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What's your opinion of Kofi Annan?

Discussion in 'Alley of Lingering Sighs' started by Midwinter, Nov 7, 2004.

  1. Big B Gems: 27/31
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    [​IMG] In the news: UN staff ready historic no-confidence vote in Annan.

    Link

    Hmm, sounds like a scene from The Phantom Menace. :tie:
     
  2. Big Tank Gems: 1/31
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  3. T2Bruno

    T2Bruno The only source of knowledge is experience Distinguished Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    Interesting that the UN keeps a "balance due" tabulation even though the charter does not require any nation to finance the UN (it's supposed to be voluntary on the part of the members).

    Also, almost $15 billion in "gifts" by the US to the UN was never counted toward this odd debt that keeps rearing it's head. I'm really not sure how you can make $15 billion in payments and still owe $1.5 billion -- must be this new math I keep hearing about....

    Now, on topic: Unfortunately, UN leaders are really just token leaders -- it's a real bad job to have. Annan gets blamed for anything the UN doesn't do perfectly when he really doesn't have much say in it.
     
  4. The Shaman Gems: 28/31
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    Actually, no - if you are a member you have to pay, otherwise you are suspended. Different countries are assigned different percentages of the GDP. BTW, there are quite a few countries behind with their bills, but they are not expected to supply 30% of the annual budget (that is some 1.8 billion in recent years). Anyway, with 1.5 billion owed the USA ought to be suspended from the SC at least - but naturally, it has not happened and is not likely to - at least in the near future. Yet, after seeing some people call for eviction of the UN headquarters from the USA in one supposedly reputable forum, I am not so sure...
    The money given were for peacekeeping operations, they are voluntary, yes, and there are usually major drives in order to finance each "Blue Helmet" mission - like Angola, Bosnia, etc. I think that is what the $ 15 bil. were.

    I, personally, think that Annan should have held a firmer position during the oil-for-food deal scandal and the Iraq war and generally pursued a more active policy. Otherwise, he seems to be a decent SG.
     
  5. T2Bruno

    T2Bruno The only source of knowledge is experience Distinguished Member ★ SPS Account Holder Adored Veteran New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!)

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    I guess that's like having a birthday around Christmas. You get gifts for each occasion, but the two should never be combined for any reason.

    I was just reading Annan's son received kick backs in the Iraq food-for-oil program -- interesting. Perhaps a change in leadership is in order.
     
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