Who needs the UN?

I just got this belated response to my op-ed on Spain from March 16. I'm glad for the "useful analysis" comment, but not sure I understand the point about the UN. There are of course many problems with the UN, where I know several people who are doing the best they can to keep our world livable. The greatest problems stem from the US Government's underfunding and deliberate sabotaging of it, while simultaneously regarding other world agreements (Kyoto, the World Court) as irrelevant. But if the UN dissolved, or if other countries simply stopped bothering with it, wouldn't we likely see a rebirth of Bandung and an organization of the nonaligned nations to stand against the US? It looks like the US needs the UN just to forestall that happening, so it will probably continue to limp along.

Thank you for your useful analysis. Clearly the UN is useless. However, our State Department should be actively cultivating our allies many of whom have been very helpful in this effort in Iraq. M. Jones