The UN General Assembly.

24.9.2009.

I was following the commentaries following Libya's Gadaffi debut at the UN. You could almost feel the sacarsm and ridicule laced into them. In fact, appearances notwithstanding, some of the things Gadaffi said are quite sensible. 

The trouble with " western media" (in other words US and European news channels ) is that they are usually more enthusiastic about the personality rather than the message, i.e. the singer and not the song, if you like. Their reporters are sated with stereotypical casting of certain personalities and certain countries, and too often it's the product of their own typecasting in the first place.

As in all cases, disrespect, insensitivity,ignorance and selfishness underwrite all the human conflicts for which the UN was supposed to be the place to come for remedy. Watching the deliberate departure of the host country's elected leader and the senior memebers of his appointed government immediately before Gadaffi spoke, for the first time, is jarringly indicative of the total disrespect shown to another world-class leader.

Here we have the US President giving his school master reprimand for the nations of the world for not "putting their acts together", and he immediately went against his words by turning his back on one of his own kind, another nation's leader, even if not one to his liking. How can you expect people to listen to you when you're not prepared to at least pretend to listen to others. And especially in this case, when a so-called "rogue" leader speaks for the first time, shouldn't you be more than interested in hearing him out in front of you and the rest of the so-called civilised world ? 

Just pick up some of the things Gadaffi said. The "inequality" of UN, especially the membership of the Security Council and the veto powers of a handful of countries. Isn't this a fact, and isn't it unfair ? Who gives these five countries the absolute right to put a stop on any resolution impinging on other member countrise ? 

The plight of the Palestinians to-day is the consequence of the unilateral action of the western powers less than seven decades ago, made without the consent of the existing populace, in creating Israel. And the aggression of that new found political entity, with the full support of USA, against an unarmed population, has not only continued, but has worsened with other social injustices right under the eyes of, and in stark disregard for UN's sanctions, and this from a regime of a 60-year old country that claims to have been brutalised by the Europeans for centuries. 

65 wars were waged since UN's inception. That is a fact. Iraq and Afghanistan were invaded, against the opinion of the world. The fallacy of the USA's rationale for both military adventures has been exposed. The injustices and cruelties carried out in the name of western-style liberties hit the very values supposed to be those being faught for. It was to be the export of civilisation from a country less than 300 years old to countries civilised when Europe was still in the Dark Ages. Even the location of the UN on US soil merits reconsideration seeing the uncivilised manner of the reception thrown at the delegates who represent countries, by both US officials and citizenaries.

For the last remaining Military power of the world, the preaching can only be listened to if it also starts to listen to others. 

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