Good riddance Kofi...

Here's hoping your successor take a different approach...

Joseph Klein does a merciless job of breaking down Kofi's reign, and hopes for an "UN-Kofi" in his latest must-read effort.

You need to read the whole thing, but here's a taste:

... Kofi Annan spent virtually his whole professional career cosseted in the UN establishment. He became the first Secretary General to rise through the bureaucratic ranks of the UN. In turn, he has looked out for the interests of the Secretariat bureaucracy before the interests of the member states. The next Secretary General must come from outside the UN establishment. In order to be credible, the candidate must have experience in the real world and the perspective that goes with it.

Two patterns emerge from Kofi Annan’s career, which have continued to the present day and exemplify what is wrong with the United Nations’ culture — self-protection and self-importance. These are two destructive traits that cannot be tolerated in the next Secretary General.

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Two patterns emerge from Kofi Annan’s career...
self-protection and self-importance.

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Failure during Kofi Annan’s regime has been rewarded with promotions as long as the UN insiders display absolute loyalty to protect the UN organization where they work from the real consequences of each others’ actions. Corruption and mismanagement have been regular features during Annan’s tenure because his first instinct as the UN’s chief administrator has always been to circle the wagons when any problems with his organization or personnel came to light. The Oil for Food scandal – involving Annan’s own son Kojo and some of his top deputies – is the most obvious example. ...

... What counts in the end is whether Ban Ki-Moon or any other serious candidate for Secretary General has the backbone to speak truth to power, denounce the Islamic-fascists who export terror all around the world and firmly distinguish between right and wrong. If it is not already too late to save the United Nations after the devastation of Kofi Annan’s squandered rule, the next Secretary General will have one last, scant chance to restore the UN to its founding principles.

I think we could put the site of the current U.N. HQ to better use... like maybe a new football stadium for the NY Giants.

Previous: Replacing Kofi

Resources: Eye on the UN, UN Watch, Reject the UN

Update: Cross-posted over at Reject the UN