Bunker Mulligan "Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry." ~Mark Twain

EuroPundits details the assassination of yet another spiritual leader, one known by virtually every Hollywood fan.

Millions in Angola are dying for lack of food. So what does the UN World Food Program do? See for yourself.

James has a really good Post which has links to a couple of other very good related posts at Winds of Change and Belmont. As a collection, they cover just about every argument regarding the link between terrorism and Marxism as they relate to the same desired outcome.

Were Iraq and al-Qaeda linked? Richard Clarke used to think so, as Christopher Hitchens points out in Slate.

He also points out that Clarke was considered a royal pain in the ass in the Clinton White House, although he was generally right. Which makes his pain-in-the-assedness even worse.

NewsMax.com has an article by Wes Vernon onWhy U.N.’s Sea Treaty Is So Controversial. Five primary problems with this treaty, originally shelved by Reagan and brought back to life by Clinton, are:

# 1. The power to regulate seven-tenths of the world’s surface area.

# 2. The power to levy international taxes, a longtime dream of world government advocates.

# 3. The power to impose production quotas (for deep-sea mining, oil production, etc.).

# 4. The power to regulate ocean research and exploration.

# 5. The power to create an international court system to render and enforce its judgments.

I am absolutely opposed to anything that gives the UN power over the US. That is not simple nationalism, but a pragmatic decision opposing the formal empowerment of the UN in any way. Giving the UN authority to impose taxes, or control any aspect of commerce is a certain way to destroy democracy and free trade–the two things which have made this country great.

I intend to call my two “Republican” senators tomorrow and let them know what I think.

UPDATE: I just finished calling Senator Cornyn’s and Senator Hutchison’s offices to follow up on my email to them last night expressing my displeasure on this treaty. I then left a message at the White House, Texan to Texan. It won’t do any good if I’m the only one.

Neal Boortz has an interesting topic on Nealz Nuze today. I had heard about this, but didn’t realize the meeting had taken place.

UNITED NATIONS CONTROL OF THE INTERNET?

Did you know that there was a little meeting last week at the UN? The quasi-public corporation in the United States that handles the assignment of Internet domain names (ICANN) was meeting with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. It seems that some UN members and “activists” are saying that the Internet is too closely associated with the United States, and they want their beloved UN to take a greater role in regulating the ‘net. Last week about 200 diplomats and others met at the UN to discuss just such a plan.

Danger, Will Robinson.

Look around the globe. The more despotic the government, the more that government tries to control the dissemination of all information within its borders. The United Nations is not an organization that is interested in freedom. It is an organization that is interested in one-world government and the international redistribution of wealth.

If you’ve listened to me for any time at all you’ve already heard my riff on the UN and freedom of speech. Sure, freedom of speech is “guaranteed” in the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights; but if you read a bit further, to Article 29 (3) to be specific, you will read that “These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.”

If the international community succeeds is making the Internet a UN operation it will just be a matter of time before the UN starts regulating content. It will all be done in the name of “world peace,” of course, but it will be done. Web sites will be scanned for material that might be “offensive” to various cultures …. calling Palestinians murderers, for instance … and will censor those sites.

The United Nations is no friend of freedom, and it is no friend of the United States. The Internet is an American creation. If people in other countries want to use it, fine. But operational control should stay here. We’ve had enough internationalism lately.

This really concerns me for the precise reason Boortz identifies. The UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights is, as he says, very pliable. Beyond that, I think the UN sees a way to enhance their income now that they no longer have Saddam’s money flowing in.

Is anyone but Neal talking about this?

And it comes on top of this over at InstaPundit:

Funny, isn’t it, that while people were accusing the United States of starving Iraqi children, it was actually the U.N. that was doing it? “Funny,” that is, in the sense that the crimes and hypocrisies of the international political classes are peculiarly unnoted, not funny in the sense of actually amusing.

Kofi Annan’s son had the contract.

I think I shall become an ardent “US out of the UN” advocate.

I went to Best Buy today to check on a scanner and CD-RW for my dad. While there, I saw Life of Brian on DVD for ten bucks. I bought it, and just finished watching it. There are many tremendous scenes that reflect the current state of culture in the Middle East. But one scene really hits home regarding the UN. Brian has been taken to be crucified, and his girlfriend wants the People’s Front of Judea to do something about it.

REG: Right. Now, uh, item four: attainment of world supremacy within the next five years. Uh, Francis, you’ve been doing some work on this.
FRANCIS: Yeah. Thank you, Reg. Well, quite frankly, siblings, I think five years is optimistic, unless we can smash the Roman empire within the next twelve months.
REG: Twelve months?
FRANCIS: Yeah, twelve months. And, let’s face it. As empires go, this is the big one, so we’ve got to get up off our arses and stop just talking about it!
COMMANDOS: Hear! Hear!
LORETTA: I agree. It’s action that counts, not words, and we need action now.
COMMANDOS: Hear! Hear!
REG: You’re right. We could sit around here all day talking, passing resolutions, making clever speeches. It’s not going to shift one Roman soldier!
FRANCIS: So, let’s just stop gabbing on about it. It’s completely pointless and it’s getting us nowhere!
COMMANDOS: Right!
LORETTA: I agree. This is a complete waste of time.
[Sound of Door Opening]
JUDITH: They’ve arrested Brian!
REG: What?
COMMANDOS: What?
JUDITH: They’ve dragged him off! They’re going to crucify him!
REG: Right! This calls for immediate discussion!
COMMANDO #1: Yeah.
JUDITH: What?!
COMMANDO #2: Immediate.
COMMANDO #1: Right.
LORETTA: New motion?
REG: Completely new motion, eh, that, ah– that there be, ah, immediate action–
FRANCIS: Ah, once the vote has been taken.
REG: Well, obviously once the vote’s been taken. You can’t act another resolution till you’ve voted on it…
JUDITH: Reg, for God’s sake, let’s go now!
REG: Yeah. Yeah.
JUDITH: Please!
REG: Right. Right.
FRANCIS: Fine.
REG: In the– in the light of fresh information from, ahh, sibling Judith–
LORETTA: Ah, not so fast, Reg.
JUDITH: Reg, for God’s sake, it’s perfectly simple. All you’ve got to do is to go out of that door now, and try to stop the Romans’ nailing him up! It’s happening, Reg! Something’s actually happening, Reg! Can’t you understand?! Ohhh!
[slam]
REG: Hm. Hm.
FRANCIS: Oh, dear.
REG: Hello. Another little ego trip for the feminists.
LORETTA: What?
FRANCIS: [whistling]
REG: Oh, sorry, Loretta. Ahh, oh, read that back, would you?

Typical UN “action.”