U.N. 'dirty' turns up cracks and asbestos [“...the building has not been maintained.’]

Reuters ^ | Jul 4, 2005 | By Claudia Parsons

[johnny7]

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The official tour will tell you the founding of the United Nations in 1945 brought the world from post-war misery toward prosperity and happiness. An alternative "dirty" tour will tell you the United Nations is crumbling.

The building, that is. While critics, particularly in Washington, may be worried about the oil-for-food scandal and investigations into mismanagement in allocating U.N. contracts, some at the United Nations have more practical concerns.

[johnny7]

"You see(mural) destruction, concentration camps, people fighting. Then the U.N. is founded and you see resurrection where families start to move on after the U.N. is founded."-Josephine Wanjiku, a guide from Kenya

Uh-hunh... how about the oil-for-food- mural... the rapings & harassment mural... where do they hide that one?!

No amount of renovation will take the stink 'outta that rathole.

[SandRat]

Couldn't be done! The past Turd World SecGen's and staffers were too busy doing just what they do at home; Steal da money.

[Semper Paratus]

Didn't Hans Blix recently inspect the UN building and found no problems?

[steveegg]

So, condemn the property and boot the UN out already.

[SandRat]

Didn't Hans Blix recently inspect the UN building and found no problems?

Blind Blinky? Yeah I think so.

[steveegg]

Didn't Hans Blix recently inspect the UN building and found no problems?

So did Mohamed ElBaradei.

[agere_contra]

Financing is not finalized since the United States declined to make an interest free loan

You Americans are so ... mean. :0)

Seriously: no-one should lend money to the UN while their diplomats (all except for the British) refuse to pay for their own car-parking.

[Alright_on_the_LeftCoast]

Hopefully, it will collapse around them while they are in session....

[agere_contra]

condemn the property

Seize it under eminent domain! Build a toxic waste dump on the site!

[SandRat]

Maybe we can convince OBL and aQ that we've moved all functions that were in the NY WTC Towers to the UN Building.

[Old Seadog]

Easy solution. Let's build a new one,,,In someone elses country.

[johnny7]

Of course he did... and Scott Ritter backed him up.

[Incorrigible]

They can rent out the top 10 floors of the Freedom Tower.

[Baynative]

How about the French Riviera? That's where the delegates seem to spend most of their time and keep second homes, anyway.

[LRS]

I hope every one reads the whole article. It's a riot!

[niteowl77]

Seize it under eminent domain!

We're gonna need a multi-nat corporation as the anchor for this project. How about Microsoft or Progressive?

[Fiddlstix]

So, condemn the property and boot the UN out already.

Ditto that.

[johnny7]

Well, the oil for food scandal isn't a "practical" concern, according to the article.

The is no term for the word 'practical' in the Third-World.

[Veto!]

Build a toxic waste dump on the site!

LOL. It's already a toxic waste dump.

[bert]

Maintenance is not a word in many languages. I doubt if Kofi understands the conceprt.

I spoke with an American who supports Missionaries in Kenya.He told me he is beginning to get GMC trucks accepted and has trained the mechanics in his extensive shope the rudiments of maintenance. He has a young American who among other things is responsible for making sure the vehicles actually come to the center for the work.

He said the Africans are so ingrained with the Range
Rover culture where vehicles are driven until they wear out and abandoned his task is difficult.

The concept is also true of buildings. The concept of ongoing and preventative maintenance requires more thought and organizational skill than Africa is able to provide.

[Bahbah]

Some years ago part of the roof blew off the sleekly curved General Assembly building, landing, by good fortune, on some parked cars rather than a passing ambassador.

I'd have to disagree about the good fortune.

[hsalaw]

"U.N. officials are seeking alternatives. Brooklyn, across the river, wants the business while other suggestions include a new tower at the World Trade Center site or even a moored cruise ship."

Here's a suggstion: Africa. The UN could get up close and personal with some disasters of their own creation.

[concrete is my business]

I like that idea.

Eminent Domain.

That is a great site for some very high end condos, which would then ADD money to NYCs tax base.

[NonValueAdded]

Yeah, the building is too old. Evict the tenants and knock it to the ground. Mugabe can give them a farm or something.

"If in the judicious determination of the members of the United Nations they feel they are not welcome and treated with the hostly consideration that is their due, the United States strongly encourages member states to seriously consider removing themselves and this organization from the soil of the United States. We will put no impediment in your way and we will be at the dockside bidding you a farewell as you set off into the sunset." UN Ambassador Charles Lichenstein, 20 Sep. 1983 source

[torchthemummy]

While critics, particularly in Washington, may be worried about the oil-for-food scandal and investigations into mismanagement in allocating U.N. contracts, some at the United Nations have more practical concerns.

