Not so sure about that. Peace is good for the economy, especially in emerging markets. That's something China knows and is willing to promote on the African continent.
I don't disagree at all that peace is good, no it's great, for the economy and I also believe that free and fair trade (true free markets) promotes peace but let's take your stance in defending the UN and associated global organizations. If peace and goodness is the goal, then even since 1945' when the UN was formed in San Francisco, how do you explain the level of global warfare, death and destruction as well as the level of authoriterian govt's around the world and yet the level of UN influence contrary to much political spin has actually increased, example US won't go to war without UN blessing first? Also explain in that same time span that the major powers never had a direct conflict with one another but use the excuse of proxy wars in the 3rd world to expand it's own territorial reach often under the aegis of checking the tyranny and brutality of the other guy? The UN didn't tell them to behave because these same powers owned the damn place and still do. It's as
big a con job as the so-called political left and right wing of the single party state in America.
From your POV that govt's should protect the little guy, then how do you explain the 1990's UN sanctions against Iraq, let's be honest it was about Saddam anyway (a villian we help create and put in power) but the only victims were 1000's and 1000's of innocent average folk Iraqis, many of them women and children who died as a result of this policy, a policy that the 1990's democrats and Clinton fully supported and took part in? The other real winners in Iraq were never even there so to speak and that is the Saudis who enjoyed after 9/11 an inflated oil price and the Iranians who watched as a longtime enemy was eliminated not that the Saudis didn't want Saddam to go away also even though they benefitted from his geographic wall he was to Iran. And let's not forget the neo-con cheerleading for Iraq overthrow in the 90's that the Clinton adminstration answered the call in 98' with the Iraq liberation act. If George W. Bush has muddy hands then Clinton and little Georgie's Dad along with both parties are both holding/working the shovel and wheelbarrow and the UN is where? Well they did profit from food for oil so I guess they served their personal interests in all of this too.
And from the "UN is so good" viewpoint, how does a poor American kid from the ghetto with no opportunities differ from your POV from an Iraqi kid living in some desolete village in Iraq with no opportunities as well? In one case, you'd decry the American gov't or any gov't if they even in the least harmed this kid but now you defend an international organization who enforced a policy that in effect one way or another killed that Iraqi kid? If the american kid is innocent and the victim of cruel, greedy people here at home, then tell me what crime the Iraqi kid committed that would justify the unleashing of those same "cruel, greedy" people to kill him/her at will to the benefit of the "cruel, greedy" people's political. economic, social cause? From a philosophical, moral position, can you explain why one would be a capital crime and the other the goodness of freedom and global democracy? I'm sure that Iraqi kid has some comfort that his death brought you some pride in the greater cause!
How do you explain certain countries who have by the use of international law and treaty made certain currencies in effect a monopoly of capital and yet those currencies are pure fiat that are nothing but debt instruments and inflationary on all goods and services? How do those inflationary policies help elevate the poor out of their condition not only here at home but abroad? How do you also explain in this good free market you might think we have that certain countries and specific entities and individuals within have used state interventions on global scale to amass ever increasing amounts of wealth by using the state to control both labor and commodities and their movements around the world? How come govt's tell me I can't buy a pound of good Mexican gold weed from a poor mexican farmer directly when I bet Rush Limbaugh can get the best Cuban stoogies to suck on during and after his show? Unlike me and the Mexican farmer who deal directly with one another in a purely free market exchange, I wonder in Rush getting those Cubans how many hands get greased? I wonder what would happen to Rush if he went directly to the poor Cuban farmer who grew and picked that tobacco and made the cigar from it? Seems I'd have a roomie in my jailcell. Wonder what the UN would say of my wanting to go directly to that Mexican farmer even for some mexican corn? Ever looked at international treaty law concerning all manner of plant and farm commoditiies? Again, I ask the question, where is that free market everyone sez we have?
I find the study of old world colonialism along with it's economics of mercantilism, later American imperialism, then bring it forward into the modern day while looking at all the players involved and as I said, you will be confronted with a huge dilemma if you have a philosophically moral foundation to begin with. You are the only one that can answer that question. It's funny how one political side in this country see the UN from one standpoint and the other sees it another way yet in a very real sense they both have it wrong IMO. When you sit back and begin to ask the hard questions you are confronted with the most uncomfortable of answers. But then, most see it like the global oligarchy want you to see it so there you go. Read their own history and follow the money, as Mulder said, "the truth is out there!"