Two of our very favorite bloggers make superb points about the United Nations. Yesterday, Kofi Annan gave a speech in which he called 2004 his "annus horribulus" ("bad year" — a phrase first used  by Queen Elizabeth II). Betsy Newmark rightly points out that it was a bad year, from kofi's perspective, onl because the corruption of the UN came to public attention. The corruption itself has been going on for years. "He ain't sorry he did it, he's sorry because he got caught," as generations of cops have said about incorrigible criminals.

Over at Polipundit (which I like more and more — which saying a lot), Lorie Byrd adds:

...if not for Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Oil for Food scandal might have never been uncovered. This is another one of those unintended consequences of the war that seldom gets mentioned. I think it might be because many in the media would prefer that the corruption had not been uncovered. What else could explain why most all in the mainstream media choose to ignore what some have called the biggest case of international corruption in history?

The blogosphere at its best.

Thomas Lifson   12 22 04