France & the UN: Poseurs Both!

po·seur
n. One who affects a particular attribute, attitude, or identity to impress or influence others.
n. a person who habitually pretends to be something he is not


Some people I know often wonder why I constantly have nothing good to say about the United Nations. If the UN actually did what it was conceived to do then I would support it wholeheartedly. But the reality is that the UN has devolved over the decades to nothing more than a debating club. They talk & talk & talk but rarely, if ever, accomplish anything. And, as was clearly shown with the Iraq Oil for Food scandal, many of the UN officials are worse than the most corrupt politicians in terms of padding their own pockets rather than doing something for the betterment of all.

Now look at the current situation in the Middle East. Israel agreed to stop fighting based on the clear promise that UN forces would move into Southern Lebanon to form a solid barrier between Israel and Hezbollah. Listening to the BBC World News this morning, I was not surprised to hear that France has refused to step up to the plate to offer anything more than a token group of 200 engineers. Huh? France is perfectly suited to provide the bulk of the large force necessary to stop future violence. But being the poseurs that they are, they're not being the responsible world citizens they claim to be.

Imagine having a friend that acted like France. They would be the life of the party but also irresponsible, flakey, and two-faced. It wouldn't be too long before I would dump their sorry ass.