The fact now is that as the world looks increasingly out of shape, the global bodies that make up the largest attempt to keep it in shape are bereft not just of immediate ideas but of things to say that may lead to reasonable conclusions, or at the very least requests for further, useful information.
The debacle the UN plunged itself into recently concerning its criticism of Israel shows just how volatile its forum of debate is. It looks unsafe for delegates to state points that may lead it to making different conclusions. It certainly feels unsafe even on the fringes here, as argument turns to rancour.
In the UK we’ve long suspected the involvement of less than qualified individuals in its whole remit. This has led to impressions of abusive attitudes at its core. In one sense, we feel offended by people who give us the impression they hate who we are. As simple individuals who identify with common ethical values, we’ve learned to hate our own souls deeply.
The lack of rigorous analysis of claims and counter-claims has led to ordinary people feeling disheartened. This world looks bleak to those of us who seek to work hard in it. The evenings are stale, one mother told me, because she feels humanity hates a position she’s not adopted in the first place. The spread of protest has unleashed an unlimited feeling of rejection.
The UN itself clearly lacks decent advice. I’ve seen the effects of its poorly handled, marginal influence in the world in the backstreets of London, where families have worried because they are posited as enemies of Western culture. They choose to enjoy life here, if not to learn more about it than avoid the fake news of hating it as the ethnic minority on its fringes.