Discussion: Is there value to the United Nations?
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
[image]
President Obama delivered his first speech to the United Nation this morning. He touched on the usual themes. He said countries should not seek to dominate each other. He said countries must work together. He stressed peace. All things that set heads to nodding.
But it was this line -- an applause line -- which revealed more about the members of the United Nation:
"For just as no nation should be forced to accept the tyranny of another nation, no individual should be forced to accept the tyranny of their own people."
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
Obama paused and waited for the applause. It took a few moments before the General Assembly responded with what applause that can charitably be described as "polite." But perhaps they were concerned about the grammatical noun/pronoun disagreement.
When he talked about democracy and the rights and dignity of individuals, there was only silence.
Obama came close to apologizing for past U.S. actions in the world.
What's your opinion on his message and the body to whom he delivered it.
