So Long, United Nations

The fringe candidates of the U.S. presidential primaries are long since forgotten, but some of them seem to be trying to outdo one another with the wacky bills that get introduced from time to time in the House of Representatives. Back in September, just days after Republican President George W. Bush affirmed the importance of the United Nations before the General Assembly, Republican Tom Tancredo introduced a bill aimed at kicking UN headquarters out of the New York City. Now Ron Paul has sought to one-up his former rival by not only booting the UN from the premises, but withdrawing from every international organization he can think of.

UN peacekeeping? Nope, not worth it. The UN Environmental Program? Extinct. The World Health Organization? Kill it. Heck, he even wants out of the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. And what about all those people around the world who benefit from these programs? As New York City’s own Rudy Giuliani might say: Fuhgeddabout ’em! This is the “American Sovereignty Restoration Act.” And when can these UN organizations expect their polite letter of withdrawal? Well, that’s the best part of this going-nowhere legislation.

Except as otherwise provided, this Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take effect 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

Which is to say, approximately two years after never.

(image of Ron Paul, 2007, from flickr user Kaptain Krispy Kreme under a Creative Commons license)