The United Nations

There certainly is plenty of red meat out there this week for the Republican faithful. Both Iranian President Ahmadinejad and Venezuelan President Chavez spoke at the United Nations, and Chavez's speech in particular was a passionate attack on President Bush (whom he called the devil). So you have lesser countries annoying the United States at the United Nations? Yeah that's a nice nexus if you are a conservative columnist.

This is the subject of Matt Towery's latest article - in which he explicitly argues that the United States should quit the United Nations. We aren't getting anything out of it, and continuing to be a member of it only legitimizes the people who are running it (one of which is the United States, of course, but let that slide).

But when we've finally reached the point that a room full of international freeloaders are applauding wildly as our president is called the Devil and our demise is predicted, then it's time to seriously reassess whom we want to deal with, in what manner and in what international forum.

He proposes a new coalition - presumably something like the coalition of the willing. In fairness he seems to be a bit of an isolationist, so he probably doesn't see the need for as much international cooperation as a Bush policy of invading the crap out of everything would.

But I don't think the United States is a quitting nation. While the United Nations has problems (and Chavez really did go to far), I don't think we are going to walk away from it.