The 2016 election has immense consequences for Americans, the United Nations and people worldwide.

I would like to address some of these issues and specifically the looming effects on the United Nations. First given Donald Trump’s limited knowledge about the UN and most international issues, he may be ambivalent or even hostile to the international organization.

US-UN report panel with Tom Osborne, Dave Kaverno and Brian O’neil of am1480 wlea radio speak with Bill Miller ofGlobal Connections Television about dictators of the world, then and now - recorded Sunday, December 11, 2016

Just five short months ago on December 12, 2015, 196 nations in attendance at the United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference in Paris adopted one of the most ambitious and far reaching agreements that focused on curtailing climate change and global warming.

Ralph talks to Anna Myers, executive director and CEO of GAP, the Governmental Accountability Project about the importance of encouraging and protecting whistleblowers; and William Miller from Global Television Connections tells us why we really need the United Nations.

The United Nations Climate Conference that just concluded in Paris has been categorized by such descriptive terms as “modest,” “positive,”  “landmark” and “historic.” The accord may be a combination of all of these adjectives since there were both accomplishments and shortcomings. 

On September 25, 2015, 193 world leaders convened at the UN Headquarters in New York and committed to achieve 17 Sustainable Development  Goals (SDGs) that focused on 3 extraordinary  and comprehensive initiatives over the next 15 years: end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change.

In 2000, under the leadership of then-UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the UN member states launched the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).  The MDGs were 8 logical, measurable, agreed-upon goals dealing with poverty, education, gender equality, child and maternal mortality, diseases, the environment and global partnerships.

Metaphorically-speaking, the Earth could be equated with the ill-fated Titanic that sank on April 15,1912, in the North Atlantic. The captain of the doomed ship (read Earth) erroneously believed it was unsinkable (read climate change deniers) and increased its speed; whereupon, it plowed full steam ahead into an iceberg.

The catastrophic events in Iraq that are unfolding daily are more significant than at any point in recent memory. Catastrophes often make for unforeseen alliances and dramatic geopolitical policy shifts.

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), which is now calling itself the Islamic State (IS), steamrolled out of Syria into Iraq and appeared to be unstoppable in its march to Baghdad. The Iraqi military, which was far larger and better armed, was either unable or unwilling to confront this ragtag, but determined, force of about 10,000 fighters. ISIS racked up major gains in mostly Sunni-controlled areas of the country, yet still threatens the Kurdish and Shia controlled areas.Along with its acquisition of land, which is estimated to be about 35,000 square miles or the size of Jordan, ISIS began to persecute minority Christians and Yazidi religious communities.