To the editor:
A letter in the Sept. 18 Kelowna Capital News (A. Cabuche, Canada In A Leadership Vacuum) cannot be criticized too harshly as the content is well meant. It was obviously written prior to Germany retreating from its promises of taking in hundreds of thousands of refugees so suggesting that Chancellor Angela Merkel is a "leader" may be premature.
Also her support for financial bailouts to Greece, a country that has put itself into major financial problems with no viable way of correcting them other than more and more bailouts, would suggest she is not the leader A. Cabuche may think she is.
But to the part that does require comment: Use of the Canadian military cited was within the guidelines of (mainly) United Nations operations. The problem we (the world) have right now is the invisibility of the UN in the problem areas.
The UN was established in 1945 to replace the ineffective League of Nations, its mandate to maintain international peace, to promote human rights, providing humanitarian aid in armed conflict. So while it is easy to condemn our national leaders (and I am not saying they are without blame in this issue) the more justifiable condemnation should be addressed at the United Nations, an organization of 193 member nations which, much like its predecessor The League of Nations, has shown itself totally ineffective in the conflict in Syria as well as controlling the growth of ISIS/ISIL, ineffective in providing leadership (which A. Cabuche is looking for) in Europe and assisting the nations trying to deal with the influx of refugees (if indeed they make it across the Adriatic or Mediterranean).
All of these things are within its mandate but the UN is ignoring its duties.
As much as I agree with the sentiments of pride in our Armed Forces, thankfulness for the volunteers in our communities, and the self-pandering politicians seeking our vote, I do believe that it is the United Nations that need to be criticized for their lack of effectiveness in the refugee problems around the world.
Our political leaders are letting Canada down, but the United Nations is letting the world down.
Malcolm Roberts, Kelowna