A New Role for Former Presidents?

I was interested to read in the last couple of weeks the news of ex-President Clinton's new job: as the UN Tsunami Aid Envoy. This follows on the heels of his official (nominated by President Bush) US fundraising capacity together with ex-President George H.W. Bush.

I think this is kind of cool. President Clinton, despite his moral shortgivings, does indeed have skills that can be very beneficial in a role such as this. Also, I actually do trust him not to abscond with hundreds of millions of dollars, as ended up being the case with the UN's management of the Oil-for-Food Prgramme.

Could the UN be a place for former US Presidents to make a beneficial contribution to world affairs? Ex-Presidents are people with enormous influence accumulated over years of service and political networking on the international scene. They have also stood at the head of a booming economy and relatively efficient governmental system. As such, they have much to offer the UN, which is in dire need of effective management to restore its credibility and influence. Maybe there is a bigger role within the UN for President Clinton in the future, but for now, I support him as the Tsunami Aid Envoy.