Accidents happen, Iran's president slipped on the soap at his hotel, hit his head and he didn't make it, so sorry.

Every country in the world looks out for its own interests and occasionally those interests directly conflict wtih the interests of other countries . Is it suprising that there are people who don't like us and take the opportunity to vocalize their dislike? I'm glad they had their chance to criticize us and we should take every opportunity to make our position clear.

The UN should have been kicked out of NYC (and the US!) long ago. It is nothing more than a strain on the city's resources and infrastructure. It is an utter failure and corrupt to its core.

Waterdog49

The UN should have been kicked out of NYC (and the US!) long ago. It is nothing more than a strain on the city's resources and infrastructure. It is an utter failure and corrupt to its core.

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Corrupt to the core? Where's your proof? The opinions of neo-conservative haters that pass themselves off as Fox News, "talking points" experts in modern world history and international relations?

And what would extremist cynics like you, Waterdog, naively replace the United Nations with, and all the international treaties, health programs, monitoring, trade and commerce standards it maintains and creates, that serves not only our nation's interests but the shared interests of our allies as well? Wall shut America, perhaps?

perhaps rradiko doesn't see the UN as the One World Government others have been trying to warn everyone about. What you don't understand rradiko, is perhaps we, the people, don't care for all of the global controls you mentioned in your post (international treaties, health programs, monitoring, trade and commerce standards) which only serve/perpetuate governements, and other elitists. Feel free to tell me how Cap & Trade benefits me as a citizen of the United States. Even our lovely Libyan leader has admitted that the UN has failed to prevent 65 wars since WWII. Keep drinking the Kool-Aid - Stay thirsty my friend.

David. Considering the context of when that occurs, that assumption of yours didn't make any sense at all. Try studying some international diplomacy and world history before you make such cynical statements.

Self-sufficiency isn't practical. Our technological society depends on minerals and ores such as chromium and rare earths that we don't produce, or don't have in sufficient quantities. Don't forget oil, of course.

Unlike 60 years ago, at the outbreak of WWII, oceans are no longer enough to protect our shores. It matters to us if North Korea and Iran develop ICBMs and nuclear weapons. From the time of our independence, we have been a sea-faring nation, so freedom of movement on the high seas has always been important to us. That isn't something that is achieved by withdrawing behind our borders, like a bigger version of North Korea.

If we refuse to actively participate in the world, we may find the world developing into a very dangerous, unpleasant neighborhood.

finally....someone who understands that living in a bubble is not the answer

Well stated Barry

Barry, I beg to differ. The minerals you speak of can be purchased like all other materials. If the government would get off it's behind, we would switch to nuclear across the country and save our own oil for lubrication. Regarding NK and Iran acquiring nuclear weapons, take your pick and annihilate one - the others won't even bother to raise their heads anymore. Our problem there is all talk and no action. We don't necessarily have to withdraw to our borders and be isolationist, but we certainly can be more judicious where we spend our money and manpower. We need to learn we can't change centuries of learned behaviour and that not all countries want our form of democracy. Indeed, some countries would be far better with a benevolent dictatorship. Problem is most don't stay benevolent long.

Let them eat their chromium and rare earths.....Actually the ocean has every thing we need in terms of minerals. It cover 2/3rds of the earth and all we need to do is suck it up..

The minerals you speak of can be purchased like all other materials.

If we purchase them from other countries, which we must do for some of them, we're no longer "self-sufficient."

Barry, as for Chromium we have deposits in Northern Calif and Southern Oregon, there was a chrome depot in Grants pass Oregon until 1956, it was closed down because it was cheaper to bring chrome in from Africa than mine it in the U.S. This I know for a fact because I worked in a chrome mine back of Frenchman Flats before going military in 1956.

finally....someone who understands that living in a bubble is not the answer

Besides what if someone farted, we would all be screwed.

You are correct, Barry. Complete self-sufficiency in terms of national isolation in this day and age isn't practical at all. It's politically naive as well as dangerous.

I have a feeling that few, if any, of the countries mentioned in the article receive US aid.

We need to send Iran some nice new cruise missles and bombs.

Perhaps the cruise missles and bombs need to be delivered cod.

Well, arming the enemy was a policy under Reagan and Bush I. Remember Saddam?

We have 10,000 plus nuclear weapons and about 50 boomers with 24 triple warheads. I don't understand the threat of a country getting one or two nucs. It would be suicide if they used them and very sad for the people the oppress.

Move the UN to another country and stop all US funding... In it's place create an organization to help countries when they have natural disasters. The speeches of these wind bags hurt world peace and just give them a platform to bash the US. These oppressive and cruel leaders don't deserve an audience.

John, I was not implying giving or selling weapons to Iran, my apologies. I would like us to bomb the Iranian scum back to the stone age.

What is the average age in this discussion 10?

What's it to you Dennis? Do you have feelings for the Iranian scum?

I don't understand the threat of a country getting one or two nucs. It would be suicide if they used them and very sad for the people the oppress.

