Why does the left consider the UN a moral authority?

GoldRanger

May the power protect you
Founder
As the title says. I've encountered many arguments against certain actions by certain nations that amounted to "it's against international law", or "the UN voted against that", with the implicit expectation that this should end the argument.

Why? Seriously, I don't understand.

Is the UN some sort of ascended, enlightened moral authority that is somehow above mere nation-states and their mortal constituents? Did the organization receive some sort of divine mandate from God/gods/aliens/ancestor spirits while I wasn't paying attention?

The UN's representatives, as well as the organization itself as a whole, has done many reprehensible things, some on the level of the worst nation-states out there. It is teeming with corruption. It regularly violates its own charter when convenient, without batting an eye. I've opened a thread on this topic awhile ago, and there were quite a few incidents to go through. I don't see that, based on actual, observable results, the organization or the laws it agrees on should be considered as above reproach.

Hell, even if it was squeaky clean, the entire thing is thinly veiled political theater and/or popularity contest, by design!

I understand arguing that a country should be held accountable to international law (at least, to a point), because supposedly they are voluntary signatories. But I've seen people arguing that it's evil to oppose international law, and I'm not talking about laws prohibiting genocide or such either.

What's up with this idealization of this bureaucratic chimera? Can anyone give me an insight into the leftist psyche on this matter?
 

FriedCFour

PunishedCFour
Founder
Is the UN some sort of ascended, enlightened moral authority that is somehow above mere nation-states and their mortal constituents? Did the organization receive some sort of divine mandate from God/gods/aliens/ancestor spirits while I wasn't paying attention?
Because they are globalists and don’t believe in nations. The UN is a step towards the destruction of nations.
 

S'task

Renegade Philosopher
Administrator
Staff Member
Founder
It goes back to how WW1 and WW2 impacted the leftist psyche in the Western World. Remember, the core idea that many took from the World Wars was not "domino treaties are bad", "extremist collectivist ideologies are bad and dangerous", and "Germany shouldn't be allowed to be dominate in Europe", but that "nationalism is dangerous". The dominate view on the left is that both WW1 and WW2 were caused by "nationalism" as a force and that as such any and all forms of "nationalism" are inherently dangerous and to be opposed.

The UN is an inherently anti-nationalist, and explicitly internationalist, organization. Because of this status, the idea is that it is above the whims of nation-states (which are inherently suspect because nation-states cause world wars and commit genocide) and thus free from their biases and imperfections, and thus can be seen as a more unbiased and legitimate authority.

It's pretty much that simple.
 

S'task

Renegade Philosopher
Administrator
Staff Member
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I put it in simpler words.

Also, they do a lot of leftwing social value shilling. See the UN Women Twitter account and other UN twitters.
Yes, but lacked the history to provide context. He wanted to understand, understanding something requires more than just the simple explanation, it needs to include a bit of the "why" someone arrived at that conclusion.
 

Wargamer08

Well-known member
It’s also a deeply corrupt organization on an internal level. Not willing to take bribes larger then someone buying you lunch? Prepare for a performance review stating that you fail to understand the UN system.
 

Navarro

Well-known member
The UN is an inherently anti-nationalist, and explicitly internationalist, organization. Because of this status, the idea is that it is above the whims of nation-states (which are inherently suspect because nation-states cause world wars and commit genocide) and thus free from their biases and imperfections, and thus can be seen as a more unbiased and legitimate authority.

But of course, in practice it isn't.
 

FriedCFour

PunishedCFour
Founder
They see the UN as representing the kind of world government they want, and it spouts the nonsense that they want to hear. If the UN didn't spout that stuff and actually lived up to what it was originally conceived as and nothing more, they'd probably hate it.
It was originally conceived for poor purposes. It was the death blow to Westphalian Sovereignty and the sheer concept of international law, legal rights and crimes is terrible.
 

Circle of Willis

Well-known member
In addition to what's been said, I think it also helps the UN a lot that their crimes tend to be overlooked. How many leftists and liberals who like the UN know that wherever blue helmets go, child trafficking follows, as just one example? This isn't the sort of thing that makes headlines on CNN or CBS or Salon or whatever it is they watch/read, after all. Maybe VICE back in the early 2010s at best, but certainly not them now, either. And of those who learn about atrocities like these, how many are willing to hold the organization - champion of the globalism they also fervently believe in that it is - to account as a whole?
 

Marduk

Well-known member
Moderator
Staff Member
What's up with this idealization of this bureaucratic chimera? Can anyone give me an insight into the leftist psyche on this matter?
a) Because it it puts international in international socialism
b) Because it is a bureaucratic nightmare that makes a claim to make rules the whole world should obey
c) Last but not least, a strong majority of governments in the UN are anti-western just like the leftists, and it shows in its rulings
 

LordsFire

Internet Wizard
The root of it is simple:

The UN is dominated by leftists, and thus says what they want to hear.

'These people agree with me, therefore it is useful to treat them as an authority.'

I don't think I've seen anything anyone else said here that is wrong (except it being the end of westphalian sovereignty), but I do think this is the simplest way to put it.
 

GoldRanger

May the power protect you
Founder
having heard about your personal life I am convinced he belives in you, some times you have the devils luck.
Sure you're not confusing me with someone else? I don't think I've talked about my personal life much here.
 

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