A conservative correspondent of mine sent me the following links, asking the corresponding questions.
Regarding the financial stake that France and Russia had in pre-war Iraq: Why do you suppose the mainstream media is treating this so lightly? (Warning: NY Post link. Deep, calming breath recommended before clicking.)
Regarding the many ways the U.N. oil-for-food program was exploited by Saddam Hussein: Still think that Iraq should be turned over to the UN?
He then followed up with this article, which further discusses the oil-for-food program and Kofi Annan's involvement in it.
The gist of his accompanying letter was that the U.N. oil-for-food situation, and the alleged French and Russian bribes, were excellent reasons for the U.S. to ignore all of those parties in its Iraq policy-making process. Bribed or otherwise tainted parties cannot be trusted parties in a discussion of what best to do in Iraq.
Here was my response to him:
I do not require convincing as to the evil that men do.
I require convincing as to the proper solution.
As understand it, the Bush government's solution to these issues is to disempower the U.N. and to ignore the national interests of Russia and France. That is a disagreeable approach to me. I prefer the inclusive approach, where we work to fix the broken parts of the U.N., and negotiate results that aid all parties. That means that we give some ground sometimes. That is acceptable to me in the interests of peace and world democracy.
Warts and all, I still believe the U.N. is our best shot at a representative world government. Representative government means that even the people I disagree with are represented. That means that a truly representative body will, from time to time, do things I do not want or even like.
It is my role as a citizen to vote for my views and speak my mind. I do so. When my representative body acts in a way I do not agree with, it is not productive for me to destroy or ignore that body. It is productive for me to offer solutions, and to vote for representation that advances solutions I agree with.
Accepting open discussion and open, democratic, representative government means accepting that I might be wrong. That means that I have to allow people I disagree with to have a voice, and potentially power, in the organizational structure in which I live.
I'm going to vote the Bush administration out of office. I am not going to overthrow or marginalize the U.S. government over its actions. The same goes for the U.N. - I have already written to Barbara Lee, who represents me, regarding the below issue so that she can influence our government in its participation in the U.N. I am not going to seek to marginalize the U.N., France or Russia over this.