Oh Reuters, Reuters, Reuters....how you highlight so well both your own bias and in the same breath the UN's off-kilter priorities.

[G Larry]

Steps:
1) Wrap building in plastic,
2) Collapse the structure,
3) Remove debris,
4) Put up a parking lot,
(what do you mean 'I forgot to evacuate the building 1st?)

[Fitzcarraldo]

Tear it down and move UN HQ to Namibia.

[Veto!]

I like the part further down in the article about possible places to relocate the UN:

suggestions include a new tower at the World Trade Center site or even a moored cruise ship.

Way to go, planners! Tow the whole crew out to sea and let them drift to the closest shore. Like maybe the shore of New Guinea.. .Bon Voyage, Kofi.

[Professional Engineer]

Seize it under eminent domain! Build a toxic waste dump on the site!

What do you mean build, it's already a toxic waste dump.

[righttackle44]

". . .some at the United Nations have more practical concerns."

It's pretty practical to be concerned about crimes and corruption being committed by top U.N. officials--in fact, possibly the very top U.N. official.

Let the building crack and fall--it's a metaphor for the internal destruction of the organization itself.

[tgslTakoma]

Cry me a river.

[tgslTakoma]

I hope every one reads the whole article. It's a riot!

Yes, difinitely. It's a "read it all" laugh riot. Is Reuters being paid to do lobbying for interest-free funding to renovate the UN building? From this article, it seems so.

[ArmedNReady]

"An alternative "dirty" tour will tell you the United Nations is crumbling. The building, that is."

The United Nations in 1945 INTENDED to bring the world from post-war misery toward prosperity and happiness. However, infiltration of the organization by corrupt, self-serving, anti-American bureaucrats and inclusion of criminal elements among the member nations has vacated the building of these ambitious attempts at "World Happiness".
And as we all know, a vacant building crumbles. Time to send in the exterminators to get rid of the rats infesting the building and then demolish the crumbling shell.

[johnny7]

"Whenever we want to put in a light fitting we have to bring in men in space suits,"

Hunh... I didn't know that they had their own space program.

[johnny7]

It really hi-lites the absurdity of the the whole, rotten organization. It's like a government of welfare recipients.

[Logical me]

Why should we fix the building anyway. All members should shoulder the cost of any repairs equally. HA!!!! Kick the jacka@@ out and lets do a explosive demo on the building. It would be fun to watch.

[bannie]

The UN.

Raze it.

(Look at the wall behind the criminal: It's wrinkled!)

[johnny7]

HA! Just think what's going on behind it!

[bannie]

What? Did they rent billyblythe-clinton a room--by the hour?

[Born to Conserve]

"(Look at the wall behind the criminal: It's wrinkled!)"

No, that's the grain of the wood veneer.

But it sure is ugly veneer.

[Tacis]

Geez, Kofi and his son and other family members have been looting the UN building maintenace fund, too? No surprise, they live in mud huts with dirt floors at home so building mauntenance is low priority, espececially if they've got a good supply of cow dung for do-it-yourself repairs.

[LRS]

At first, I started to blast away at the writer of the article, Claudia Parsons, as I don't know much about her, other than seeing her name before on roto-Rueters articles. But, after refreshing myself on previous Claudia Parsons reports, she may be a bit "stealthy" when it comes to fairness for a roto-Rueters writer, as she demonstrates in this article. I think she knew just how upset people against the U.N. would be with this report with its "Blame America" and "I want my U.S. tax dollars so that I can get rich" attitudes reflected by some of the people interviewed, and juxtaposed them with thoughts of "cruise ships", and with lines like "Inside the chamber where delegates from the 191 member states gather to discuss poverty, human rights, peace and security, even the ambassadors were not immune from danger..."We had to replace the entire ceiling there because parts of the ceiling were falling down on delegates' heads,"", knowing perfectly well how someone like me would respond to such comments. This is not an endorsement of Claudia Parsons, but on a roto-Rueters standard, there was some semblance of balance when one looks for it...

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

No maintenance huh? This is proof the building is run and occupied by banana type republics. After they steal all the money along the way, there is no money for maintenance. Nothing new here. Go home!

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

"Hopefully, it will collapse around them while they are in session...."

I was going to say the same thing.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

While critics, particularly in Washington, may be worried about the oil-for-food scandal and investigations into mismanagement in allocating U.N. contracts, some at the United Nations have more practical concerns.

The word "mismanagement" is the PC word for robbery. When you see that word, substitute the word theft/steal/robbery/larceny/etc.

[johnny7]

I had that take also.

However, if this is what she had to resort to in order to get-out-the-truth...

[RichardW]

If we are really, really, lucky, that building will fall down into a heap of rubble. A more evil institution has never been created.