Comment du Jour

Some Common Sense at UN Debate....




United Nations—In the midst of a fractious and sometimes near farcical General Assembly debate, there a have been surprisingly candid and common sense comments from the marble rostrum of the United Nations. Though the perennial political, economic, security and humanitarian themes have characterized discussions, all seemingly packaged in a predictable and set-piece presentation, some speakers added new and interesting angles to the discussions.

As in the past, Czech Republic President Vaclav Klaus brought a wealth of common sense to the Assembly. Addressing the global economic crisis, Klaus left the near universal script by stating, that many countries wrongly assume that the current crisis “was a failure of markets and that the right way out of it is more regulation of markets. This is a mistaken assumption.”

Klaus a respected economist by training advised, “It is not possible to prevent any future crisis by implementing substantial , market damaging macroeconomic and regulatory government interventions as is the case now. It is only possible to destroy markets and together with them the chances for economic growth and prosperity in both developed and developing countries.”

He stated with conviction, “The solution doesn’t lie in more bureaucracy, either in creating new governmental and supranational agencies, or in aiming at global governance of the world economy.” His remarks hold as much resonance and reason in the UN as they have for the USA where an overbearing federal government in Washington has its fingers in every enterprise and its hands on the scales of commerce.

Opposing some calls for economic protectionism, Klaus stressed, “Developing countries should not be prevented from economic growth. They need access to foreign markets and they need free trade.” Certainly the poorer countries can prosper by global growth as a rising tide lifts all boats.

He also warned that the UN itself “should not haven an all-encompassing agenda. It should not turn away from political topics and towards ‘scientific’ ones. The UN is not here to determine what science is but to engage its member states in a rational, reasoned debate about political issues.” In a clear slap at the “global warming” crowd which has now evolved into the “climate change” lobby, President Klaus stated clearly, “the most harmful political debate we have been witnessing in the last couple of years is about climate and global warming.”

In comments which surprised many onlookers President Klaus asserted, “The UN’s role is not to push for global governance and to play the central role in it. The UN exists primarily to enhance friendly relations among its members and to look for solutions to problems which can’t be confined to national boundaries.”