The utility of the United Nations to the United States as an instrument of foreign policy can too easily be underestimated. Over the years since its founding in 1945, the United Nations has been more or less a servant of American interests. The most spectacular examples were the official UN authorization and sponsorship of intervention in the “troubled spots” of the world with an international peacekeeping force. Consider this fact: The United States provides an average quarter of the UN budget.

Many Americans feel the United Nations does not give good value for the investment. But any evaluation of the United Nations must take into account the purpose for which the United States sought to create it: power without diplomacy. In many cases, a victory of the United Nations is a victory of the United States. In recent years, however, with the growing position of China and some other countries in international diplomacy, the United States can no longer control UN decisions as it did before. But the United Nations will continue to function as a useful instrument of American foreign policy.

美 國利用聯合國作為其外交政策的工具很容易被低估。聯合國自1945年成立以來，或多或少地成了美國利益的服務工具。最典型的事例是，在聯合國正式授權和操辦下，國際維和部隊可以對世界上的“麻煩”地區進行干預。你得考慮這樣一個事實，美國給聯合國提供的經費占了聯合國總預算的1／4。

許多美國人認為，聯合國沒有對這種投資予以良好的回報。但是，對聯合國的任何評價都必須考慮到美國所追求的目的，即不使用外交手段的力量。很多事例表明，聯合國的勝利就是美國的勝利。然而，由于中國以及其他一些國家近年來國際外交地位的提高，美國再也無法像以前那樣控制聯合國的決策。當然，聯合國作為美國外交政策的有效工具，將繼續發揮這樣的作用。