Maybe This is What Kerry Meant by a Global Test

I finally finished Eleanor Roosevelt’s memoire - “This I remember.” It’s a great read. In it, Appendix I is the plan for the foundation of the UN. In its opening preamble (pay particular attention to the second paragraph) it says, and I quote:

The United States of America views with anxiety the failure of the world to restore order in the economic and social processes of civilization or to carry out the demand of the overwhelming majority that wars shall cease. We seek not to become involved as a nation in purely regional affairs of groups of other nations, nor to give to the representatives of other poeples the right to compel us to enter upon undertakings calling for or leading up to the use of armed forece without full and free consent, given through our constitutional proceedure.

Nevertheless, we believe that the participation of the United States with the other nations in a serious and continuing effort to eleminate the causes of war, is not only justified but is called for by the record of our history, by our own best interests, and chiefly by our high purpose to help mankind to better things.

Now,I’m not a huge fan of the beauracracy of the UN, but indeed, its aims are true and they are not just blowing sunshine up our skirts like the no good “we-ain’t-done-nothin’-wrong-if-we-say-so” knuckleheads of the W, Rove and Co. Perhaps we should have submitted ourselves to a stronger global test as Kerry suggested as to whether we invade Iraq.