The main thing that endears the United Nations to member governments, and so enables it to survive, is its proven capacity to fail. You can safely appeal to the United Nations in the comfortable certainty that it will let you down.

Summary

This quote suggests that the United Nations' ability to disappoint member governments actually contributes to its resilience and survival. The UN's reputation for failure gives governments the confidence to appeal to it, knowing that it will likely disappoint their expectations. By consistently falling short of expectations, the UN maintains a perceived impartiality and prevents itself from becoming a threat to member governments' sovereignty. This quality becomes a strength of the UN, as its continued existence is dependent on its ability to be seen as a fallible but necessary international institution.

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