Ineffective institutions like the United Nations and welfare state that hide our consciences from the reality of the difficulties facing our fellow man.
The United Nations
When world leaders established the United Nations they were probably very sincere in their commitment to a new world order of peace and justice. Today from the genocide in Rwanda to the oil-for-food scandal in Iraq, from impotence in Sudan to cowardice in Srebrenica, the UN has failed its biggest tests.
The theory of ‘good intentions liberalism’ explains part of the reason why the UN has nonetheless retained much public affection. The towering ambitions of the UN’s founding intentions still figure more powerfully in the public imagination than the reality of its performance.
But there is another reason for the UN’s durability. For many governments it is an institution-of-convenience. Faced with the bloody realities of a Sudan or Srebrenica many world governments find it very convenient to hide behind the UN. They can tell their electorates that they would do something to stop the slaughter but the international community must, of course, act together. They spend their time as poseur multilateralists - passing resolutions and staging photo opportunities – whilst they move as slowly as the most recalcitrant member of the diplomatic convoy.
The EU’s lowest common denominator foreign policy will probably provide the same fig leaf in the future. A neutered British Prime Minister will wring his hands on the steps of Downing Street - declaring that action would have been taken against the world’s latest murderous dictator if only Belgium hadn’t blocked Commission Resolution 2764.95…
The welfare state
The welfare state is another institution-of-convenience. Founded with the best of intentions most of the British people now think that it subsidies the undeserving, at the expense of the deserving. Progress towards one nation will be very limited until politicians have the courage to give more power to 3D institutions – like families and free charities - that can move adult citizens from dependence to independence. In the meantime, however, the middle class voter can hide from his conscience by telling himself that the welfare state looks after those homeless people he sees sleeping outside the opera house.
The feed-and-forget welfare state provides vulnerable people with basic material assistance but it allows us to neglect our more fundamental responsibilities to neighbours-in-need.
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