Chris
You mention the Balkans quite a lot as a demonstration of UN uselessness, a reason why it (insert pejorative here).
Just for interest, what is your "take" on what happened in the Balkans?
The UN certainly acknowledged its failure and identified a number of things that must be done better in future. Would you agree that the Security Council's allocation of only 7400 peacekeepers rather than the requested 34000, was part of the failure?
Are are you also referring to more recent problems, e.g. where disagreements over the International Criminal Court threatened the UN's ability to continue (successful) peacekeeping efforts in the Balkans and elsewhere?
JR
"... They ne'er cared for us
yet: suffer us to famish, and their store-houses
crammed with grain; make edicts for usury, to
support usurers; repeal daily any wholesome act
established against the rich, and provide more
piercing statutes daily, to chain up and restrain
the poor. If the wars eat us not up, they will; and
there's all the love they bear us."
-- Shakespeare: Coriolanus, Act 1, scene 1
