strongest terms”, the attack that brought down Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 over Ukraine.

They also demanded unfettered access to the crash site. But they haven’t yet listed

this resolution under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, so the resolution is not

enforceable. And they gave in to pressure from Russia and changed the phrase “shooting

down” to “downing” so they didn’t even use the “strongest terms” available

in their condemnation. Which begs the question… what good is the UN? What military powers

does it even have?

The short answer is...that depends. The UN is a coalition of 193 nations. If all those

nations were to work together militarily, they would collectively wield incredible power.

But it would be those nations wielding power as a group, not the UN wielding power by itself.

You can think of the UN more as a forum, than a force. In fact, the general assembly of

the UN is literally just that, a place where all 193 nations can discuss global and domestic

issues.

Occasionally, recommendations will come out of this forum, but they are not binding and

it’s up to each individual nation to comply. The US gets tagged in the press a lot for

not complying.

Within the UN there is a smaller group called the UN Security Council. This is a group of

15 nations responsible for assessing “threats to the peace” and determining what actions

should be taken in response to these threats. Be it sanctions, communication disruptions,

or military actions. Their decisions are binding when the council says they are binding and

UN members are obligated to carry them out. This can include contributing troops and supplies

for military engagement. Though “obligated” is a strong word - there have been incidents

of disobedience and other countermeasures.

Plus, any decision made by the security council can be vetoed by any one of the five permanent

members of the Security Council; these members are China, France, Russia, the UK, and the

US. So, in a current dispute, like the one between Ukraine and Russia, the Security Council’s

actual power is limited because Russia can just veto any decision it doesn’t agree

with. It’s a tough spot for the rest of the UN to be in, but it is all part of the

checks and balances that make the UN a coalition. It is also part of why some people think the

UN is an extremely biased coalition.

To hear more about the Malaysian Airline Disaster in the Ukraine, click here now to see our

video on who if anybody will have to pay for shooting down the commercial airline.

Or click the other box to see our video on why Catholic Priests aren’t allowed to marry.

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