africanhope

'An idea whose time has come': Brown backs UN security council seat for India | Special Reports | Guardian Unlimited Politics

I must say I agree with PM Brown, except on the whole Veto thing. I am not saying the 'new' nations should get the veto, I think no one should have it.

But alas, a more representative council is not something I think I will see in my lifetime.

AH

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“The subject no longer has to be mentioned by name. Someone is sick. Someone else is feeling better now. A friend has just gone back into the hospital. Another has died. The unspoken name, of course, is AIDS.”
“From the point of view of the pharmaceutical industry, the AIDS problem has already been solved. After all, we already have a drug which can be sold at the incredible price of $8, 000 an annual dose, and which has the added virtue of not diminishing the market by actually curing anyone.”

Pawn

i guess its ok if india joins the council, but they should bring some thing to the table, or at least make a larger military so the US doesnt have to go and fight every 1.

africanhope

Well, okay, but when last did America send the military in to fight, on request of the UN, (as opposed to against UN decisions?)

Many countries contribute to UN missions accross the world, including India, so I do not see this being a pre requsit

AH

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“The subject no longer has to be mentioned by name. Someone is sick. Someone else is feeling better now. A friend has just gone back into the hospital. Another has died. The unspoken name, of course, is AIDS.”
“From the point of view of the pharmaceutical industry, the AIDS problem has already been solved. After all, we already have a drug which can be sold at the incredible price of $8, 000 an annual dose, and which has the added virtue of not diminishing the market by actually curing anyone.”

AzTeK

Agreed. The whole Veto-thing is a sad joke if you ask me. It's important there is a strong mechanism to ensure nothing is done because a couple want it to be done, but only one opposing something being enough to crush an entire resolution is wrong. 4/5 should be for sanctions/whatever in order for them to pass, but a 100% concordance of all permanent security council members has prooven to just turn the UN into sitting duck unable to act.

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Brother Oz

Interesting. It's not just India they're supporting, but also Brazil, Japan, Germany and one African country (which I should think will probably be South Africa). And none of them will get a Veto. Which means their permanent seat gives them some benefit, but not massively.
I like his idea to have a civilian peace-keeping organisation to help countries that come out of conflicts. I guess he got the idea from Iraq.
I'm not too keen on the stuff at the end of the article though. Giving the IMF greater over-sight powers and the World Bank money for the environment sounds like a good idea, but neither are institutions that have been particularly competent over the last couple of decades.

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... I am surprised at your insolence in writing to me at all. You know, as I know, that I bought this constituency... may God's curse light upon you and may it make your women as open and as free to the excise officers as your wives and daughters have always been to me while I have represented your scoundrel corporation.
I have the honour to be... your obliged humble servant, Anthony Henley
- MPs reply to constituent, mid 1700s

Calvin-X

If they ever get rid of the Veto then the UN takes a major step toward being a world goverment IMO.

At that point the US should immediately withdraw and demand the UN move it's offices from the US.

Calvin-X

Both India and Germany makes sense. Brazil still seems more of a regional power than global. Japan? With it's demographics?

And South Africa? Has it had a peaceful transition of power yet? That is alway the big test.

Goldstone69

Perhaps the UK and France should give up there seats on the Council .......a new EU seat can take there place ?

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"One must never forget that monetary union, which the two of us were the first to propose more than a decade ago is ultimately a political project. It aims to give a new impulse to the historic movement towards union of the European states. Monetary union is a federative project that needs to be accompanied and followed by other steps." — Giscard d'Estaing and Helmut Schmidt

Calvin-X

Not quite yet, I would say...


List of countries by GDP (nominal) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


I would say the UK and France have not yet declined (relatively ) to the point where that would be reasonable.

العرب قادمون

Nominate Saudi Arabia and Egypt to take a seat in the Security Council ..... I think that giving any country veto is the wrong decision ... That is not reasonable that a single failure of any decision opposed interests.