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Salient: Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 30, No. 9. 1967.

Members fail UN

Members fail UN

Israel is a young state, yet in less than twenty years she has been involved with the Arabs in three major skirmishes. Her recent effort lasted for six days and her territories trebled.

The most significant point about the Middle East crisis is that the great powers just barely managed to avoid involvement. International politics are now so constructed that even the smallest of wars among the smallest of states is likely to lead to multi-national involvement.

Nuclear conflagration is a constant promise.

Modern communications bring an awareness of the most distant political events. Modern weapons ensure an involvement in those events. The politics of isolationism are no longer viable.

In such a tightly constructed political atmosphere it is instinctive to look to a world body that could resolve national frictions over the conference tables instead of on the launching pad. It is this Middle East flare-up that points to the critical lack in the ability of the United Nations to perform its peace-keeping tasks.

Secretary - General U Thant withdrew UN troops from the Gaza Strip a few days before fighting began. It was obvious that such a token force could not deter the Arab build-up and desire for war. A desire that is at least understandable in historical perspective, though this does not amount to justification.

After the cease fire, the UN could not even bring down a motion as to the conditions of settlement. Not one out of five tabled gained sufficient approval.

Following this failure the usual criticism of the UN was widespread. The real failure is not with the UN but with the national units themselves.

Sadly the concepts of nationality still form the basis of world politics, even though they may often take the guise of regionalism. The goal of supra-nationality still lingers beyond reach.

If we are to look to a better future in human relations we must place the notion of "world" before that of "country." Just as a man places "country" before "town."

Only when political maturity has reached such a stage will the UN be assured of sufficient military power to police the world, and sufficient finance to provide for its heavy responsibilities.

Until that time, never say that the UN fails the nations. Say rather that the nations fail the UN.

G.P.C.