# Secretary-General Clinton. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 27, 2004, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretary-general-clinton/271524 "2004-10-27T19:38:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretary-general-clinton/271524/21 "2004-10-28T18:50:45Z")
Well, I agree in part with that; but I’d say that the other side of that coin is that western corporation’s desire for cheap labor is one of the developing world’s best tools. Many NGOs are staffed with the sort of folks that would prevent Nike from opening a plant in Haiti because the workers will only get $5 an day … and instead will leave them working the fields for $5 a week. There is an inherent tension between the corporation’s interests and those of the workers, but there is not an inherent conflict. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretary-general-clinton/271524/22 "2004-10-28T18:52:57Z")
> [@furt](#): > > Many NGOs are staffed with the sort of folks that would prevent Nike from opening a plant in Haiti because the workers will only get $5 an day … and instead will leave them working the fields for $5 a week. Because, among other things, they’d rather have Nike open a plant in the U.S. and pay its workers $10 an hour. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2004, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretary-general-clinton/271524/23 "2004-10-28T22:11:08Z")
> [@furt](#): > > With all due respect to **Clairobscur** , I keep hearing people say they don’t hate America, they just hate Bush. I don’t think that many people will hold the current admin against Clinton; in fact, I think that’s part of why he’ll have support. ? What people think is irrelevant. They don’t get a vote at the UN. Only the stance of the world’s governments matter. Anyway, I’m not convinced that the grudge held by people is only directed at the current administration. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretary-general-clinton/271524/24 "2004-10-29T00:12:53Z")
I’d say the realistic chances of any American citizen, much less a former President, being named as UN Secretary-General are all but non-existent. The US is already the most powerful nation on Earth; other nations are not going to accept an American being named as their leader, however symbolic the actual title is. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretary-general-clinton/271524/25 "2004-10-29T14:45:10Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Because, among other things, they’d rather have Nike open a plant in the U.S. and pay its workers $10 an hour. Yes, and to hell with the poor of the developing world. There was a time when the left was all about empowering the third world, supporting the international brotherhood of workers, etc. I’m sorry to see it gone. It seems to me that both parties are determined to steal the most unpleasant ideas from each other. ---
**Author:** ![Merkwurdigliebe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@Merkwurdigliebe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merkwurdigliebe)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretary-general-clinton/271524/26 "2004-10-29T17:10:57Z")
No way guys. You are all missing the most important factor. If GWB wins reelection, its almost in the bag for clinton. They will be more than willing to have any kind of effect on American foreign policy and will put Bill in there in no time. Clinton could make a few speeches telling how he would try to act as a counter to GWB, etc. It would give the UN much needed American support. I see it as a win/win situation. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretary-general-clinton/271524/27 "2004-10-29T19:34:46Z")
> [@Merkwurdigliebe](#): > > No way guys. You are all missing the most important factor. If GWB wins reelection, its almost in the bag for clinton. They will be more than willing to have any kind of effect on American foreign policy and will put Bill in there in no time. Clinton could make a few speeches telling how he would try to act as a counter to GWB, etc. Aye, but there’s the rub. As noted in the article, the Bush admin must nominate him. And if he were to flat-out say he’s going to go against admin policy, that would cut deep into his political support in the US. It’s a tricky political rope; but he can do it. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretary-general-clinton/271524/28 "2004-10-29T19:58:02Z")
Every time I see this threads title, it makes me smile. Thanks **Furt** 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2004, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretary-general-clinton/271524/29 "2004-10-29T21:07:43Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Every time I see this threads title, it makes me smile. When it’s in the headlines come 2006, think fondly of me … ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretary-general-clinton/271524/30 "2004-10-30T06:08:55Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > I had thought there was a req’t that the SG speak both English and French, but although I did a search, I didn’t come up with anything. I guess it must be an unwritten rule that the French probably insist on. And since French is, after all, one of the languages that all UN docs must be published in (right?) it does make a certain amount of sense. A former prime minister of Canada , Brian Mulrooney was being touted by the Americans ,as the SecGen before kofi got the nod. One of the reasons was that he was bilingual in French , so was acceptable to paris. Declan ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretary-general-clinton/271524/31 "2004-10-30T06:11:33Z")
> [@furt](#): > > Of course, the _really_ interesting scenario is Bill running the UN and Hillary taking the White House in 2008. But let’s not go there. You have to go there, If he does get the job as SecGen I think that Hillary has to recuse herself from the 08 election. Divided loyalties or something Declan [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretary-general-clinton/271524.md?page=1)