United!?

Today I talked to my friend Lucy since I just finished a big retouching job for her. I sometimes supplement my income with that kind of work.

Lucy always has great suggestions about where to go with my photography and/or where to go with my blog. Today she suggested getting more involved, to express my opinions about what is going on in the world and to be more political. That is something I have avoided so far. Having an open mind does not mean to have no opinions, I have lots of opinions. But they are sometimes quite different to common belief; this is why I am wondering if it would be a good idea to express them on the World Wide Web.

On the other hand it would be fun since I like to rock the boat. I just wonder in how much trouble the rocking would get me even though I tend to enjoy trouble quite a bit these days. I have to think about it. Lucy told me about all these Tibetans being on the street in the freezing cold shouting “Free Tibet” slogans. That sounded like a good image for the blog but when I finally had done enough work on my taxes for the day and made myself on the way to the city it was already too late. I walked around but could not find one Tibetan. I decided to walk over to the United Nations.

That building always mesmerized me. Not because of its beauty but because what it stands for and what is happening inside of it.

What is the United Nations and what is its main objective?

The United Nations (UN) is an international organization. It was started after World War II with the idea of making a stronger version of the League of Nations, which was supposed to stop wars from happening. Most nations are members of the UN, and send people to the headquarters to hold meetings and pass resolutions (make decisions) about global issues. (Wikipedia)

But does it work? Does the “United Nations” unite the nations of the world and does it stop them from going to war?

I found a list of wars that happened after they were founded in 1945:

 

Afghanistan

Civil War, 1979-2002

Al-Qaeda War, 2001-

 

Albania

Communist Regime, 1948-89

Civil War, 1997

 

Algeria

War of Independence, 1954-62

Fundamentalist Moslem uprising, 1992 ET seq.

 

Angola

War of Independence, 1961-75

Civil War, 1975-94

 

Argentina

Overthrow of Peron, 1955

Falkland War, 1982

 

Armenia

Nagorno-Karabakh, 1991 et seq.

 

Australia 

Korean War, 1950-53

Vietnam War, 1965-72

 

Azerbaijan

1991 et seq.

 

Bangladesh

1971 massacres

Chittagong, 1975 et. seq.

 

Belgium 

Korean War, 1950-53

Congo Crisis, 1960-67

 

Bolivia

Civil War, 1952

Junta, 1971-78

 

Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1992-95

 

Brazil

Indians, 1900-1985

Military Regime, 1964-85

Rightist terrorism, 1980

Death Squads, 1985-91

Yanomami Indians, 1987-91

 

Bulgaria

Communist Regime, 1948-89

 

Burma 

Rebellions, 1948 et seq.

Unrest, 1988

 

Burundi, 1959-95

 

Cambodia

Civil War, 1965-75

Pol Pot, r. 1975-78

Civil War, 1978-91

 

Cameroon, 1960s

 

Canada

Korean War, 1950-53

 

Central African Republic/Empire

Bokassa Regime, 1965-79

Kongo-Wara War, 1927-31

 

Chad

Civil War, 1965 et seq.

Habré regime, 1982-90

 

Chechnya, 1994 et seq.

 

Chile, 1973-90

 

China

Wars with Tibet, 1950 et. seq

Korean War, 1950-53

Sino-Indian War, 1962

Sino-Soviet War, 1963-69

Sino-Vietnamese War, 1979

Tienamen Square, 1989

 

Colombia

La Violencia, 1946-58

Korean War, 1951-53

Insurgencies, 1973-

 

North Congo (SKA “French Congo”, “Congo-Brazzaville”, “People’s

Republic of the C.”)

Coup, 1997

 

South Congo (SKA “Belgian Congo”, “Zaire”, “Congo-Kinshasa”,

“Democratic Republic of the C.”)

Congo Crisis, 1960-64

Stanleyville Revolt, 1964-65

Mercenary Uprising, 1967-68

Uprisings and Repression, 1970s

Conflicts, 1992-94

Overthrow of Mobutu, 1997

Civil War, 1998-

 

Costa Rica

Civil War, 1948

War with Nicaragua, 1955

 

Croatia, 1991-92

 

Cuba

Batista Regime & Civil War, 1952-59

Angola, 1975-95

Grenada, 1983

 

Cyprus

1955-59

1963-67

1974

 

Czechoslovakia

Post-WW2 expulsions of Germans, 1945-47

1968 uprising

 

Dominican Republic

1965 coup

 

East Timor, 1975 et seq.

