Here’s an idea which draws frequent cheers in conservative circles but might give us pause in the cold light of the morning when it threatens to become a reality. Alabama Congressman Mike Rogers introduced a bill which would remove the United States from the United Nations within two years and evict the assembly from Turtle Bay. The original draft was actually submitted several weeks ago and it now sits in committee. The details are pretty straight forward. (NBC local)

A proposed House Resolution would set the stage for the United States to remove itself from the United Nations.

The proposed “American Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2017” is sponsored by Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL). It was introduced in the House on Jan. 3 and referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, according to the Congress website.

The bill proposes that the United States terminate its membership in the UN, that the UN removes its headquarters from the US, and that the US stops participating in the World Health Organization.

Read the entire bill here.

I’ve had more than my fair share of complaints about the United Nations over the years and it’s tough to argue against their many shortcomings and frequently disruptive agenda. The abuses committed by their peacekeeping forces, including rape, forced prostitution of children and profiteering, are both legendary and nefarious. Even when they’re doing well intentioned work, such as in Haiti, their unique brand of incompetence leads to problems such as epidemics of cholera. And perhaps the biggest complaint among many conservatives is the UN’s treatment of Israel, a country which stands almost alone against most of the assembly which sides with the Palestinians exclusively.

But it’s that last point which gives me pause. Major reforms to the UN are obviously in order, though how any single nation accomplishes the feat is unclear. But if we get up and walk away, the remaining members are free to pass all manner of resolutions and sanctions against the Jewish state and Israel’s remaining friends would be few and less powerful. Simply saying that Israel can walk out the door with us doesn’t really address the underlying problem because the United Nations actually can influence world events, particularly on trade and economic matters, if not militarily.

For that reason, I’m not as thrilled about seeing this bill become law as an initial gut reaction might portend. Kicking the organization out of New York (and the entire country for that matter) might provide a sense of satisfaction, but it could cause bigger problems further down the road. Before rushing into a terminal decision such as this, perhaps we should be considering other options to institute reforms. They probably still need us (particularly our money and military) at least as much as we “need” them, so a better deal might be possible.