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Social Welfare System

Solutions: Reformation of UN, IMF & World Bank

The UN and its affiliated subsidiaries, the IMF & World Bank, have the stated objectives of resolving the world's political and socio-economic problems collectively irrespective of faith, race or gender without bias or favour and for the common benefit of man.

However, due to the origins of the UN, its historical ties with precursor organisations such as the league of nations and the fact that ultimately the executive & veto power lies in the control of the 5 permanent members (USA, UK, China, Russia & France) meant that the foundation of the body was unequal and unfair. Subsequently, all the policies have been selectively implemented according to the self-interest of the 5 permanent members and the 'deals' that they have negotiated between each other. As the 5 priviliged permanent members also happen to be the main nuclear & military powers in the world they have dictated the global financial and political infrastructures in the world, favouring their self-interest & friends whilst isolating their enemies irrespective of whether the majority of the world agree with them or not.

Examples of this abuse of power include :-

• Initiation of illegal wars such as Iraq and thereby not only being able to destroy the political infrastructure of such nations but placing a whole nation into abject, absolute poverty
• Ignoring the plight of innocent people who are dying of poverty in Palestine, Chechneya, Kashmir, Rwanda, etc

A way forward to resolve the deficiencies within the UN could be :-

• One Member, One Vote for all countries - majority voting on any subject dictating the outcome.

Each country would be equal to each other in decision making irrespective of financial and military might. This change would then potentially allow countries to discuss, debate and convince each other of the merits and morality of a specific case or argument rather than decisions being based on privilige and self-interest.

Alternatively if the continued excesses & injustices of the 5 permanent members is allowed to continue then there may come a time when the nations who have been harshly treated, of which there are many, may start to withdraw from the UN en mass which again will lead to the splintering of the world according to the 'might is right' philosophy and greater anarchy than at present.

The world is at a major criticial point whereby the so-called third world i.e. the poor african, asian & south american nations and muslim countries are feeling very aggrieved and hard done by the richer, more powerful nations of the UN. These aggrieved people would be ready to leave the UN if a better alternative was available today unless of course the UN is willing to fundamentally change by embracing the democracy which it preaches to the rest of the world.

An overview of the UN is as follows:- 

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