The West’s Soft Suicide, Courtesy of the UN

As a native New Yorker, few sights evoked as much awe as the flag adorned cathedral of international cohesion as the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan. For generations, Americans have been raised to believe that the UN serves as a conscience of the world. In practice, sadly, it often functions like a committee where arsonists draft the fire code. Bankrolling an outsized share of the enterprise, the United States, cravenly watches on as the cherished coalition launders illiberal norms into “international standards” that typically serve Beijing’s interests at our own expense. When not funding China’s overtaking of America, the UN remains staunchly deferential to the sensibilities of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), despite their constant hostilities toward American liberties like speech and self defense.

On the topic of funding, the United States provided about $13.0 billion to the UN system (and $18.1 billion in 2022), making it by far the largest funder. The U.S. is assessed 22 percent of the UN’s regular budget and roughly 26 to 27 percent of peacekeeping, even as Washington frequently caps what it will legally pay. Despite underwriting a massive share, the benefits are purely symbolic. When we strip away the poetics and tired tropes, America’s continued involvement can be characterized as suicidal altruism, all in the desperate hope of getting a pat on the back from partners who are more likely to stab.

In reality, China has methodically captured control of most of the UN machinery, chairing or having recently chaired four of the most powerful and specialized agencies (FAO, ITU, UNIDO, ICAO). With that power, Beijing’s influence, which…

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