US Sovereignty vs. the UN

As a nation which prides itself on the “rule of law” in the social fabric of society; and one which supposedly respects and admires morality, justice, equality under the law, ethics – in short “traditional Judeo-Christian values” – in that society; and as a nation which ultimately values peace in order that one may freely go about life without the interference of war or crime, the United States of America must inherently appreciate the existence of the United Nations and the order it provides in the international arena. However, the UN Charter explicitly guarantees the sovereignty of nations, in other words, the UN is not the government of the world.

The United States of America, as an independent sovereign nation, whether guaranteed by the UN Charter or not, implicitly reserves the right to govern its own affairs in a way which best accomplishes the needs and protection of its people, its territory, and its existence. As a sovereign nation, if the interests of the United States of America come in conflict with the UN or any of its member states, if there is no middle ground to be compromised, the United States must act adamantly on behalf of its people out of obligation to them to insure their interests. The allegiance of the governing bodies of the United States is to its own people, first and foremost, and only secondarily to the betterment of the human condition across the globe, or to whatever other cause may arise.

As it pertains to the issue of national security, the UN is an excellent means to a better end, not the end itself. The UN is not the government of the world. As demonstrated by President George W. Bush in 2003 with his invasion of Iraq, whether one is in agreement or not with the act, the United States reserves the right to act for itself even it is if in conflict with the United Nations and its set of governing principles, or in disagreement with its member states. The governing principles of the United Nations do not, and cannot supersede the law of the United States of America in America. The wishes and demands of UN member states cannot supersede the needs and interests of the citizens of the United States of America when the latter's governing bodies are called upon to act on behalf of its citizens. The UN certainly must be respected in the international order, its customs and practices adhered to insofar as any sovereign nation is reasonably able, but each sovereign nation must retain the right to act unilaterally on behalf of its citizens, if or when the UN is unable or unwilling to do so. Until the world as a whole is willing and wanting to forfeit its sovereignty to the United Nations, the nations of the world must continue with the traditional role of sovereign governments. This must remain the case with the United States of America until that time. The UN is still not the government of the world.