AKA - The Alliance For Democratic Nations.
This past October, I wrote a Blog about the need for Democratic Nations to Unite to form a Parallel Association to the United Nations. The Reasons I gave for this are, I think, adequately setout in that Blog.
This past weekend an Editorial appeared on the same subject in the Ottawa Citizen newspaper. The Columnist was Michael Taube.
Mr. Taube enumerated many of the same reasons I set forth in October, and just this morning, a local radio station dealt with this topic with many of its listeners calling in - in support of the need for Democratic Nations to Unite.
Hopefully this will be the start of such an initiative.
As an aside - since my October Blog a new incredible UN initiative has occurred with North Korea being appointed to lead the UN's Convention on Disarmament. Imagine? Talk about the fox among the pigeons.
So I am in sinc with Michael Taube with respect to his calling for a League of Democratic Countries. The word League of course comes from the Failed League of Nations after World War II and in that regard I like my suggested name of Alliance of Democratic Nations.
I do though differ with him when he suggests that the Democracies leave the UN and take with them their funding since I believe the United Nations still provides a few useful services.
For instance, the UN has spearheaded a number of Conventions which have bettered the lives of the citizens of the world in the areas of Law and Commerce. It has also made progress in providing food relief, medicine and better health care generally.
But I see the most important value of a continued United Nations is with respect to the Forum itself. It allows all of the world's nations to come together and talk. And contrary to some thought, talk is not always cheap. There is indeed a value in it, in that it creates a forum where diverse opinions get expressed often resulting in their moderation.
Better to "Jaw Jaw than to War War" as Winston Churchill so ably stated it.
This is especially true in the areas of Human Rights and Anti-Semitism. The UN is rife with petty dictators and religious zealots who spend the bulk of their time denying rights to their citizens and castigating Israel. Keeping Democracies involved in the UN Process helps to ensure that such activities on the part of the unenlightened is kept under a semblance of control.
Indeed three (3) of the five (5)UN Vetoes belong to Democratic Countries.
So don't leave and don't cease funding but do start a more effective Democratic Association. You can probably use much of the same UN Mission in its establishment which gets more often ignored at the United Nations.
A League or Alliance of Democratic Countries would stand as a beacon to the Rest of the World when it comes to the Enhancement of Human Rights and the Eradication of Discrimination of all kinds.
The West's Policies of Freer Trade, Economic Freedom and Agricultural Self-Sufficiency would continue to be areas envy by non-democratic nations.
Such a Democratic Association would then stand as a Beacon throughout the World. It would be able to focus on further improving our Way of Life.
As such, I can foresee the day when the non-democracies will come begging for admission as their continued conflicts, military rule, starvation and general hopelessness begins to wear.
At that point the West must stand firm by prescribing onerous conditions of admission to ensure that applicant nations are ultimately successful in their quest for Open Government and Open Societies.
As I see it....
'K.D. Galagher'
