The term “United Nations” was originally coined during the Second World War and created during an alliance with the Allied Nations. The League of Nations was replaced after the Allied victory because of it failure to prevent a disastrous second world war which was far worse than the first one.
For its role in the World War II, the United States of America became a permanent member of the United Nation Security Council along with the United Kingdom, and the Russia among others. Shortly after World War II, terrible tension began to rise between the two superpowers Russia and the United States which were the premier members of the Security Council. Along with this, there was conflict over the inclusion of China, a former ally of the U.S during World War II.
The great power struggle between the United States and Russia became very real when the United Nations sanctioned the country of North Korea.
Moving forward into decades later at the power and influence of the United States and the United Nations in world affairs, the power of the United States actually never deteriorated. For example, in 1991, the United States convinced the entire United Nations Security Council to authorize the use of force against the country of Iraq under Saddam Hussein when it invaded the country of Kuwait.
The United Nations was never designed for one nation to beyond its influence such as a nation like the United States of America. When Communist Russia fell, economically, militarily and technologically, the United States became the most powerful nation in the world.
There have been issues concerning the United State's usage of military force and the existence of the state of Israel, which continues to create tension with some Middle East nations in the United Nations (Refer to UN Resolution 181 and the Balfour Declaration).
To fund the operations of the United Nations, a budget is developed every 2 years that assesses a rate in which every representing nation must pay. There is a ceiling percentage developed to present the United Nations from being heavily funded by a single nation. The United States funds over 22 percent of the budget which is the ceiling rate.
The next, which approaches what the United States is the country of Japan with 19.5 percent of the budget. The countries of the United Kingdom and France are next with 6 percent.
Because of the United States is important to the financial support of the United Nations, the great nation is able to practice the withholding of payment to the United Nations in order to push voting in its favor. For example, it was under the Ronald Reagan administration that the United States stopped funding the United Nations in order to create pressure for some voting issues. These voting issues concerned the nation of Israel and the state of the Middle East. The funding has since been continued, and the U.S has worked hard to repay the debt incurred over the years of missing funding.
The United States of America continues to play a major role in the shaping of the world today. Most of the American influence, however, has come from outside the graces of the United Nations which continues to curb United States efforts, especially with negative criticism about the current War in Iraq.
The United States of America was a major player in the United Nations, but has had relations deteriorate. The United States role has weakened. And America efforts have been reduced to mere budget manipulations to ensure the U.S continues to have its say in the world economic and political theater.
