The Associated Press headlines this morning blared with the following: “North Korea said Tuesday it would use nuclear weapons in a “merciless offensive” if provoked – its latest bellicose rhetoric apparently aimed at deterring any international punishment for its recent atomic test blast.”
One would assume that the United Nations would be focusing all their energy on putting a stop to this dangerous madman, who just two-weeks ago detonated a nuclear bomb – the size of the atom bomb used in Hiroshima at the end of WWII. Don’t worry, it was just a test. Let’s not forget to mention that a month ago he defied the entire world and conducted a long-range missile test….
Iran is defying the entire world, and is moving full-steam ahead with their nuclear program. We know, it’s simply for “peaceful purposes”.
In fact, it’s one of the worlds worst kept diplomatic secrets that Iran follows North Korea’s every move in their diabolical never-ending pursuit for weapons of mass destruction. You may notice that N. Korea over the past decade has opened and then closed themselves to IAEA inspection. Iran? You guessed it, same sham. How many times did N. Korea leave the bargaining table refusing negotiations with the West only to return when cash promises were dangled. Iran has duplicated and now perfected that same diplomatic model, effectively. North Korea launches missiles with impunity and the Iranian missile program jumps into high gear with nary a word from the usual suspects. For years, N. Korea has continued to defy the will of the world with provocative nuclear tests above and below ground with no real consistent punishment. Is it any coincidence that the Iranian Mullah’s receive passive confirmation every time N. Korea is barely slapped on the wrist? The Mullah’s know well that at this point, all Tehran needs is precious time – and time to reverse the inevitable is quickly ticking away. The diplomatic game of cat and mouse has continued in front of the eyes of an impotent world and many are left shaking their head at the sheer ineptitude of the World body.
What should be the top agenda of a world body gone mad has been replaced by a far more sinister crisis. No not Darfur or the rise of Hamas and Hezbollah, no – actual movement has been spotted at Turtle Bay and the very-capable United Nations has found a bigger and badder enemy to focus on. An enemy far more threatening than North Korea, Iran, Syria or even the notorious Taliban who threaten the very stability of nuclear Pakistan.
The enemy? PLASTIC BAGS!
No, this is not some type of joke (or perhaps it is). Read the following excerpts from an article just posted by Fox News:
A top U.N. official on Monday called for a worldwide ban on single-use “thin” plastic shopping bags, the kind you get at the grocery store.
“Single-use plastic bags which choke marine life should be banned or phased out rapidly everywhere,” said Achim Steiner, head of the U.N. Environment Program, according to McClatchy Newspapers. “There is simply zero justification for manufacturing them any more, anywhere.”
Steiner’s words accompanied the release of a U.N. report entitled “Marine Litter: A Global Challenge,” which finds that plastic is the most pervasive form of pollution in the oceans.
“Plastic, the most prevalent component of marine debris, poses hazards because it persists so long in the ocean, degrading into tinier and tinier bits that can be consumed by the smallest marine life at the base of the food web,” reads the report.
That is what the United Nations is busy with.
When the world body has exhausted itself beating its drum against Israel, we can all be confident that critical environmental issues are its highest priority.
For shame.
(Alan Ganz – YWN Columnist)
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11 Responses
You got it. The enemy is plastic! Load your guns and gird yourself for battle! To save marine life! Join the cause! Nuclear weapons are wonderful tools in this war to save the planet. Eco-friendly, atomic bombs got that compliment from being the most efficient mass-murderers. The more humans dead, the less plastic bags. Long live the fish!
I am looking for someone to cofound my dream grass-root organization, ‘The committee to eliminate humanity for the benefit of aquatic creatures.’Please contact me through YWN to help. Tizku L’Mitzvos.
1. It is hard to take North Korea seriously. They appear to fake weapon tests, and their well publicized rocket launches suggest the major threat is from debris. They are more of a nuisance than a threat.
