"The annual budget of the United Nations is equivalent to around 0.07 percent of the U.S. federal budget , 0.4 percent of the U.S. defense budget ....In the words of the former secretary of state Madeleine K. Albright, the annual budget of the United Nations is "roughly what the Pentagon spends every thirty-two hours." This is an interesting quote from Niall Ferguson's obnoxious book " Colossus. The Rise and Fall of the American Empire. " The main thesis of the Harvard History professor's book is that the best of all possible worlds would be a world dominated by an American empire and that unfortunately this is an impossibility. While I don't buy what the prof says, I must confess that the book is a most interesting read and that it is full of interesting insights and fascinating facts.