The threat is nuclear blackmail. Sure, if a country used their nuclear weapons against us, it would mean their destruction. But, an awful lot of Americans (or allies) would die first. The domestic pressure to give in to their demands rather than risk a first-strike would be intense. If you lived within range of a North Korean missle, would you stake your life on the rationality of that coutry's leadership? It is a high-stakes game of chicken.

The other risk is if one of the weapons was provided to a terrorist group, who then used it. Unless we could prove beyond a shadow of a doubt the source of the weapon, we couldn't retaliate against another country.

Yes! Its time to pull the lease and let them gather where it would do the most good, say Somalia, Gaza, Cyprus, Afghanistan or maybe even Haiti.

Oh, that's right, then all the little peons with the diplomatic passes could not indulge themselves with wine, women and song, and everything else the Big Apple has to offer that is banned or illegal in their own country!

Would love to see th UN get out of the US. How about we treat it like the olympics - a new location every four years. Don't they already have different world leaders that are in charge of assignments. Seems I remember some third world country's leader in charge of Human Rights, and they were one of the worst offenders.

the US govt has a long history of bringing narcotics into this country.. during the vietnam war (where opium was mass produced) heroin use spiked big time in our country.. certain members of the army were convicted of bring it in.. during the iran-contra thing, the CIA introduced crack to south central la.. no govt officals were implicated, but of course the south central dealer they supplied got arrested and imprisoned... and now heroin use is again rising sharply since our involvement in afghanistan (the worlds leading opium producer).. i really hope your comment was sarcassm

No doubt, Obama made us look like a bunch of bafoons to the entire world! We should never apologize for our country.

right... we should never apologize for going into iraq on false pretenses... or anytime we are wrong for that matter... we should act like we are always right.. thatll increase our worldwide popularity

If we don't recognize and admit when we make mistakes, we'll keep making them.

My recommended location for the UN would be Somalia or better yet Atlantis.

I think that the UN is ineffectual, at best, and dangerous to our interests, at worst. But, as the adage says, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. I'd rather have the UN in New York, where we can keep an eye on it.

Hosting the UN also lends the New York international prestige. In a world with a rising China, we need all the elements of "soft" power that we can accumulate.

The UN is the greatest threat to the national security of the United States in history. If allowed to progress unchecked, it's policies will render our Constitution null and void.

our own govt is doing a pretty good job of rendering our constitution null and void all on its own.. wake up people!!

How many of these leaders were truly elected? Details, details, you weren't supposed to notice or to be more PC to not mention it.

Chavez was and Morales was.

But being elected legitimately and stuffing the ballot boxes don't count

Hey if those dead people were alive they would have voted for them. Why do call it a "hanging chad" because Chad is next to Libya.

I'm not losing any sleep over any of them.

Oh Great...a Kool-Aid drinker from FauxSnoozeSlime..err..FoxSnooze+Slime just woke up from her mid-day nappy poo.... Thanks for sharing....isn't it time for your medication now, Deary???

starbright - the only thing your irrational rantings might accomplish is proving Winston Churchill's advice, that the best argument against democracy is a 5 minute conversation with the average voter. I hope you don't represent the average voter, but when I read this type of garbage, I worry about my country...

Abraham Lincoln said -

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt. Maybe you should try it.

Properly used, aid can be an important foreign policy tool. Take the Marshall Plan, for instance. It served to diminish communist influence in devastated Europe. But, just as important, the recipients were grateful and a whole generation, including Germans, grew up with a favorable view of the US and its ideals. Unfortunately, there's nothing in place now that will have a similar effect on the current and future generations.

We should be building more "American Universities" around the world. A well-educated technical and poltical class, exposed to American ideals, is the best solution to poverty that many countries will have.

I applaud your lofty goals and ideals Barry. Feel free to spend as much of your money as you like, just keep your hands out of my pockets!

Foreign aid is an example of a public good. If I spend my money on worthy foreign assistance projects that enhance the security of the US, and you keep all your money for yourself, then you've gotten a free ride on my spending.

Feel free to vote for politicians who'll end all foreign assistance, but you won't find many. If nothing else, they want to throw money at Israel.

And after the events you've described, the EU quietly negotiated with Ghadhafi and convinced him to entirely dismantle his nuclear program and rejoin the world. Yes, Reagan's murder of his daughter may have moved him, but at least he did not seek blind revenge.

Diplomacy works! And kills a lot fewer innocent people than bombs.

And the list of dictators that loved us is a bit longer. Choose any Latin American country and at one time or another they've had a ruthless dictator who loved and got support from the US.

It isn't funny, it is calculated. Denigrating the US is a way to deflect attention from their own abuses. Without an outside "threat", real or imagined, they can't justifiy their repression. Just look at our own Justice Department and its "Patriot Act."

ty barry.. at least someone else on tis forum doesnt blindly support US policy when we are getting stripped of more and more of our constitutional liberties every year...