Comments on: Conflicts of Interest for Diplomats, Former Diplomats, and the UN: Ruth Wedgwood on Peter Galbraith http://volokh.com/2009/11/23/conflicts-of-interest-for-diplomats-former-diplomats-and-the-un-ruth-wedgwood-on-peter-galbraith/ Commentary on law, public policy, and more Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:07:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Gene Madison http://volokh.com/2009/11/23/conflicts-of-interest-for-diplomats-former-diplomats-and-the-un-ruth-wedgwood-on-peter-galbraith/comment-page-1/#comment-693804 Gene Madison Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:44:37 +0000 http://volokh.com/?p=22020#comment-693804 When nations restrict property ownership within its borders to Citizens only, wars are fought to acquire control. When nations do not restrict property ownership to Citizens, it seems they are more quickly displaced and become servants of their robbers. I notice similarities with the Halliburton family when they controlled the East India trading Company. When you allow foreign 'investments' in a nations productivity sector, it jeopardizes national security. When nations restrict property ownership within its borders to Citizens only, wars are fought to acquire control.

When nations do not restrict property ownership to Citizens, it seems they are more quickly displaced and become servants of their robbers.

I notice similarities with the Halliburton family when they controlled the East India trading Company. When you allow foreign ‘investments’ in a nations productivity sector, it jeopardizes national security.

]]> By: RPT http://volokh.com/2009/11/23/conflicts-of-interest-for-diplomats-former-diplomats-and-the-un-ruth-wedgwood-on-peter-galbraith/comment-page-1/#comment-693387 RPT Tue, 24 Nov 2009 01:36:25 +0000 http://volokh.com/?p=22020#comment-693387 The profiteering opportunities in Iraq have been well know and exploited for some years now in various areas of commerce: construction, troop support and supply, oil, and so on. The violators come from all over; it not a partisan problem. The profiteering opportunities in Iraq have been well know and exploited for some years now in various areas of commerce: construction, troop support and supply, oil, and so on. The violators come from all over; it not a partisan problem.

]]> By: College Student http://volokh.com/2009/11/23/conflicts-of-interest-for-diplomats-former-diplomats-and-the-un-ruth-wedgwood-on-peter-galbraith/comment-page-1/#comment-693323 College Student Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:33:09 +0000 http://volokh.com/?p=22020#comment-693323 Do you think media coverage in the U.S. is biased? We are looking for people interested in politics to take our Institutional Research Board approved study. Many people feel that the media can lead people in different ideological directions. We are Smith College students in a Senior Political Psychology Seminar and we want to invite you to take our survey. We are investigating the relationship between media coverage and political information. If you take our short, confidential survey you can choose to be entered into a raffle for a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.com. If you are interested, follow this link to Surveymonkey.com http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=T4JLkCcNbd7TRexboclKxA_3d_3d Do you think media coverage in the U.S. is biased? We are looking for people interested in politics to take our Institutional Research Board approved study.

Many people feel that the media can lead people in different ideological directions. We are Smith College students in a Senior Political Psychology Seminar and we want to invite you to take our survey. We are investigating the relationship between media coverage and political information. If you take our short, confidential survey you can choose to be entered into a raffle for a $50 gift certificate to Amazon.com. If you are interested, follow this link to Surveymonkey.com

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=T4JLkCcNbd7TRexboclKxA_3d_3d

]]> By: PJens http://volokh.com/2009/11/23/conflicts-of-interest-for-diplomats-former-diplomats-and-the-un-ruth-wedgwood-on-peter-galbraith/comment-page-1/#comment-693299 PJens Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:57:06 +0000 http://volokh.com/?p=22020#comment-693299 ...matters that are beyond its practical capacity? Good grief, the UN organization is bunch of countries that can not agree on most everything. I think it's practical capacity is to offer a venue to vent frustrations. …matters that are beyond its practical capacity?

Good grief, the UN organization is bunch of countries that can not agree on most everything.

I think it’s practical capacity is to offer a venue to vent frustrations.

]]> By: Kenneth Anderson http://volokh.com/2009/11/23/conflicts-of-interest-for-diplomats-former-diplomats-and-the-un-ruth-wedgwood-on-peter-galbraith/comment-page-1/#comment-693282 Kenneth Anderson Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:43:14 +0000 http://volokh.com/?p=22020#comment-693282 Good question and I wasn't clear enough. Whatever the problems of the revolving door, for example, in the US, the US has the capacity - and sometimes does, as in the case of various agency officials - to regulate this and make it accountable by law. There is no accountability mechanism in fact or, really, even in principle with respect to this at the UN. Not always for the same reason; sometimes capture via the UN's own bureaucracy, other times a function of member states protecting their own people, but the effect is a system that lacks accountability and even the possibility of accountability. Good question and I wasn’t clear enough. Whatever the problems of the revolving door, for example, in the US, the US has the capacity – and sometimes does, as in the case of various agency officials – to regulate this and make it accountable by law. There is no accountability mechanism in fact or, really, even in principle with respect to this at the UN. Not always for the same reason; sometimes capture via the UN’s own bureaucracy, other times a function of member states protecting their own people, but the effect is a system that lacks accountability and even the possibility of accountability.

]]> By: Steve http://volokh.com/2009/11/23/conflicts-of-interest-for-diplomats-former-diplomats-and-the-un-ruth-wedgwood-on-peter-galbraith/comment-page-1/#comment-693255 Steve Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:20:16 +0000 http://volokh.com/?p=22020#comment-693255 I'm not sure I understand "the UN's peculiar vulnerability." It's relatively common, for example, for Members of Congress or Executive Branch employees to go straight from public service to a for-profit position of lobbying the institution for which they formerly worked. Many people seem to view public service solely as an opportunity to bolster their resume for a lucrative private position. None of this is to be commended, but my point is simply: in what sense is the UN unique in this regard? I’m not sure I understand “the UN’s peculiar vulnerability.” It’s relatively common, for example, for Members of Congress or Executive Branch employees to go straight from public service to a for-profit position of lobbying the institution for which they formerly worked. Many people seem to view public service solely as an opportunity to bolster their resume for a lucrative private position. None of this is to be commended, but my point is simply: in what sense is the UN unique in this regard?

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