Written by: Beck

I was going to make an initial point likening the justifications for absolute monarchy to the justifications UN-philes use to support their beliefs. Then I decided not to when I realized that there was a much stronger case for the monarchy. I didn't want to do Royalty a disservice. And so, without further rambling, The News!

The United States has been voted off of the UN Commission on Human Rights which it helped found and served on from 1947-now. It's like Kofi Annan walked into the latest Commission hearing, turned to the US representative, and said, "You're fired!" (Now I do a disservice to Donald Trump. I'm pretty sure that he, at least, wouldn't take a bribe). The administration is saying all the right things, i.e. the plainspoken truth.

"Obviously, the United States has been too strong on the human rights agenda," National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice said in an interview on Fox News. "I suspect that this was a backlash of those who don't like being judged."

Donald Rumsfeld couldn't help himself and got a bit loopy. He seems to have just finished watching Red Dawn when asked for comment:

Asked whether recent unilateral U.S. moves have aggravated relations with the rest of the world, Rumsfeld said the world's thanks for helping contain the Soviet Union has dissipated since the communist state dissolved in 1991.

"With the Soviet Union gone, that gratitude is gone, that appreciation is gone," Rumsfeld told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday.

"Wolverines!" he was then heard to cryptically shout. Then he started to get downright bizarre.

"People who never believed the United States had a monopoly on all political wisdom or all economic wisdom or all cultural wisdom now don't feel grateful for the role the United States was playing to the same extent, and so they're perfectly willing to express their views."

Rumsfeld added: "That's fine. We don't have a monopoly on all wisdom in the world, and we can live in that world very successfully."

Rumy, don't be silly. Everyone knows that France has a monopoly on all wisdom in the world.

Now, of course, for the mandatory (because it involves the UN) dripping irony of the situation--a list of some of the highlights of the UN Commission on Human Rights membership list (see the full list here):

• Armenia


• Bahrain


• China


• Cuba


• Egypt


• France (of course)


• Indonesia


• Nigeria


• Pakistan


• Saudi Arabia


• Sudan

Sudan's membership is especially amusing since they're not being booted off even after being cited by that very same Commission. The UN HRC's website has a copy of their "grave concerns" over the situation in the Sudan.

Naturally, John Kerry got all worked into a lather when he heard the news.

But the human rights commission "was a place where we could hold China accountable, and now we've lost it," Sen. John Kerry (D-Nam), told NBC. Kerry blamed the Bush administration's alienation of U.S. allies for the lack of support.

"We see Taiwan suddenly heated up. We see China heated up. We've moved away from the Kyoto treaty," Kerry said. "We find ourselves at odds with our allies in the United Nations. We find ourselves with many friends suspicious of our current diplomacy, or lack thereof."

Oh talk some sense for once man.