UNITED NATIONS, N.Y., Sept. 19 –
Two guys were eating at the table adjacent to mine in the United Nations cafeteria.
“So, how’s life?”
“Life’s okay.”
A short time earlier, two other guys – U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and U.S. President George W. Bush – had addressed the opening session of the 61st General Assembly.
Annan said he had been thrilled to serve as Secretary-General during the past decade, that difficult challenges to economic development, world peace, and the rule of law remained, tht he was obstinately hopeful about the future.
Bush spoke to the people of Iraq (“We will not abandon you”), of Afghanistan (We will help you defeat the extremists”), of Lebanon (“We see your suffering”), of Iran (“We look forward to the day when you can live in freedom”), and so forth.
I laughed, and other members of the press corps laughed too.
Annan and Bush were putting out the same line they had pushed for years.
It was wearisome. I wasn’t personally tired – maybe a little discouraged by all the nonspeak – but I could go on for years, as they had signaled they could if permitted.
I had covered the second part of the first session of the General Assembly which began on Oct. 23, 1946, and concluded on Dec. 15. It had taken place in the New York City Building, constructed for the 1939 World’s Fair, in Flushing Meadow Park, Queens.
I had been a member of the New York Times’ U.N. bureau, had recognized that fall that the U.N. was going nowhere, and had spoken to Thomas J. Hamilton, the Times’
Bureau chief, about my realization.
I winced. The U.N. – and the peoples of the world – are still going nowhere with all of their conflicts, inequities, dilemmas, misconceptions …
Two guys were eating at the table adjacent to mine in the United Nations cafeteria.
“So, how’s life?”
“Life’s okay.”
A short time earlier, two other guys – U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and U.S. President George W. Bush – had addressed the opening session of the 61st General Assembly.
Annan said he had been thrilled to serve as Secretary-General during the past decade, that difficult challenges to economic development, world peace, and the rule of law remained, tht he was obstinately hopeful about the future.
Bush spoke to the people of Iraq (“We will not abandon you”), of Afghanistan (We will help you defeat the extremists”), of Lebanon (“We see your suffering”), of Iran (“We look forward to the day when you can live in freedom”), and so forth.
I laughed, and other members of the press corps laughed too.
Annan and Bush were putting out the same line they had pushed for years.
It was wearisome. I wasn’t personally tired – maybe a little discouraged by all the nonspeak – but I could go on for years, as they had signaled they could if permitted.
I had covered the second part of the first session of the General Assembly which began on Oct. 23, 1946, and concluded on Dec. 15. It had taken place in the New York City Building, constructed for the 1939 World’s Fair, in Flushing Meadow Park, Queens.
I had been a member of the New York Times’ U.N. bureau, had recognized that fall that the U.N. was going nowhere, and had spoken to Thomas J. Hamilton, the Times’
Bureau chief, about my realization.
I winced. The U.N. – and the peoples of the world – are still going nowhere with all of their conflicts, inequities, dilemmas, misconceptions …
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