What if the United Nations was just a Facebook page?

Image by :: Radar Communication :: via Flickr

The United Nations is an incredibly bureaucratic and expensive way for 193 member countries to sit down now and then and yap. In fact. let's face it: It's an insane asylum. When countries with the worst human rights records sit on the Human Rights Committee, you know that madness prevails. With its $5-billion yearly budget and 63,000 people on its payroll we've managed to create an international monolith so large that is almost impossible to respond effectively to any situation. In face, their feeble attempt at justifying their numbers is even incorrect. From the UN website:

"The number of people employed worldwide by the UN in all capacities - nearly 16,000 people by the UN Secretariat and some 63,450 by the entire UN system - is remarkably small for a system of organizations engaged on a global scale in virtually all areas of human welfare, from promoting peace to furthering development, to organizing humanitarian relief. By comparison: the United States Department of Education employs nearly 71,000 people; the city of Ontario, Canada, has over 80,000 public employees; and the Coca Cola Company has 74,000 employees."

The UN in action

The first problem with this justification is that Ontario is a province in Canada, not a city. Great research for an organization filled with researchers. And frankly, does the U.S  Department of Education even need to exist, given that education is a state controlled issue? Comparing itself to another inept bureaucracy, doesn't really give it any more credibility. Coca Cola!!!

Yes, the UN does lots of good work as well,  but what if the organization was simply a Facebook page? Think of all the fun with the friends and groups restrictions. And the apps. How about a Peace Keeping app? Want to send the troops somewhere? Just create a simple member's poll. And on and on.

Obviously, this isn't really possible, but what a great Facebook Timeline it would produce!

Related articles

• US Wants Syria Off UN Committee (myfoxny.com)

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Saudi man decides to sell son on Facebook for $20 million

The government has just shut down your illegal debt collection business and denied you welfare because you're over the age limit. Times are tough for this Saudi man. The natural solution here is to sell your son on Facebook for $20-million to avoid "living in poverty".

Saud bin Nasser Al Shahry claims selling his son is the only option to continue providing for his wife and daughter. He does have some tough conditions for the sale, though. He must know what city the buyer is in before he will complete the transaction. Thoughtful dad.

 It's unlikely Facebook will allow the sale to go ahead, but you have to wonder about this dad of the year's moral compass, even if this turns out to be a publicity stunt. On the other hand, I'll bet Junior can come up with some real interesting father's day gifts for the old man, perhaps a small IED.

Related articles

• Saudi man tries to sell son on Facebook for $20m to 'avoid poverty' (dailymail.co.uk)

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Facebook moving into new castle

Image via Wikipedia

When the big get bigger, they need a new place to call home. Facebook is taking over an almost nine acre building in Palo Alto at Stanford Research Park. The building formerly housed  Sun Microsystems. The new office is over seven times the size of its current office, making we wonder just how much hiring they are planning on doing in the future.  The downside: A longer commute for the boss. Zuckerberg will no longer be down the street from the office.

Woman runs over cousin because of Facebook friend rejection

From the New York Post:
"A Long Island woman allegedly mowed down her cousin twice with a minivan after a Facebook-fueled catfight over a man -- leaving the victim helpless in the middle of a busy road on a freezing night, sources said."