About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline

1 [i] (2005)

handle is hein.amenin/aeiacnm0001 and id is 1 raw text is: 



             THE FUTURE





UNITED NATIONS


                               $20.00



         THE FUTURE



UNITED                 ATIONS


Joshua Muravehik  is aresidein scolar at
the American Enterprise I'nstitut-eI e is
tne author o eght books and  'hundrds
of artcles that hae- ppead in nuret-
ous magazines and every imajor Anerican
daly, coveri'ng opics related to fReign
poti   'ierna.tional telations, Aruericart
politics, 'istory; poltical thieory. and
media criticIsm. eolds  a doctorate int
government  rom Georgetown  University
and serves as an adjunct professor at the
Ititte   o A'orMd Politics, anad'unct
scholar at the Vasington Insitute for
Nearl ast Policyantd a member of the
editotial Iboards of The jourri of
Democrac  and  World Afairs His 2002
book, Heaen  on Ecrth[: T.1e Rise acnd tall of
Socialsm, was released by PBS in 2005 as
a docutmentary miniseries. is latest
book, Coveringt te inF'a: How he' Media
Reported the Panltnn  UprisingAwas
published in 2003 by the AWashngttor
Instoiute ior Near East Policy


Photo of aut.or by May Bet Meehan


Rocked by scanda.   Jan divided by the smoldering enities unleashed by the Iraql
war, the United Nations aces is most critical hour.' he secretary general and other
leaders have offered tiar recpes for it'o n  the %Futur of te UtedNaos.
Joshta MuravehIk argues that only far more radical   re'ms can salvage the UN as a
useul instituation.
   The central cause o' the UNs failulre, Muravehk says, is thathIt was structured as a
proto---word governrent, with the power to make 'aw and ernforce peace. Metiber
states were aslked to yietld a measure of then' IndependenceI n return for the protec-
tons tht th nLN would oBer t . But Mrla'ik shInoVs tha ts global social
contract was a dead letter from the start because the protections wer- illusory
   Ini tiall tthtis failur was traced to the Cold Wa. But in moretha' n ifteenyears
snce the end of the Cold Wa, te UN has functionec little better, proving that
,h erc is a deeper fw tin Ls architecu
   If the world has been more peaceful snce W\Aorl War Two, it is due to the far-
sighted *rtntiaona' plicies of the Uited Sttes, not th peaceeepinr of the UN
Todaey, arful or jealous of Amercas unique superpoTr stats, some counties
prmoe   the UN  as a ounteweit   to he United S'tates. If they succeed, says
Mttravchik the wNorld wll become a more 'angerous place, especialy for Ats most
vulnerab iCitCzens.
   Instead of elevating the discredIted political tunctions of the UN, as most other
reiorm proposals aim to do, MehLnik of'ers a completedl t d ififr n etrmulafor
change: Boost the h'umanitarin wLork of' the LN, ant reemphasize its rote as a pace
where sovereign natos can exchange ideas and fomn coaitions in he face of coL-
mon  concers:, while stripping it o the pretensions o worlc government.

Joshua Muravehik  is a resident scholar at the American Enterprise InstituteS tudy-
ing the Untd  NatLe ions,'h cnservatIsn the istory of soctalism and communism,
the Arab-Israeli confict, glol democracy, terrorism, and the Bush Doctrine.


AS!l
     American Enterprise Institute
     for Public Policy Research
     1150 Seventeenth Street, N.W.
     Washington, D.C. 20036


GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS/
FOREIGN POLICY         $20,00
  rSEN084477183-X


Rocked by scandal and poiially   ded,
the United Natons faces its most critical
hou.  While the UN's 'eadership proposes
only modest changes, Joshua Muravchik
demonstrates tat only fundamental
leforms can save 'he UN
   The source of the UNs failure is rooted
i  it struct'ue as a proto--w old govern-
mnent. Mfemnber s tateos were asked to Sur I--
render a measure of their independence
An return or he UNs protections.against
internatonal' aggression. But this global
social contract was illusory: the UN has
been an tineFfective intrnatona peace-
keepe.I    eadit is Am eica that has
taken itup that responsibility leading inter-
national coalitions to resist aggression and
kepC the peace
   teviewing the UN srecord over the last
haf century, Muravchik proposes a bold
Irmula  for resurrecting the beleagutered
body: Refcu 's its efiotso on tlhe- one thing
I does nel-    ternatonal numaitarian
nmssos--hile reemphaszing the UN as
a olacewhee  soveren  tatton  can
exchange ideas and orm  caeitions in the
face of commaon'. concerns,

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Contact us for annual subscription options:

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

profiles profiles most