[jfengel]

I always find it odd to hear comments to the tune of "Well, if it doesn't bring about world peace, why bother?" As if organizations like UNESCO, UNHCR, WHO, etc didn't exist. The UN makes the world a better place, even if it doesn't make it a perfect place.

Its inability to prevent saber-rattling by the permanent Security Council members is unfortunate. But they haven't had direct wars since the UN was founded, and the UN is partly the reason. It's in the votes; it's in the behind-the-scenes talks that keep small crises from turning into world crises.

It's never going to be a world government that can be the sole legitimate user of force. That was never its goal, even if it were feasible (which it isn't). But it's just ignorant to say that it doesn't have more plausible goals at which it has some success.