Since its creation, there has been controversy and criticism of the United Nations Organization. In the United States, an early opponent of the UN was the John Birch Society, which began a "get US out of the UN" campaign and even as far back as 1959, charging that the UN's aim was to establish a "One World Government."

The United Nations was established in 1945 to maintain international peace and promote cooperation in solving international economic, social and humanitarian problems. Well its charter does not include taking sides and carving up the spoils in a number of nasty wars, and picking and choosing what human rights it might or might not champion.

De Gaulle criticized the UN, famously calling it le machin ("the thingie"), an apt name.

There are 5 permanent members – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States and it allows a permanent member to block adoption but not to block the debate of a resolution unacceptable to it.