Trump way off base on United Nations

KAMLOOPS — Donald Trump, in his usual self-obsessed and vulgar way, decided to trash the UN in one of his Boxing Day tweets.  

Likely responding to the UN Security Council’s Resolution 2334 concerning Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories, the petulant man-child and future President of the United States tweeted. “…The United Nations is just a club for people to get together, talk and have a good time.”

This remark ignores the dedication, work and quite often, bravery of nearly 45,000 UN employees stationed around the world.  The people who, for instance: try to house, feed and protect refugees; monitor and provide peacekeepers to fragile democracies; tackle epidemics before they become pandemics; or work toward mitigating the effects of climate change, to name just a few.

Fortunately the United Nations, did respond to Donald’s child-like attempt to belittle their work, by providing a list of just 10 ways they have recently made a difference.  It’s actually quite inspiring, eye-opening and a very positive and appropriate read as we begin another new year.  Here’s what the United Nations had to say about the work their “club” does:

• Provides food and assistance to some 80 million people in 80 countries
• Supplies vaccines for 40% of the world’s children, helping save 3 million lives a year
• Assists and protects 59.5 million people fleeing war, famine and persecution
• Works with 195 nations to hold the rise in global temperature below 2 degrees
• Keeps peace with 125,396 peacekeepers in 16 operations on 4 continents
• Fights extreme poverty, helping to improve the livelihoods of more than 1 billion people
• Protects and promotes human rights on site and through some 80 treaties/declarations
• Coordinates a $20.1 billion appeal for the humanitarian needs of 87.6 million people
• Uses diplomacy to prevent conflict, including electoral assistance in some 67 countries
• Supports maternal health, helping 30 million women survive pregnancy and childbirth

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The United Nations is not perfect and at times even ineffectual but perhaps the Donald would like to prepare a comparative list of his top 10 humanitarian efforts. 

Matter of fact, I’d even accept a list and be quite impressed if he could name just five of his own compassionate acts that have impacted the world in a positive way. And to make it easier, they don’t even have to be in the same year.

Okay, maybe that is asking too much. So I’ll settle for just one civilized act of kindness and generosity that was for the benefit of someone other than the Donald.

Just one, that’s all.