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Opinions of Sunday, 2 January 2011

Columnist: The Emperor

The UN Security Council: Where Is Ghana’s Seat?

It’s no secret that Adolf Hitler did have an admiration for Alexander, the Greek conqueror. In fact, he adored him. But then, Alexander was called the great one, wasn’t he? In terms of conquest, Alexander was in a league of his own. Indeed, he earned his greatness in this! The speed at which his chariots invaded foreign lands was likened to a raging storm. The manner in which he organized his army for war was absolutely impeccable. Also, the ambition--which drove him, knew of no consequence. As a result, Alexander has become the measure against which most generals compare themselves, even up till now. Indeed, Alexander was driven by an innate need to conquer, and conquer he did. By the age of thirty-two, Alexander III of Macedon, had the whole world kneeling at his feet. For him, resistance had been few, and victory had been his for the taking. Evidently, the gods and goddesses of war were on his side. Hence, the victory which became his possession relatively with ease. For a moment, Alexander was able to unite the Kingdoms of the world into one vast empire. Certainly, he would’ve ruled the world had it not been for his untimely passing.

History repeats itself, and it certainly does. For Adolf Hitler, not only did the bloody garment of Alexander the Great become his inheritance, he also inherited Alexander’s dream of ruling the world. Therefore, when Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, Hitler was set on a course of no return. Right there and then, his dream of creating a vast German Empire began. The birth of the Third Reich! Of course, Germany’s invasion of Poland was met with an immediate criticism and condemnation from France, the Britain Empire, and the Commonwealth. Subsequently, war was declared on Germany. Hitler was unconcerned, to say the very least. He was undeterred. His Nazi troops kept on marching. One after the other, countries in Europe were invaded and quickly subdued. A little less than three years into the war, Hitler had a huge chunk of Europe in the palm of his hand. It seemed that Hitler and his Nazi troops were invincible. The resistance had been few, the victory many. For a moment, Hitler was Alexander the Great, and indeed he was. Coincidentally, the tide turned in his disfavor, when allied troops invaded Berlin. For Hitler, this signalled the end. He would go on to commit suicide.

On September 2, 1945, the Second World War came to an end. It’s reported that more than 50 million people lost their lives. Indeed, a disturbing figure by one’s wildest imagination. On the same year that the war ended, the United Nations was founded to replace the League of Nations. The objective of the United Nations was and is to help nations settle their differences. Of course, differences which could lead to war. Currently, the United Nations consists of 189 member states, Ghana included. As an institution, it would be a lie to say that the United Nations has been a success. Ever since its inception, the UN hasn't been able to prevent a single war. If anything, wars and conflicts between its member states have only escalated. But then, what do you expect from an institution whose security council consists of America, France, China, Russia, and Britain? The only five member states on the UN Security Council with veto rights and permanent seats. Dear reader, for your information, these aforementioned countries are five of the top ten largest arms dealing countries in the world. Out of this group of five, the United States is--without a doubt, the greatest war-monger of them all.

In a speech to the UN General Assembly on September 28, 2008, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe called for the expansion of the UN Security Council. He suggested that there should be more than just five permanent seat holders on the UN Security Council. On September 23, 2009, Muammar al-Gaddafi of Libya reiterated the same message in a speech to the UN General Assembly. He too suggested that UN member states from Africa should also have permanent seats on the UN Security Council, not just the current five. In fact, Mr Kofi Annan made the same suggestion, when he was the Secretary-General of the UN. So far, all attempts to get Africa permanently aboard the UN Security Council have been met with negative votes from the current permanent seat holders. Which brings me to the question of; why are they opposed to Africa’s permanent inclusion on the UN Security Council? Why are they opposed to having a Black face on the Council? Better yet, to these White boys, do we Africans count at all, let alone matter? Please, your thoughts on this issue would be appreciated. Thank you as always!


Welcome 2 the Dawn!

Source:
The Emperor