UN votes on the right to food, 180 for, 1 against. Who was against? The United States

[DogPoundPup]

By a vote of 180 in favour to 1 against (United States) and no abstentions, the Committee also approved a resolution on the right to food, by which the Assembly would “consider it intolerable” that more than 6 million children still died every year from hunger-related illness before their fifth birthday, and that the number of undernourished people had grown to about 923 million worldwide, at the same time that the planet could produce enough food to feed 12 billion people, or twice the world’s present population. (See Annex III.)


http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2008/gashc3941.doc.htm

[madeline_con]

1. OMG. I am SO embarrassed.

This is truly sick! :cry:

[babylonsister]

2. Just when I thought we'd reached the bottom of the barrel...Ugh. nt

[redqueen]

3. Sadly, I'm not the least bit surprised.

*sigh*

[MazeRat7]

4. Has Bolton passed out on the "no" vote button....

or do we just not stand for anything any more ?

Peace,
MZr7

[Hawkeye-X]

6. So he's STILL the unpaid asshole in the UN?

I'm sure US will call for a revote on Jan 21st after an UN ambassador is quickly confirmed and corrected Chimp's errors.

Hawkeye-X

[rpannier]

7. They stand for something

If the resolution was to give all the World's resources to the wealthiest 1.5% of the world's population this admin would have been all over it.

"Robbing from the Wretch to Give to the Peer."

[ColbertWatcher]

13. Bolton's been out for a while.

The Afghani Bolton, Zalmay Khalilzad, was the one who voted "no."

[bdamomma]

36. a PNAC'er to the end.

[Hawkeye-X]

5. Chimp McCokespoon and his minions needs to permanently visit the Hague

and face life in imprisonment and all BFEE's and its associates assets frozen and returned to the US Treasury.

[Ioo]

8. I am fucking ashamed to be an American. Why the hell now?

Because it would have forced us to care? Or what?

[leftstreet]

9. USA!!! USA!!! USA!!!1111

America, Fuck Yeah!

[maryf]

10. K & R, nt

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. Why am I not surprised?

[ColbertWatcher]

12. That's the same vote for a resolution to protect children.

Promotion, Protection of Children’s Rights

The Committee’s report on promotion and protection of the rights of children (document A/63/426) contains a draft resolution on the rights of the child, approved by a recorded vote of 180 in favour to 1 against (United States), with no abstentions, on 24 November, which would have the Assembly -- among other things -- call upon States to create an environment conducive to the well-being of all children, including by strengthening international cooperation in regard to the eradication of poverty, the right to education, the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and the right to food.

--(Press Release GA/SHC/3941)

[Hydra]

19. Ugh, I think I'm going to be sick

The OP was bad enough, but I'm a children's advocate in my spare time. That would explain my uphill battle, but damn does that ever make me :mad:

[SeattleGirl]

14. There are no words to describe my absolute disgust at this.

I don't want to hear ONE MORE PEEP out of those assholes about what a great country this is. Not. One. More. Peep.

:grr:

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. This is a great country....

:sarcasm:

Hi there, happy holidays

[gratuitous]

16. I'm sure Rick Warren will explain all this for us

How it is, you know, that we can let 6 million kids die from a condition so easily remediable. Six million. Hmmm. Something about that number is familiar. But what is it? Oh well, it'll come, I'm sure.

[Bodhi BloodWave]

61. This might be a silly question

but what the frig does Warren have to do with this?

[Me.]

17. Sigh...

[uppityperson]

18. k&r. I will be so happy to get rid of these bozos. Damn them all.

How DARE they do this, act so badly against everything and everyone?

[Bigmack]

20. I'm as aghast as you are....but...

I'm curious about this line in the resolution....bolding mine... "the number of undernourished people had grown to about 923 million worldwide, at the same time that the planet could produce enough food to feed 12 billion people, or twice the world’s present population.

WTF? I know the US didn't vote no because of that issue, but I don't believe the world could produce enough food to feed twice the present population.

You know, on reflection, I don't know why the US wouldn't just vote yes and then just quietly ignore the resolution.... kinda like Dumbya and his "signing statements". We could at least look like the US gives a shit about the rest of the world. Buuuut noooooo... we've gotta continue to be the asshole of the world.

[Chulanowa]

42. Inequal distribution and waste

People really don't need a whole lot of food to be healthy. Look at your average meal, as an American. How much of that meal is "need to eat"? The remainder is "it tastes good and I want to feel full"

Ever worked in a resturaunt, cafeteria, etc? I'd wager I send about 400 pounds of perfectly good food down a garbage disposal every week.

[Maru Kitteh]

51. My nephew was fond of taking his children to eat at buffets He would pile even the smallest

children's plates high with food including steaks and all kinds of vegetables. The children would then promptly poke the food around the plate, fight, cry and pout until he gave in and sent them to the desert bar to load up on brightly colored sugar in various shapes, textures and forms. I kept praying the management would tell him his business was no longer desired, but they never did. He was, and continues to be a damn embarrassment.

