For anybody with even a vague sense of history, it is easy to see that the United Nations is simply a reintroduction of the League of Nations.  I just finished a book called, "Woodrow Wilson and Colonel House: A personality study", in which the authors give a good argument of why the United States did not enter the League after WWI; the war to end all wars, supposedly.  But the book also gives insight into the role of the technocrat, that enigmatic figure who shuns the limelight of the press, but works tirelessly to exercise his/her power over public leaders.  Colonel Mandell House was just one of many such technocrats, but his role in Wilson's presidency was unprecedented at the time.  I highly recommend the book.  Here in Seattle, I came across a flyer from the Revolutionary Communist Party of the U.S.A.  Again, anyone with a vague sense of history of the past 100 years will scoff at the idea that communism works, but this little pamphlet doesn't care about you.  It's designed to speak to the young and disenfranchised, of which there are many.  If you know anyone who is entertaining the idea of communism as a means to a better life, please direct them to this episode for a little more information.