2. The UN agency charged with environmental issues such as ocean pollution really should not be discussing nuclear weapons. That isn’t there job. Similarly, the Security Council shouldn’t worry about plastic bags.
Akuperma our resident liberal has awoken. Now an expert on foreign affairs.
So Mr.Knowledge what should we do about Iran?
BREAKING NEWS:
Pearl Continental Hotel in Peshawar, Pakistan, explodes from terrorist bombing!
So akuperma, lets debate the obvious. N Korea detonated a nuclear bomb, your idea that they are not a threat to the world is naive at best and deadly at worst. Pres Obama will use as much rope as Americans will grant him to find diplomatic solutionsto Iran N. korea etc… When that fails and sensible people know that it will- then what? We will have given Iran the time they need to obtain the necessary material to go nuclear. What will we say then?
The UN?
The UN is a group of fools who couldn’t agree what to have for lunch. They are spineless, racist and worthless.Can we please for the love of man kind agree?
Dear Mr. Askan,
Actually, I’m a conservative. However North Korea has a record of incompetence that suggests they couldn’t do much harm if they tried. Their leaders are both evil and apparently deranged. If they ever had a war crimes trial, they would probably get off on grounds of insanity and be taken away in straightjackets. Their past sponsors (Russia and China) are quite annoyed with them, which is probably why no one who isn’t their immediate neighbor should lose sleep.
Plastic bags are a problem if they end up in the ocean. No hiddush there. The UN is very good at passing resolutions, and since most of their publishing in now online, no trees are being damaged by these resolutions (as was formerly the case).
Back to business: Iran is not Korea. The Iranians (formerly known as Persians) can be quite a threat (if they are against us, as they are now). They aren’t even truely evil (from their perspective, their policies are rational), nor are they insane. That makes them dangerous, but also opens the possibility of diplomacy or threats of retaliation. The Iranians are fanatics (well, so are must of us), whereas the Korean leadership appears to be off the wall meshuganah.
Akuperma, resident liberal?
Perhaps (generally speaking), our resident intellectual?
The only one who posts thing which are consistently well reasoned, and based on actual facts and thought?
Though I must admit this is one of the few times where I do have to disagree with you. Calling N. Korea simply a nuisance ignores the fact that they engage in serious proliferation of arms to some of the worlds most psychopathic dictators. This is not something we can sit back and countenance, especially when they prove that they have serious nuclear capabilities. While it is true that the UN Environmental Program should be concerned about plastic bags, where is the Security Council in all of this? Presumably, simply firing back the same tired old rhetoric, that will at most result in a slight slap on the wrist.
Its not a totally useless organization, except when it comes to anything that matters.
I once read an article published in the 1935-1940 years, where intellectuals like us were debating whether Hitler YM’S was just a nuisance or insane. Rabboisai, m’darf tshuveh tuen.
I hope they all choke on plastic! It will be perfect ” mida k’neged mida!! “
Once a nuclear bomb goes off then check back to see what the **head of the U.N. Environment Program** says about radiation or something actually related to the environment
What?!! The head of the U.N. Environment Program is dealing with environmental issues instead of nuclear threats? Oh, woe! If only the United Nations had more than one branch so that it could simultaneously deal with issues related to, say, security, world health, world food, and the environment in separate branches! Sigh. What are we to do?
Thanks, YWN, for pointing out that the UN is a mom and pop operation that can only do one or the other, and has chosen its priorities in plastic bags.
At least Mark Levin has a good point–it would be a great mida k’neged mida if the people trying to stop animals from choking on plastic were to choke on plastic. Oh, wait, no, I’m thinking of literary tragic irony. Huh. In my haste to wish tragedy on people I don’t like I got the two confused.
#6 – Why should China, Russia and the US bother with the Security Council which includes a group of minor countries, when they can and according to the press, are acting together and directly, along with Japan and South Korea (which all have very substantial military establishments)? If the UN was trying to do something, that would help North Korea (in blunt terms, if you can pick your enemy, you would want the UN to be the enemy – it’s safer that way).