 

Ecuador

War with Peru, 1995-97

 

Egypt

Arab-Israeli Wars, 1947-73

Yemen, 1962-69

 

El Salvador

Football War, 1969

Civil War, 1979-91

 

Equatorial Guinea, 1969-79

 

Eritrea

War of Independence, 1962-92

War with Ethiopia, 1998-

 

Ethiopia

Korean War, 1951-53

Civil Wars, 1962-92

War with Eritrea, 1998-

 

France

Algeria, 1954-62

Chad, 1982-

Indochina War of Independence, 1945-54

Korean War, 1951-53

Lebanon 1983

Madagascar, 1947

Morocco 1953-56

Tunisia 1952-54 1961

 

Gambia, 1981

 

Georgia, 1992-93

 

Ghana, 1981-93

 

Greece

Civil War, 1943-49

Korean War, 1951-53

 

Grenada, 1983

 

Guatemala

Civil War, 1960-1996

 

Guinea

Toure, 1969-76

Civil War, 2000-

 

Guinea-Bissau, 1962-74

 

Haiti

Duvalier regime, 1957-86

1991-94

 

Honduras

War with Nicaragua, 1957

Football War, 1969

Death Squads, 1980-88

 

Hungary

1956 Uprising

 

India

Partition Violence, 1947

Hyderabad, 1948

Sino-Indian War, 1962

Naxalites, 1968-

Bangladeshi War of Independence, 1971

Assam, 1978-

Sikh uprising, 1984-91

 

Kashmir

Indo-Pakistani War, 1965

Civil War, 1989 et seq.

 

Indonesia

War of Independence, 1945-46

Civil Wars, 1950s

War with Malaysia, 1962

Irian, 1962-

Coup and Massacres, 1965-67

East Timor, 1975-99

Aceh, 1989

Jakarta, 1998

Moluccas, 1999-

 

Iran

Soviet occupation, 1945-47

Pahlevi Regime, 1953-79

Overthrow of the Shah

Kurdistan

Iran-Iraq War, 1980-88

 

Iraq

Kurds 1933, 1961-70, 1980s

Coups, 1959-66

Iran-Iraq War, 1980-88

Gulf War, 1990-91

Shia Rebellion, 1991-93

Bombing, 1998

 

Ireland

Northern Ireland, 1974-98

 

Israel

British Palestine, 1945-48

Arab-Israeli Wars, 1948-

Palestinians

Lebanon, 1982 et seq.

 

Jamaica, 1980

 

Jordan

Arab-Israeli Wars, 1947-73

Uprising, 1970-1

 

Kashmir

Indo-Pakistani War, 1965

Civil War, 1989 et seq.

 

Kenya

Mau-Mau, 1952-56

Border Conflict, 1963

Ethnic Clash, 1992

 

South Korea

Coup, 1948

Vietnam War, 1965-73

Demonstrations, 1980

Korean War, 1950-53

 

North Korea, 1948 et seq.

 

Kosovo, 1998-99

 

Laos

French Indochina, 1945-54

Vietnam War, 1963-73

Post-War, 1975-87

 

Lebanon

Civil War, 1958

Chaos, 1975-1992

 

Liberia, 1989-93

 

Libya

Chad, 1982-

Uganda, 1978-79

 

Madagascar, revolt, 1947

 

Malawi, 1964-94

 

Malaysia 

Emergency, 1948-60

War with Indonesia, 1962

 

Mauritania

Western Sahara, 1975-78

 

Moldova, 1991-97

 

Morocco

Independence, 1953-56

Western Sahara, 1975-78

 

Mozambique

Independence, 1961-75

Civil War, 1975-93

 

Nepal, 1996-

 

Netherlands 

Dutch East Indies, 1945-46

Irian, 1962

 

New Guinea

Irian Jaya, 1962-

 

Nicaragua

War with Costa Rica, 1955

War with Honduras, 1957

Civil Wars, 1972-91

 

Nigeria

Biafra, 1967-70

Moslem uprising, 1980-84

Internal Conflicts, 1990s

 

Northern Ireland, 1974-98

 

Pakistan

Partition Violence, 1947

Indo-Pakistani War, 1965

Baluchi/Pathan separatists, 1973-77

Bengali massacres, 1971

Sindh War, 1990s

 

Palestinians

Israel, 1947-

Jordan, 1970-1

Lebanon, 1975 et seq.

