The UN is just a tool of convenience for the United States. It would rather get UN backing when it decides to wage war, as it did against Libya and is trying to against Syria. But if the UN won't toe the line, then the US will go to war anyway, as it did against Yugoslavia and Iraq.

The UN is fine when it's doing America's bidding, but to be ignored or obstructed when it doesn't. So the US has used its veto 83 times since 1972 to block UN resolutions. More than half of those -- 42 -- were used to stop the UN condemning Israel for its endless violations of international law, illegal occupation of Palestinian land, colonial expansion of Jewish settlements, and brutal attacks on Gaza.