The Psychotechnic History Of The United Nations, Part 2

"Un-Man," VII.

The first part of the history is here.

After the Council in Rio in 1965, the UN became:

"'...an instrument of multilateral negotiation...'" (p. 53);

a multi-state anti-war alliance;

a legal, cultural, humanitarian and scientific institution.

The US donated its Lunar bases to the UN, wrongly (!) thinking that it would be able to retain control of the Council which instead is becoming "'...a truly international body.'" (ibid.) Intervening to stop all wars, whether or not it is invited to do so, the UN fights small wars, like the Great Jihad or the Brazil-Argentine affair, to prevent bigger ones. Helping the Russian government against nationalist insurgents established the precedent of intra-national interventions to the annoyance of other governments. A conservative American government, coping unsuccessfully with the consequences of the Socialist Depression, nearly pulled out of the UN while, at the same time, research and trade regulations and other international functions are growing and the UN is becoming a federal world government with its Inspectorate, police and Lunar Guard. Nations are gradually disarming. Oceans and planets might be put under UN control. Tariffs are nearly gone, currencies are stabilized and next there will be a single world currency.

The UN's enemies comprise:

nationalists;
militarists;
industrialists, financiers and politicians wanting to end regulations;
labor leaders wanting a return to the old antagonisms that had generated power and profit for them;
religionists opposed to modern policies;
fanatics;
those who have lost out in the present set-up (as with the Polesotechnic League in Anderson's second future history).

Regarding those labor leaders, I expect that there will continue to be conflicts of economic interests between employers and employees under the UN.

Naysmith informs us by lecturing Jeanne:

"'Tell me something new,' said Jeanne impatiently.
"'I have to lead up to it, darling.'" (pp. 54-55)

The next revelation will be the nature of the current threat.