Barr ’08

On this day in 1945 the U.S. and other countries signed the United Nations Charter.  Unfortunately, “the UN has been an enormous disappointment,” says Libertarian Party presidential candidate Bob Barr.   “The U.S. should push to roll back the UN’s functions and slash America’s financial contribution.”

Expectations for the UN initially were high:  before the signing, President Harry S. Truman said “At no time in history has there been a more important Conference than this one.”  Obviously, “President Truman had no sense of history,” notes Barr.  “America’s constitutional convention always had a much better claim to that honor.”

Nor was President Truman much of a prophet.  “The United Nations has turned out far different than expected,” says Barr.  The budget is bloated.

“The UN has become a huge, bloated and costly bureaucracy, constantly seeking ways to involve itself in domestic affairs of member nations including the United States,” Barr added.  The world body’s “corruption and inefficiency are legendary.  UN mismanagement of the Iraq sanctions program even allowed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein to enrich himself.”

The UN has been captured by ideological and political interests.  “The UN Human Rights Council is worse than a joke, since it does more to protect than criticize human rights abusers,” explained Barr.  The UN treats Israel as a worse violator of human rights than Zimbabwe, China, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, or Burma.

“The only hope for the United Nations is to cut back its role to the core functions of diplomacy and cooperation on such international problems as health care and refugee relief,” he says.   That means “dramatic and deep cuts in the UN’s bureaucracy and budget.  We must stop wasting the money of hard-working Americans on the activities of a corrupt elite.”

People still want to believe in the UN ideal.  Unfortunately, “the UN has violated their idealism and trust for decades,” explains Barr.  The next administration “must confront the UN’s failures directly and without illusion.”

Barr represented the 7th District of Georgia in the U. S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2003, where he served as a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, as Vice-Chairman of the Government Reform Committee, and as a member of the Committee on Financial Services. Prior to his congressional career, Barr was appointed by President Reagan to serve as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, and also served as an official with the CIA.

Since leaving Congress, Barr has been practicing law and has teamed up with groups ranging from the American Civil Liberties Union to the American Conservative Union to actively advocate every American citizens’ right to privacy and other civil liberties guaranteed in the Bill of Rights. Along with this, Bob is committed to helping elect leaders who will strive for smaller government, lower taxes and abundant individual freedom.