Editing United Nations (section)

=== Independence ===
Throughout the Cold War, both the United States and the Soviet Union repeatedly accused the UN of favouring the other. In 1950, the Soviet Union boycotted the organization in protest to [[China and the United Nations|China's seat at the UN Security Council]] being given to the anti-communist [[Taiwan|Republic of China]]. Three years later, the Soviets effectively forced the resignation of UN Secretary-General [[Trygve Lie]] by refusing to acknowledge his administration due to his support of the [[Korean War]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Husen |first=Van |date=2010 |title=The Encyclopedia of the Korean War: A Political, Social, and Military History |publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]] |pages=504–506 |isbn=978-1-85109-849-1}}</ref>

Ironically, the United States had simultaneously scrutinized the UN for employing communists and Soviet sympathizers, following a high-profile accusation that [[Alger Hiss]], an American who had taken part in the establishment of the UN, had been a Soviet spy. American Senator Joseph McCarthy claimed that the [[United Nations Secretariat|UN Secretariat]] under Secretary-General Lie harboured American communists, leading to further pressure that the UN chief resign.<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 February 2019 |title=Character Sketches: Trygve Lie by Brian Urquhart |url=https://news.un.org/en/spotlight/character-sketches-trygve-lie-brian-urquhart |access-date=29 July 2022 |website=UN News |publisher=United Nations |language=en |archive-date=29 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220729215010/https://news.un.org/en/spotlight/character-sketches-trygve-lie-brian-urquhart |url-status=live}}</ref> The United States saw nascent opposition to the UN in the 1960s, particularly amongst conservatives, with groups such as the [[John Birch Society]] stating that the organization was an instrument for communism.<ref>{{cite news |date=20 September 1964 |title=Sponsor Shrugs at Criticism of U.N. TV Series |page=5F |work=[[Lincoln Journal Star|Lincoln Star]] |location=Lincoln, Nebraska |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-lincoln-star-sponsor-shrugs-at-criti/138008096/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |access-date=27 September 2022 |archive-date=4 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240104043139/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-lincoln-star-sponsor-shrugs-at-criti/138008096/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Popular opposition to the UN was expressed through bumper stickers and signs with slogans such as "Get the U.S. out of the U.N. and the U.N. out of the U.S.!" and "You can't spell communism without U.N."{{sfn|Meisler|1995|pp=72–73, 82}}