Where are the cops ?

If a family member went berserk and tried to kill others - what would you do ? The
logical answer would be - call in the cops !

The world appointed a " world cop " back at the end of the second world war. It was called " the United Nations " - and it was supposed to have the muscle to settle world disputes - and to use military force if all else failed.

Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi is fighting a losing battle against his own citizens who are revolting against his autocratic rule. Most of the country is in rebel hands, but he remains hunkered down in Tripoli with a band of loyal supporters. Now he is proposing to open the country's arsenals and give those supporters access to military hardware - and encourage them to inflict carnage on his unarmed citizenry.

Surely this is a case for the " world's cop " to take action - but there is not even a hint of that happening. A proposal to intervene would not have a hope of ever getting past the Security council - where all five great powers have a kill option - called the " Veto " !

Getting all five to agree to interfere in a third country invokes self interest - and in the case of China this would involve reflection on an event when China turned it's armed forces on protesting university students - who simply wanted freedom to question the governance of the all powerful Communist party.

Fearful that this unrest might spread to it's own citizens, China would most certainly veto any UN police action.

And so the world will simply watch and wait as thousands are butchered to keep a despot in power. The " world cop " will remain inactive - but of course the world body will be eloquent with speeches that " deplore the carnage ".

Such is the world of politics !