 

Panama, 1989

 

Papua New Guinea, 1989 et seq.

 

Paraguay

Civil War, 1947

Stroessner, 1954-89

Ache Indians, 1968-74

Coup, 1989

 

Peru

Uprising, 1965-66

Shining Path, 1980-93

War with Ecuador, 1995-97

 

Philippines

Huk Rebellion, 1946-54

Korean War, 1950-53

Vietnam War, 1965-73

Rebellions, 1972-92

Pol Pot, r.1975-78

 

Poland

Post-WW2 expulsions of Germans, 1945-47

 

Portugal 

Angola, 1961-75

Mozambique, 1961-75

Guinea-Bissau, 1962-74

 

Rhodesia, 1972-79

 

Romania

Uprising, 1989

 

Russia

Chechnya, 1994 et seq.

 

Rwanda

1959-95

1990

 

Saudi Arabia

Yemen, 1962-69

 

Senegal, 1982-

 

Sierra Leone, 1991-

 

Somalia

Ogaden War, 1962-92

Conflict with Kenya, 1963

Barre regime, 1971-90

Chaos, 1992 et seq.

 

South Africa

Namibia, 1975-90

Angola, 1975-95

 

Spain 

Basques, 1961 et seq.

 

Sri Lanka

1971 Rebellion

1977-95 War

 

Sudan

Civil War, 1955-72

Civil War, 1983 et seq.

 

Syria

Arab-Israeli Wars, 1947-73

Lebanon, 1976

 

Taiwan

1947

1954-55

 

Tajikstan, 1992-96

 

Tanzania 

Uganda, 1978-79

 

Thailand

Korean War, 1950-53

Vietnam War, 1965-73

 

Tibet 

Chinese Occupation, 1950 et. seq

 

Timor, East, 1975 et seq.

 

Tunisia

War of Independence 1952-1956

1961

 

Turkey

Kurdistan 1980s, 1990s

Korean War, 1950-53

Cyprus, 1974

 

Uganda

Civil War, 1966

Civil War, 1979-87

Civil War, 1987-

 

USSR

Occupation of Iran, 1945-47

Hungarian Uprising, 1956

Sino-Soviet War, 1963-69

Afghanistan, 1979-95

 

United Kingdom

Dutch East Indies, 1945-46

Palestine, 1945-48

Malaya, 1948-60

Korean War, 1950-53

Mau-Mau uprising, 1952-56

Suez, 1954

Cyprus, 1955-59

Malaysia, 1962

Aden, 1963-67

Northern Ireland, 1969-

Falkland War, 1982

 

United States

Korean War, 1950-53

Dominican Republic, 1965

Vietnam War, 1965-73

Lebanon, 1983

Grenada, 1983

Panama, 1989

Gulf War, 1990-91

Kosovo, 1998

Al-Qaeda War, 2001-

 

Vietnam

Indochina War, 1945-54

North Vietnam, 1954-75

Vietnam War, 1965-75

Post-War, 1975-87

Laos, 1975-87

Cambodia Civil War, 1978-91

Sino-Vietnamese War, 1979

 

Western Sahara

Morocco vs. Polisario Front, 1975-78

 

North Yemen (s.k.a. “Kingdom of Yemen”, “Yemen Arab Republic”)

Civil War, 1948

Civil War, 1962-69

 

South Yemen (s.k.a. “Aden”, “Federation of South Arabia”, “People’s

Republic of Southern Yemen”)

British intervention, 1963-67

Civil War, 1986

 

Zambia, 1964

 

Zanzibar, 1964

 

Zimbabwe

Rhodesian Civil War, 1972-79

 

 

 

 

“United!?” Manhattan/New York City/ The United Nations Building 03-21-08 at 05:57 PM

  

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