[williesgirl]

21. And we justify this how? rec'd

[Recursion]

22. "Food rights should be attained progressively"

The report includes the US's "objections", which make me want to slam my head into my desk.

[yardwork]

62. "Attained progressively...." while more millions die.

[newtothegame]

23. Doesn't the US provide more food aid than anyone? So why did we vote against this?

[kenny blankenship]

24. We do give food aid, but that's a far cry from agreeing that people have a *right* to food

that's a tenet of a different belief system altogether!

[merh]

26. Oh, you mean if we wanted to cut off food supplies to strong arm

a government we couldn't do it because of the "right"?

As if the UN charter or any of the UN resolutions ever meant anything to us. *coughiraqcouch*

[whathehell]

55. An ideology!

a socialist one!:sarcasm:

[ConsAreLiars]

25. "We" aren't represented by those who control the US State machinery and cast that vote.

Those which control the US government and decided on that vote are not human. They are multinational corporations. True Monsters. They have human servants, who are paid very well, but they are not human and are driven only by the laws of capital accumulation and seek only that objective.

[Posteritatis]

49. Republicans' notions of state responsibility are stuck firmly in the year 1648 (nt)

[Hekate]

27. Can the Bushites get any more monstrous and shameful? All I want for Xmas is my country back...

Honest and truly. Please, Santa, we've worked so long and hard for it--please give us our country back.

Hekate

[Quantess]

28. More birth control handouts would be nice.

If we want everyone to survive, then the population has to be checked somehow.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

44. Fundies in the US are the biggest reason it won't be anytime soon. nt

[Lorien]

46. They'd rather that children be born and quickly starve to death

than not be born at all. Those people have a hard on for the suffering of others.

[yardwork]

63. Under Bush we give out nothing in birth control - nothing. And we don't support groups who do.

[silverojo]

29. Reason #47,953 that I'm so glad Obama will soon be POTUS - n/t

[UrbScotty]

30. I wonder why they didn't wait for Susan Rice to get there

a few weeks from now. Why'd they have the vote now?

(In case you don't know, Susan Rice is Obama's pick to be UN Ambassador.)

[TripleKatPad]

31. Will this nightmare please end

I am beyond ashamed to be an American.
For this post, I will believe in Hell, cuz that is surely where the Bush Crime Family deserves to go.

[FloridaJudy]

32. 27 days.

27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days.
27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days.
27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days.
27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days.
27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days.
27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days.
27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days. 27 days.

[killbotfactory]

33. You do not have a right to life

If you do not have a right to the things which sustain human life.

[Canuckistanian]

34. The "United States" was hijacked eight years ago by a group of criminals

Things will gradually return to normal - as long as Republicans are kept AS FAR AWAY from the levers of power as possible.

[bdamomma]

35. yea sure, we give to humanitarian aid.

:sarcasm:

[Chulanowa]

43. Sorta...

Bags of rice and packets of baby formula... Which both need local, polluted water to prepare...

[malaise]

37. Why is anyone shocked

What are sanctions - to Cuba, Iraq, Iran, Zimbabwe. Do you know how they nearly starved us in Jamaica between 1979 and 1980 so that they could impose their Washington Consensus shock doctrine. It has long been their way or starve. And never forget the role of the Chambers on Commerce in enforcing the bully policies.

[JNelson6563]

38. I have to believe that under President Obama

the vote by the US would have been "yes".

Julie

[surrealAmerican]

39. Just like this administration.

I be they think they're standing up for the "right to starve".

[Solly Mack]

40. Happy Holidays...please starve quietly, America is celebrating

[formercia]

41. Food, Land Mines and Depleted Uranium

It's all part of the weapons mix.

[Lorien]

45. OMG. We suck.

Is America becoming the most heartless and greedy Nation on earth??

[Javaman]

47. this administration* needs to be kicked in the nuts repeatedly. nt

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

48. It's worth pointing out that there is no such thing as a right to food.

If a worldwide famine were to hit tomorrow and you had nothing to eat, it'd be silly to claim that this was a violation of your rights. There's a societal responsibility to provide food to those who have none, but that's not the same thing as a right.

[fascisthunter]

53. Yeah... a Right to Food is Silly

fuckin' bah humbug

[Chulanowa]

60. Says who?

Frankly if I were the universal distributor and arbiter of all rights humanity has, I would have picked a better name than "yibbiehobba" with which to inform people.

If a worldwide... Wait, you're really going to base your stance on a global catastrophe? What if aliens nuke the sun?

[yardwork]

64. There's no such thing as a worldwide famine, though. There's plenty to go around

if we shared it equitably.

[rateyes]

50. Must be because of the "culture of life" thing Dubya kept talking about...

Oh, wait....

[fascisthunter]

52. sick/evil

[Odin2005]

54. There are no words...

except that I'm feeling nauseous. :puke:

[dembotoz]

56. you folks are actually surprised by this??????????

Remember this vote

our current governement is just evil.

[Me.]

57. Food Insecure

Is the dandy little term used for people who are hungry or starving

[sakabatou]

58. ::facepalm::

[LWolf]

59. .