The Last Word
Getting Out of the UN: An Idea That’s Catching On!
The United Nations came into existence on October 24, 1945 — 80 years ago this year. During the world body’s early years, politicians and pundits praised it almost universally, such as when President John F. Kennedy described it in his January 20, 1961 inauguration speech as “our last best hope in an age where the instruments of war have far outpaced the instruments of peace.” He continued, “We renew our pledge of support [to the UN] — to prevent it from becoming merely a forum for invective — to strengthen its shield of the new and the weak — and to enlarge the area in which its writ may run.”
JFK’s pledge to strengthen the UN was not mere rhetoric. In September 1961, the U.S. State Department released, and JFK submitted to the UN General Assembly, a “disarmament” plan titled Freedom From War: The United States Program for General and Complete Disarmament in a Peaceful World. Under this plan, in the third of three stages, “progressive controlled disarmament and continuously developing principles and procedures of international law would proceed to a point where no state would have the military power to challenge the progressively strengthened U.N. Peace Force.”
That plan was in accord with the vision of the UN’s founders, who claimed that an empowered UN would enforce world peace. Ignored in this utopian dream was that such a monopoly of power could also be used to impose global tyranny.
JBS Member?
Sign in with your ShopJBS.org account.
Subscribe Now
- 12 Issues Per Year
- Digital Edition Access
- Digital Insider Report
- Exclusive Subscriber Content
- Audio provided for all articles
- Unlimited access to past issues
- Cancel anytime.
- Renews automatically
Subscribe Now
- 12 Issues Per Year
- Print edition delivery (USA)
*Available Outside USA - Digital Edition Access
- Digital Insider Report
- Exclusive Subscriber Content
- Audio provided for all articles
- Unlimited access to past issues
- Cancel anytime.
- Renews automatically