The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it - Henry David Thoreau

The United Censors

by Hal_10000

I believe the UN has its uses.  It’s work on health issues is good (it did wipe out smallpox after all).  It gives half-wit countries a venue in which to say nasty things about the country that’s funding their battles against AIDS and loaning them money.  That’s an improvement over doing nasty things to us.

But as a serious institution for solving the world’s problem, it’s just a bad joke:

Islamic countries Monday won United Nations backing for an anti-blasphemy measure Canada and other Western critics say risks being used to limit freedom of speech.

Combating Defamation of Religions passed 85-50 with 42 abstentions in a key UN General Assembly committee, and will enter into the international record after an expected rubber stamp by the plenary later in the year.

But while the draft’s sponsors say it and earlier similar measures are aimed at preventing violence against worshippers regardless of religion, religious tolerance advocates warn the resolutions are being accumulated for a more sinister goal.

...

Passage of the resolution is part of a 10-year action plan the 57-state Organization of Islamic Conference launched in 2005 to ensure “renaissance” of the “Muslim Ummah” or community.

While the current resolution is non-binding, Pakistan’s Ambassador Masood Khan reminded the UN’s Human Rights Council this year that the OIC ultimately seeks a “new instrument or convention” on the issue. Such a measure would impose its terms on signatory states

As the article points out, you can’t accuse someone of “defaming” religion unless you accept its tenets as absolute truth.  You would not be able to even question anyone’s belief under such a rule without risking criminal charges.

Actually, after typing that, I’m surprised that the smoldering remnant of the GOP isn’t getting behind this idea.

Comments

Posted by mikeguas on 12/01/08 at 06:02 PM from

I still say we kick the UN out. It can be done amicably. One way is to push for the UN headquarters to reside wherever the secretary general resides. This will be like the Olymics for third world nations, where one might be the lucky winner, and will get the recognition that they’ll be hosting the UN for a few years. Jobs and money will come with it. But best all, they’ll get the F out of this country.

Posted by on 12/01/08 at 07:11 PM from

You’re not expecting the secretary general to live in his home country after he’s spent a lifetime of diplomatic effort trying to get out of it, do you?

Posted by mikeguas on 12/01/08 at 08:52 PM from

Good point Orpheus

Posted by on 12/01/08 at 08:59 PM from

Let them stay in New York-we should just pull the funding.  We pay for about a third of all this shit, if I remember correctly.

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