'If there's a hell on earth, it's probably Zimbabwe'

There are things about Fred Thompson that concern me. Namely: his choices for advisers, his supply-side credentials, his past life as a trial lawyer, his past support of McCain-Feingold, his conviction (does he have the same clear purpose that made Reagan's administration so successful?).

But one area where Thompson is spot-on is his take on the United Nations:

Two United Nations agencies have just released a report saying that 4 million people in Zimbabwe are in danger of starving. That's a third of the entire country's population. Take note that I said "two United Nations agencies" are predicting the mass starvation.

The reason I want you to take note of that is that, last month, the same United Nations elected Mugabe's Zimbabwe to lead the UN Commission on Sustainable Development. That's the organization charged with promoting sound long-term economies.

Now you might ask why a country in economic freefall would be chosen by the UN to advise the rest of the world about economic growth. But you might also ask why Iran was made vice-chair of the UN Disarmament Commission last year -- even as it ramped up its nuclear weapons program and threatened to destroy Israel. Or, for that matter, you might wonder why Libya was made chair of the Commission on Human Rights -- as Libyans don't even have basic democratic rights.

The UN never seems to have good answers, but I'll offer one. Robert Mugabe was given chairmanship of the commission because his view on sustainable development fits right in with much of the UN's.

Always refreshing to see politicians eschew diplomacy in favor of honesty.