Wednesday, November 24, 2004

Vaclav Havel and Ukraine

Glenn Reynolds thinks Havel should replace Kofi Annan at the United Nations--and that the Ukraine election is the perfect moment to do it.
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11 comments:

Aaron Curtis said...

Interesting. What do you think about Bill Clinton's chances of becoming S.G.?

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=41038

11:56 PM
Vox Poplar said...

The odds of Clinton becoming SG are pretty slim, the most damning being his American birth. Something the bulk of the UN would block no matter who it was. Besides it's time to get the Clintons off the public teat.

Vaclac Havel would be a good choice, but he actually has a little something called moral courage, another item the UN is strongly against.

11:07 AM
Mark Daniels said...

I agree that under current circumstances the chances of Bill Clinton becoming Secretary General range from slim to none. One reason clearly is that as long as the US remains the prevailing superpower of the world, no American will be selected as SG. I can't say that this is a bad idea. US interests are too far-flung, our power too great, and our influence too pervasive for the international community to entrust the SG position to one of our number.

Furthermore, the UN will want to stay free of domestic US politics. With Mr. Clinton's wife likely to make a bid for the presidency (or to at least be touted for the office), I don't see the international community wanting him as SG. I also think that the US would squelch such a move.

Vaclev Havel is an interesting possibility.

Others might include former Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Particularly in light of the recent scandal regarding the sexual misconduct of members of UN peacekeepers in Africa, Tutu could be a great choice. In addition to being a courageous Nobel Peace Prize laureate, he is a man with a reputation beyond reproach. His work as leader of reconciliation in South Africa following the dismantling of apartheid marks him as a notable statesman.

While Tutu is of a more advanced age than Havel, he might serve a helpful interim term at the UN, helping to restore its integrity and reputation.

4:22 PM
Joe Dees said...

If you REALLY want to shake things up, AND put a person of unquestionable integrity in the office, I suggest Aung San Suu Kyu.

6:23 PM
Buddy Larsen said...

But who better than a poet who has lived under tyranny, seen the worst, knows how it works, is able to communicate it intellectually and emotionally, has led a nation in the cure for it and the recovery from it, and is well known for all this, and commands a vast international reserve of respect and goodwill?

8:06 PM
Scott said...

I wonder about this. Does Glenn Reynolds really know what Vaclav Havel stands for? Regardless, I like the idea. Of course it's completely fanciful. A longer response here:

http://fistfulofeuros.net/archives/000977.php

8:31 PM
David said...

Vaclav Havel is a good choice - keeping in mind that just about ANYONE would better than Kofi Annan and his laughing band of thieves.

Otherwise, a practical option might be to make UN corruption "legal," therefore ending the painful era of nuance (duplicity).

I haven't, however, figured out an acceptable way to legalize their murders, rapes, and mayhem. Although I've studied the UN's current bylaws, the applicable references are couched in a maze of - you guessed it - nuance. The term "Genocide", for example, seems to apply more to cross-border livestock.

Yes, Havel by all means.

10:07 PM
dillon said...

If Kerry had won, I think Bill Clinton could've easily become SG. Its the one job a president can take and not hurt his prestige.

Is Havel a candidate, doesn't the SG rotate amongst the continents? I thought North America was next.

If not, what about Gorbachev?

12:57 PM
miklos rosza said...

Won't racism -- or rather, reverse racism -- prevent many from judging Kofi Annan as harshly as he may deserve?

4:41 PM
Lawjedi said...

Clinton's dream would be the UN Sec Gen. And he'd be just as worthless as Kofi au Lait.

Havel is an interesting choice. Not a feckless diplomat, but rather an executive making choices.

However, I love the notion of bringing in Lech Walesa. A tough, no-nonsese Pole who can get the job done, and when it's over, he just goes back to the shipyard to weld (although the presidential pension didn't upset him too much!)

The guy has been through much, not to mention decades of having Tom Brokaw shred the pronunciation of his name. He's earned it.

1:03 PM
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12:07 AM

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