The UN then and now

In a post on Commentary's RSS Site this morning JAMES KIRCHICK wrote about Daniel Patrick Moynihan as UN Ambassador. At the time instead of a madman from Iran the General Assembly was being visited by one from Uganda. He said of Amin at the time the Uganda madman was visiting the UN, "[I]t’s no accident, I fear, that this ‘racist murderer’—as one of our leading newspapers called him this morning—is head of the Organization of African Unity.”

There is some reason for optimism in the UN in part because of its new leadership. But the last couple of days have suggested how fragile the opportunities for the organization are.

I worked with Moynihan when he was in the Senate (the seat now occupied by Hillary Clinton and as he reminded listeners often once occupied by Tammany era figure Roscoe Conkling.) Moynihan once told me of Conkling's quote soon after resigning his Senate seat (because of the Pendleton/Civil Service Act) he was quoted as saying "Those who fear the pernicious effects of patriotism has for scalawags and scofflaws, have not listened to the clarion call that reform has for these same individuals." Moynihan had a mix of a wonderful wit, a superb intellect and an unwillingness to accept prattle.