airsuperiority
Captain
That would be 2015 at the latest. I don't think he's going to stand a chance against Justin Trudeau. So don't give up your dreams just yet!
In any case, back on topic, there is no doubt that some member nations have more influence than others. Even discounting the Big Five, more powerful states have more weight. It gets worrisome when the more influential members of the UN start talking about its obsolescence.
I would argue that the UN established a "World Order" post-WW2, and that the current problems stems from the fact that this order is being challenged and shifted. It is hard to say if the UN can survive this shift.
I used to not affiliate myself with any parties because I felt I'm meant to stay within IR and that's that, but then as my recent thoughts and progresses towards planning my career had shown, I had found myself that in order to get into the department I wished to work in, I begin to pay closer and closer attention to the policies of the domestic parties.
For the related issue, I'm probably more in the pro-democratic camp for HK, while Canada more towards the liberal. The issues I find with conservative would be that Harper's government is really tarnishing the image Canada is building.
Luckily for Canada, which unlike China, Canada enjoys a stable status as humanitarian Western state, and even with Harper's government messing around, it won't alter the image as humanitarianism and multiculturalism had been engraved as "the Canadian value". With that said, I predict the disappearance of Harper and his government could allow the flourishing of a new warmer age for Canadian foreign policy...provided the next in line, I suppose either NDP or the Liberals, are not erratic like the current guy.
As for the UN, I feel UN will always stay and will never disappear, no matter how much happens. The main reason being that unlike the LoN, the UN had substantial years of construction and had always been in construction by its member states, and therefore it is in fact the collective effort of the world. It is easy to unpin a tent built from a dozen pins, but not one held in place by over 190 of them.
Second, the UN had become the grounds for the world to gather, and globalization would in fact anchor the importance of the UN's existence.
3. The world is no longer bipolar as Cold War had been. Many scholars, myself included(as an undergrad), believe the world is now multi-polar with the reemergence of regional powers being the pivot of geopolitical theaters, to emergence of various regional groups such as BRIC, SCO, NATO, ASEAN+3, African Union, EU, Arab League, and various others. With that said, as chaotic as it goes, the UN itself plays a central role of being the house that hosts everything. When I was at the UN for a workshop, I learned that during the GA the member states work within their geopolitical groups to discuss their issues prior to submitting them into the final resolution to be passed. With that said this confirmed that the UN definitely retains its place, no matter how various parties go arbitrary. As long as there are human security issues and concerns and problems in this world, the UN will stay, that's my thought.
4. Most of our discussions so far are focused on the Security Council aspects, such as the issues of Syria and much more. It's true that UNSC is unhelpful for all those matters, but we must be reminded that UN is a neutral party, and it can never step outside of this jurisdiction. The moment it does so, it takes a side and it puts itself not only at risk, but also lacking the neutrality that can damage its credibility further. Let's be reminded what the definitions of neutrality will permit, and restrictions.
5. UN is not the world police and it is not to police anyone. It is the stage where it hosts its bosses and brings agenda to their attention. It is just the civil servant of these bosses. The bosses discuss and plan, and the civil servant carries it out. And the bosses therefore, are your member states. As one UN member once told us, member states are the most important aspects and what gives UN its meaning. The UN is meant to serve the countries; they are the most important. When the halls are empty, the GA Hall is just another conference room.
5. Harper and friends are douches, especially Baird. I treat Baird and Harper and them like Kim's regime. They can talk all they want, but everyone knows NK is always hating. No difference for Baird.
