I’m no stranger to stomping around the UN. Happy blessed birthday to Omi’s friend Elke! After a tour of the UN today, I was left perturbed and pondering. It brings back fun memories of being the child and grandchild of employees of the German Mission. I asked the tour guide what the UN does in scenarios such as Russia pummeling its gay population, given the international declaration of human rights. She told me since each country is still sovereign, the rights and ideas of the UN can only be used as suggestions, reminders, for the countries. The UN is basically a liberal federation, and the tour guides must gloss over and only explain the ideal that the UN is meant to be. I wonder why a nation should be allowed to join, when unwilling to go along with all the ideas of human rights it lays out. I also pondered, since the UN marks the Holocaust rather as its catalyst, and speaks of the Rwandan Genocide which occurred later, what have they to say about Turkey’s membership, and this growing knowledge of a pre-Holocaust genocide geared towards Armenians, inflicted by Turks. How do they face that? Is it of any consequence?Germany is not a permanent seated member of the UN, and that is to be expected since when the UN was founded, Germany was considered the vile and defeated enemy. You could expect years of fighting to become the 6th permanent member, amongst the ranks of the US, Russia, France, Great Britain, and China, but to no avail. But seriously, in this day and age, a federation of peace allowing perilous China still to be a permanent member, but not Deutschland?

The UN is a highly dressed up dream. But you can wonder what the world might be like if it didn’t exist.