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Quote of the Day: Nikki Haley on Right and Wrong
Nikki Haley is an indomitable force at the United Nations. She has repeatedly called the UN on its immoral and biased actions. She has attacked it for publishing misleading information; she has “taken names” of those countries that refuse to support the US and yet support terrorist organizations; she has criticized the UN for misusing funds. She has called out Iran for supporting groups that use human shields; she was instrumental in the US withdrawing from the UN Human Rights Council.
I look for any opportunity to celebrate a high-level US official who stands up to lies, abuse, mismanagement, deception, and immorality. Nikki Haley more than fits the bill.
Published in Foreign PolicyThe United States has no moral duty to be neutral between right and wrong. On the contrary, we have a moral duty to take sides, even when that means standing alone . . .
It cannot be the case that in an organization with 193 countries, the United Nations spends half of its time attacking only one country. We will not turn a blind eye to it. Our demand for fairness for Israel is actually a demand for peace. The UN’s bias against Israel has long undermined peace, by encouraging an illusion that Israel will go away. Israel is not going to go away.
And yet it seems to fall on deaf ears….
Maybe we should say “But, Haley”.
Bumper Sticker Idea:
Nikki Haley: 2o24 If Not Before.
Yes! Yes! Dontcha just love that woman!?
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Sometimes that happens when one speaks the truth, doesn’t it? But you and I know that it must be done. Thanks, FSC.
She is a breath of fresh air at the stale UN. Haley deserves praise for finally saying (several times since her tenure so far) the things that needed to be said. But . . . they’re things that needed to be said. And I can’t help but think “Why has it taken this long for these things to be said?”
That’s a really good question, @drewinwisconsin. Now that I think about it, I can’t figure it out. Why should we care what they think of us? Will our bowing down to them get them to go along with us? Are we afraid they’ll kick us out? What do you think are the reasons?
Maybe it’s high time the US change its foreign policy to not do business with countries that are abusive to its citizens. This would cut out most (if not all) Muslim nations, Latin American and African dictatorships, Russia, and the Big Daddy – Communist China.
As for the UN, it’s as worthless an organization as any that’s ever existed. We should not only get out of the UN, but boot the UN out of our country. Now that’s one speech I’d love to see Nikki give at the UN . . .
Oh, many an anti-Trump person is unhappy with the “But, Gorsuch” answer to whatever the complaint de jour is.
Part of what’s striking is that when we compare her to the previous couple of UN Ambassadors, Susan Rice and Samantha Power, anyone else is probably going to look better. But Nikki Haley makes several past UN Ambassadors look like people who sat idly by while the world’s worst actors used the UN to cover for their perfidy.
Did the UN wear out its usefulness long ago? If Haley can’t reform it, time to end it. I consider the UN nothing but a big giant money-laundering factory with child-rapist “peacekeepers” anyway.
Re this…
…, as a woman of high intelligence and moral character, Nikki Haley is unqualified to run for, or serve as, President at this stage of the progressivist advance. A valley girl with an Occasionally functioning cerebral Cortex would have a better chance.
I would love to see that speech, too.
Disagree. US foreign policy should be on the basis of national interest and not what is right and wrong. We should recognize that other nations have different national interests and be willing to negotiate with them on that basis, but also to recognize that some differences are irreconcilable.
Right and wrong are emotionally tinged and foreign policy should not be emotional. This leads the US to adopt far too often a morally superior and unproductive attitude towards other nations and their interests.
She reminds me of Jeane Kirkpatrick, the first woman US Ambassador to the UN under Reagan. Hopefully, Nikki will follow in Jeane’s footsteps, and help Trump model himself after best president of my lifetime.
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That’s what I was going to say; that I don’t think we’ve had a UN Ambassador of her calibre since Kirkpatrick.
Didn’t John Bolton shake things up when he was there? I know people in the US were annoyed with him, but did he say different kinds of things?
Yep, he came to mind. But for some reason (children stealing my brain cells?) I don’t remember him being as fiery as Haley in calling out the UN.
I’m trying to figure out if this is tongue-in-cheek or if you’re serious, @hangon. So I’ll assume you’re serious. Of course national interest is key, but isn’t striving to fight for our national interest and criticize others who are a danger to the world a way to fight for what is right? Second, we can’t negotiate with nations who don’t want to negotiate with us. And yes, some differences are irreconcilable and that’s when we have to have the wisdom to decide whether we speak out or not. To me, just because the UN is determined to criticize only Israel and not the Arab countries, and is unlikely to stop doesn’t mean Haley shouldn’t speak out. And not only right and wrong are emotionally tinged: so is hatred and genocide and trying to drive a country into the sea. And we are morally superior. I guess I’ve told you, huh?! ;-)
If it were a male ambassador you wouldn’t be talking about their but.
I was absolutely serious. And Israel is one of those irreconcilable differences with Palestinians. But I don’t see it as an issue of right and wrong. They both want the same piece of real estate. And when that happens, wars happen. Sometimes wars end and sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they disappear and then reappear centuries later. There is nothing unique about the Palestinians and Israelis wanting the same piece of real estate. It has happened throughout history over pieces of land and is happening today in other locations.
The most important function of the United Nations is a social one. It brings leaders together from all over the world to get to know each other and to open channels of communication among them. In the global small town we now are, if it didn’t exist, people would be clamoring to create it. And just as I want to recapture American control over the Internet, I want to keep American control over the United Nations.
Kicking them out would deprive us of some opportunities for gaining allies and intelligence that we can’t replace. Furthermore, like all tools, it could be powerful in the wrong hands. Imagine moving the United Nation headquarters to Cuba or Somalia. It’s easy for us to keep an eye on them in New York.
I really admire and am grateful for the work the Trump administration and Nikki Haley are doing at the United Nations. That’s the right answer. Abolishing it, withdrawing from it, or kicking them out would be the wrong answers.
Tucker Carlson called her a liberal.
Really. If you’re referring to this little throw-out line. Besides, Tucker Carlson is not my go-to guy on anyone.
I’m sorry @hangon, but this is too simplistic a take on the situation. I don’t want to get into a discussion specifically about the struggle between Israel and the Palestinians, but it is not just over land. Regarding the right and wrong of it, the UN is clearly operating to assist the Palestinians in not just “getting land,” but in trying to help them get all of it and to literally destroy the Jews. The number of sanctions against Israel compared to any other country (including the Palestinian terrorists and the attacks by Hamas) is a clear example of their willingness to lie and distort. I think that is a terrible wrong to set out to destroy Israel. Right or wrong issue? I think so. That’s why Haley says the UN is making peace impossible.
Would she please run for president?
Nikki Haley and her extended family are the best argument for the best kind of immigration: We don’t care where you came from if you have talent and desire to engage in a form of citizen-government that was embedded in our founding documents.
Excellent point, @rodin. It is wonderful to see people who have immigrated here in the recent past who are successful.
Earlier in this post we discussed briefly John Bolton, a previous UN Ambassador and his criticism of the UN. It appears (although this provides minimal information that his focus was different from Nikki Haley’s.
Nikki Haley is great. Trump did well with her selection. Haley/Walker in 2020!