Political maneuvering is just empty talk unless your words have meaning - you've got to be willing to mean what you say and act on it in order for people to take you seriously. Neville Chamberlain and the League of Nations were so set on "Peace at all costs" that Hitler knew their threats were empty (until Poland, eventually!).

Action! How many people died in Bosnia before the UN were prepared to do anything at all? The UN seems to be unsure of what it is, making the worldwide reaction to it's military strikes mixed due to it's inconsistencies. If it followed a policy of swiftly following through on what it says it will do, I'm sure the world will respect it much more.

Pride is a dangerous thing. Why don't the UN and Russia (and anyone else that qualifies) get together and form a true World Peacekeeping Force? Just because their is a tradition of mistrust between East and West is no reason for it's continuance - Just because my father does something, it doesn't mean I will!