Sam F said:

"I don't think the UN has much moral authority at all..."

One of the root causes of World War I was the lag time in communcations between conflicting nations along with no recognized forum for peacefully resolve conflicts. The League of Nations was the response to that failure. Unfortunately the Nazis demonstarted the limitations of the League of Nations when they started World War II. The United Nations was the peace time continuation of the military alliance that defeated the Nazis and Imperial Japanese. The United Nations survived as a Cold War institution mainly to reduce the risk of nuclear war. However now both the Cold War and World War II are fading memories. The basis for the UN's legitimacy no longer exists. A new institution for peacefully resolving conflict needs to be created that is not based upon obsolete Cold War assumptions.

Gary