Snap Fact #118

Among many other important things, the United Nations plays a key role in supporting the United States’ diplomatic and military missions. President Obama in 2009 order the United States to finally pay its long overdue dues to the UN. According to CNS News, “the U.S. alone pays 22 percent of the regular budget and more than 25 percent of the peacekeeping budget. The contributions are assessed according to member states’ relative “capacity to pay, calculated from national economic output.” 

In his speech to the UN, President Obama said, “I took office at a time when many around the world had come to view America with skepticism and distrust. Part of this was due to misperceptions and misinformation about my country. Part of this was due to opposition to specific policies, and a belief that on certain critical issues, America has acted unilaterally, without regard for the interests of others. And this has fed an almost reflexive anti-Americanism, which too often has served as an excuse for collective inaction. 

Now, like all of you, my responsibility is to act in the interest of my nation and my people, and I will never apologize for defending those interests. But it is my deeply held belief that in the year 2010 — more than at any point in human history — the interests of nations and peoples are shared.” 

Many believe that the United Nations is not a good partner for the United States as there is much anti-U.S. and anti-Israel politics abounding in that body. Others feel that the United Nations, despite its faults and problems still has a positive and useful role on balance. The debate will continue on, but the President rose above the fray and did what all good conservatives, liberals, and independents would agree on, he saw to it that America kept its word to honor the obligations that we had made by long ago commitments. Putting aside the politically correct thing to do, he did the morally proper and correct thing and kept America's obligations which had been made by a long line of his predecessors but not honored by the previous administration.