In response to the editorial “Credit approval: U.S. links vote to U.N. legitimacy”:

The United Nations is in danger of losing any credibility of being a world-governing body if it does not act on the issue of Iraq. Not because the United States says so, but because at some point those who govern must punish those who disobey or everyone will disobey. The United Nations has shown no authority in dealing with those who disregard its rules. Iraq has agreed to follow the rules, but continues not to follow the rules. So the United Nations’ way to make Iraq follow the rules is to talk about it. The United Nations talks. Saddam laughs.

Iraq is a member of the United Nations, and it has said it will comply with U.N. regulations. However, it does not comply. It lies and sneaks and deceives. The United Nations debates what is a lie, what is sneaky and what is a deception. At the very least, the United Nations should throw Iraq out; at the most they should decide to turn Iraq into the world’s largest sheet of glass (though I am not in support of or condoning the use of nuclear weapons.)

While the United Nations debates, Bush has decided to act. Bush is not alone; the United States is not acting unilaterally, despite what anti-war people would like to believe. In reality, the only country outside the United Nations really working against this action is France; even Germany and Russia are giving us support and help. Even Iraq helps the U.S. position by not complying with Resolution 1441, or the other 16 for that matter.

This shows the United Nations does not truly represent the beliefs of its members. It has turned from a vision of being a world-governing body to a world-debating society with little real power or influence. It is a show where all the wealthy nations of the world can pretend to care about peace, love and harmony.

The United Nations has taken little or no action in the major war crisis of the last decade. Kosovo, Bosnia, Iraq, Serbia and Somalia are places where the United Nations has shown no resolve to act where military action was required.

Since war is inevitable, the United Nations may come around because it may be politically convenient, but eventually people will see through their disguise. The United Nations is already an irrelevant governing body — now it’s just time for people to see it.

Patrick Loganjunior in pre-electrical engineering