire
i think you need to read what i wrote. is english your second language?
‘nothing more funny than an angry korean.’ exclaimed the expat
unless you got a conservative bunch of angry white guys crying about being the new victims.
‘they’re only deporting them cause they’re white!’ cried the drunk and unshaven expat
too funny.
Ban is about as good as any other career diplomat–he’ll be fine as UN head. It’s the UN itself that’s a useless, corrupt organization. We’ll have to see if he has the cojones to clean out the stable.
The first problem with Ban is that he received no opposition to the post… If the easy access to positions in the UN by nations unsuited for those respected spots is any indication, then the rise of Ban to SG should stand to the level of bland patronage we have come to expect of the UN. Here’s to another term of nothing being done. I nominate Helms for SG.
Pawi, don’t feel bad just because South Korean culture has become institutionally suave at bribing its way to what it can’t legitimately earn. I know it feels good to rest on racism when you can’t otherwise argue effectively. Aside from the occasional expat you lovingly refer to, I’d say the rounding majority of world citizens and institutions have exhibited a stunning level of indifference towards Ban and even greater lack of concern over this part of the world where you so easily whither under the shroud of assumed racism. Grow some balls there Francis.
Gee pawikirogi sounds like you need a girlfriend. At the very least, you would have less time to come up with clever ways to abuse the white folk.
Or should I have said boyfriend? At any rate, more hugs=less spite.
By the way, the koreans are famous for not paying thier UN dues.
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