The United Nations was founded in 1945 in the hope that it would intervene in conflicts between states and thereby avoid war.

Now I don’t know its track record before 1976, but in my lifetime, they stood on the sidelines and watched as 800,000 people in Rwanda were senselessly slaughtered. They watched as another 200,000 people were killed in Darfur. And that pesky little Israeli-Palestinian conflict just won’t seem to go away.

Needless to say when it comes to intervening in conflicts those cute little blue helmeted troops are hanging on the sideline.

And the truth is that over the last twenty years, the United Nations global stature has diminished to the point where they can’t fulfill the very task they were created to accomplish. Maybe that’s why they called in the Star-Power.

The United Nations Messengers of Peace was created 10 years ago with the sole mission to enlist celebrities to draw worldwide attention to the work of the United Nations. Past messengers include Muhammed Ali, Michael Douglas, Yo Yo Ma, and most recently, George Clooney.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love George. I thought he was fantastic in Ocean’s 13. I just don’t understand how his presence in worn torn areas will lend credibility to a beleaguered institution that has lost the respect of the very nations it’s trying to serve.

I don’t know, maybe the Sudanese loved Ocean’s 13 so much that they’re willing to forget that they want to kill all non-Muslims — but I’m guessing that it’s not likely.

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