# United Nations Debt **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 22, 2001, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-nations-debt/77569 "2001-08-22T17:00:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-nations-debt/77569/101 "2001-08-28T18:08:09Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by longjohn \* …just that some of your previous posts seemed to be a bit superior and rather stridently of the opinion that the rest of the world should be damn grateful to the Americans for all the selfless good they do in the world and all of the rest of us should be thankful to you, as a nation. [quote] then you read far, far too much into it. I would appreciate it if people realized that the US _does_ in fact give out money and supplies without expecting to get them back. You want cites for this??? Will your local newspaper be enough? > [@](#): > > These show that the US donates many times less than the average there quoted, when measured as a percentage of GNP. Ok, now I am getting upset, so you might see some defensive opinion here: SO FUCKING WHAT. 6 billion dollars _is_ six billion dollars, and an awful lot of money _regardless_ of how much any other nation gives. Charity is not a competition as I see it, nor should it be as I see it. so I find no need to respect anyone who feels the following is false: > [@](#): > > “The US is a generous nation”. Yes: the US gives goods, services, and money to other nations. It does not expect to get that food, service, or money back. Perhaps it uses its generosity in its own interest-- frankly, I would be disappointed in _any_ country which didn’t act in its own interst. > [@](#): > > I’m not trying to attack you, but you posted pure opinion, which flies in the face of the facts. So then let me get this straight and you can set the record once and for all: the US does not do anything for anyone? Because if they do, then I suppose that what I have posted _just maybe_ doesn’t fly in face of facts. I didn’t need to post facts to support the opinions I was making as others had already done so. Challenge their facts if you like. > [@](#): > > The links you posted, to my reading anyway, look like pretty good arguments for the US coughing up the money it owes. Funny, I seem to remember posting that the US should most likely pay its UN dues. I think 99% of the people in this thread feel that way. > [@](#): > > Reading back through your posts in this thread, I cannot see that you have posted any facts that support the views you hold. Well, let me simply restate the facts others have posted to help you out here. **FACT** : The US donated upwards of 6 billion dollars over a given time frame. **Fact** : That is generous; the US was surely under no real obligation to give up said funds. **FACT** : The US owes the UN money which it had agreed to pay. **FACT** : I agreed that we should settle our debts. What part of the above are you missing? > [@](#): > > If you can come up with a relevant reason why the US shouldn’t pay or, as this debate appears to have widened, why America should be thought of as a generous nation go for it, I’m listening. Reread my posts. I think the US should pay the UN in this instance. I have said nothing to the contrary as far as I can tell. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-nations-debt/77569/102 "2001-08-28T21:42:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by London\_Calling \* > > On that basis, it would seem that even **if** the US paid it’s agreed level of dues, **US membership of the UN would still – on the agreed pro rata terms – be fairly heavily subsidised by the other member States**. > > Anyone got any evidence to counter this view ? \*\* No, but I would argue that it makes some sense that no member state would pay a too important part of the UN budget. Not for US sake, actually, but at the contrary to avoid that the UN would be too dependant from a given member (as we see in the US case, which use their financial debt to force the UN to comply with their demands). ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-nations-debt/77569/103 "2001-08-29T01:46:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by clairobscur \* > No, but I would argue that it makes some sense that no member state would pay a too important part of the UN budget Perhaps you’re right, **clairobscur**. But with Japan picking up somewhere between 18-20% and the EC countries (collectively) 36%, I’d contend your concerns are answered. ---
**Author:** ![Dave\_Stewart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Dave\_Stewart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dave_Stewart)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-nations-debt/77569/104 "2001-08-29T05:22:15Z")
Does anyone know if Bush has made a public comment on the issue? ---
**Author:** ![longjohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@longjohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/longjohn)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-nations-debt/77569/105 "2001-08-29T08:25:46Z")
OK, OK erislover. I’m happy to let this one drop, if your belief is that the US should pay the UN, I didn’t pick that up. I’m sorry about that. It appears that we’re in agreement there. I think our overall impressions of the US are somewhat at variance, but shall we not discuss that here, as I think we’re getting in the way of an otherwise lively discussion. Dave Stewart – as far as I can see, all of the rhetoric between the UN and the US has been from sources other than Bush himself, however he is to address the UN assembly on September 24th… [http://www.unitednationsnews.com/?action=display&article=8963133&template=un/stories.txt&index=recent](http://www.unitednationsnews.com/?action=display&article=8963133&template=un/stories.txt&index=recent) ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-nations-debt/77569/106 "2001-08-29T13:16:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by London\_Calling \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by E-Sabbath \* > > Does anyone know the size of the UN debt to the USA? I’m afraid I don’t know where I could find an unbiased statistic. \*\* > > With regard to the **total level of arrears due to the UN** : > > I’d hazard there are lies, damn lies and statistics. Most sources put the total at some way the wrong side of $1 billion but you’d perhaps do better to search yourself (I’d suggest using the search term: Helms-Biden agreement) > > \*\* I… believe you managed to misinterpret what I asked. I was wondering, of the existence and size, of a debt owed _to_ the United States Of America _BY_ the United Nations. Pay for peacekeepers, doctors, rental for UN Plaza, parking tickets, what-have-you. I was given to understand that it was quite substantial, five or so years ago, and it may or may not have contributed to the United States Of America not paying the United Nations anything. That, and Jesse Helms, I think. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-nations-debt/77569.md?page=5)