President
Bush told the world in his television address "we don't need permission"
to attack Iraq.  And we don't…so why all the diplomatic pussy footing? 

The United States and Britain have reportedly been
forced to delay their push for a United Nations resolution authorizing
war against Iraq after France and Russia vowed to defeat it Tony Blair
stepped up to the plate.  Go figure. 

"TONY BLAIR prepared his party and country for war
without further approval from the United Nations."  The London Times reported. 
Attaboy! 

Blair said he would defy scores of Labor MPs and
millions of voters as he basically blew off the idea that America could
go it alone.  Way to go Tony!  Badges?  Badges?  We don't need to stinking
badge...

Britain and America already had legal authority
for attacking Iraq Blair said.  And he even went the extra mile by implying
that if the UN could not bring itself to enforce its will, others would
have to do so.  That is a key point…and a major reality check for the Neville
Chamberlain crowd. 

The United Nations is a dysfunctional gaggle of
regional special interests whose only consensus is that the richest, most
powerful member of their club is bad. 

According to Anthony Gregory of the Independent
Institute [http://www.independent.org/tii/news/030310Gregory.html], "The
United Nations is no flawless organization, no paragon of truth, no exemplary
model for national foreign policies," and he is spot on right. " It is
a coalition of governments -- each with its own priorities and politically
motivated agendas.  It's hypocritical and foolish for those who once decried
the UN to use its resolutions to justify war with Iraq -- or for antiwar
activists to rely on the UN to bring about peace and justice in a region
they believe has suffered the worst of UN policy: mass starvation from
sanctions."  In other words, in less scholarly terms, the UN is as worthless
as a bucket of spit. 

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan tried to intensify
the pressure on Washington, warning that conflict would be illegitimate
without a new resolution authorizing it.  However, Annan, France, Germany
and other would-be appeasers are behind the rock and the hard place. 

Annan claims that without the resolution military
action would be "seriously impaired" and not conform to the UN charter. 
Bullfeathers! 

The terminally whiny French say they are going to
veto the resolution in any case…maybe.  Hey, that's the French.  Blair noted
that it was illogical for France, having backed the original UN Resolution
1441, to veto its implementation.  Illogical yes….but VERY French.  It also
underscores the epic UN hypocrisy of denying their original resolution. 

Most of the news accounts you read suggest the obstreperous
UN naysayers constitute some massive setback for the US.  Not really.  That
is the glass being half empty.  The half full side of the equation is the
cruel reality check that the 'United Nothing' is hypocritical, impotent,
and increasingly insignificant. 

There ARE consequences to what we do and don't do
in life.  Poker is not Baccarat and like it or not the guy with the most
chips and best cards wins. 

Annan is warning the US not to launch a strike without
UN approval. " The charter is very clear on circumstances under which force
can be used," he said. " If the United States and others were to go outside
the council and take military action, it would not be in conformity with
the charter." 

The reality is you can only count on the UN (and
France) to be there when they need us.  Well guess what?  WE don't need
them. 

* So they should get
out of the way.  John Wayne once said, "If you won't respect your elders,
I'll teach you to respect your betters." 

Charles Krauthammer [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13017-2003
Mar11.html] nailed it in his column 'Call the Vote.  Walk Away.'  He wrote
for the President to "Walk away from the U.N. Security Council.  It will
not authorize the coming war.  You can stand on your head and it won't
change the outcome.  You can convert to Islam in a Parisian mosque and
it won't prevent a French veto." 

The League of Nations failed to stop Mussolini from
invading and conquering Ethiopia.  It failed to stop Japan from invading
and conquering Manchuria and a chunk of China. 

Once upon a time lots of Americans were whining,
"Appease Hitler.  He really isn't such a bad guy.  He just needed more room
for his growing population. 

The UN fiddled and talked and talked as the Soviet
Union carved up Germany, invaded Poland and Yugoslavia, Rumania, Hungary
and Bulgaria along with Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. 

Over 37,000 American soldiers were killed in Korea,
and over 1,000,000 South Korean soldiers and civilians killed and the
country was effectively destroyed.  That's just part of the UN resume. 

Thanks in part to the United Nothing we have sent
our troops to Vietnam, Somalia, Herzegovina, Panama, Granada, and in the
wake of Iraq invading Kuwait, the Gulf War. 

We don't need UN permission and we should abandon
the fiction that it really matters.  By their own action of inaction the
UN has revitalized the mantra of "Get out of the UN and get the UN out
of New York." 

Geoff is a veteran media performer. 
He has had an eclectic professional background covering a wide spectrum
ofradio, television, magazine, and
newspapers.  A former Green Beret andretired
Army officer he is in great demand as a speaker.  Metcalf has hostedhis radio talk show on the ABC/Disney owned
and operated KSFO and inworldwide
syndication.www.geoffmetcalf.com