mr. chairman , let me say i may consider the lantos-shays alternative imperfect , but it represents a credible political balancing and is clearly preferable to the underlying bill .  but listening to the debate over the past 2 days , i sense a lack of perspective not only for treaty obligations but for the u.n .  itself .  corruption exists in all societies .  it is rife , indeed endemic , in some .  at the u.n. , it is isolated ; it is not endemic .  i have known hundreds and hundreds of people who have worked for the u.n .  itself or u.n .  agencies .  they are honorable , decent people doing a decent job .  it is true that a few thousand dollars here and a few thousand dollars there pretty soon adds up to a loss of confidence in institutions of governance , and we have that problem at the u.n .  hence , we can not ignore scandal , but scandal does not define the united nations ; it defines a problem that must be dealt with there and elsewhere .  we should do this , but we should do this with the understanding that the world would be a far worse place without the u.n .  and that the activities and actions of its various organizations and agencies have made this a better world society .  so improvement , not destruction , is the goal .  