Berlin launches push for UN seat

[Kellanved]

BERLIN - Citing a "window of opportunity", a German government official said Wednesday Berlin would launch an initiative this autumn for Germany to be given a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.

A high-ranking official told Deutsche Presse-Agentur, dpa that France, one of the Big Five permanent members on the UN body, has given its backing.

Top-level German and French officials will confer in Paris Thursday to draw up the "outline, timetable and modalities" of the new push, the official told dpa.

Germany wants to take advantage of a window of opportunity that was flung open at the end of last year when UN Secretary General Kofi Annan commissioned a committee of 16 experts to look into the "crisis of multilateralism".
...
http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=52&story_id=7484
http://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/www/en/aussenpolitik/vn/vereinte_nationen/d-in-den-vn/pdf/15.pdf

[maxsolomon]

1. sounds reasonable.

but maybe there should be NO permanent seats, or vetoes should not be possible.

[Tinoire]

4. That's always been my position

This whole business about Security Council, permanent seats and vetoes makes the UN one big imperialist tool.

It's time that ended.

Until the day that happens (which will happen over the dead bodies of the US & the UK), I wish Berlin luck.

[TahitiNut]

27. Veto should be overridable with supermajority of General Assembly

(imho) I'd want to see India, Germany, and Brazil on the Security Council.

[stopthegop]

2. IMO it would make more sense to add India..

world's largest democracy..the UN was formulated out of the post WWII world..and the world has changed..

[Minstrel Boy]

5. I agree.

The council is already Euro-heavy.

The Security Council needs to be reformed for a new age.

[tom_paine]

3. Negroponte won't like that

He won't want to sit across every day from people who "recognize their Eichmanns".

It would be profoundly uncomfortable for an Eichmann such as Negroponte.

Watch for him and his Imperial Masters to oppose this move.

WWFMD? What Would Ferdinand Marcos Do?

[saigon68]

11. I promised not to post more NAZI PHOTOS

could you see that big fat fucking Negroponte juxtaposed next to Adolph Eichmann--- PRICELESS

[tom_paine]

12. For a Vietnam Vet & Fellow Serviceman? Anything.

Yeah, as I thought. They are as superficially identical as they are deep inside the shriveled raisin that passes for these monsters' souls.

[saigon68]

14. Thank you Tom Paine the photos show a striking resemblance

I think Mr. Negroponte is a truly evil man his support of The School of the Americas (a right wing torture finishing school) Set him apart as a TRUE WAR CRIMINAL

[beyurslf]

6. I have never understood the veto power that

can not be overridden. If every one else agrees and one of the 5 with veto power don't agree, then the issue is dead? Sounds silly to me.

[David__77]

7. No way. Add India, Brazil or Indonesia before adding another old colonial-

power... The third world only has one voice in there and yet it comprises the majority of the world population.

[theboss]

8. I would remove France and add Germany

There is no reason on Earth for France to be a permanent member. It's been a second-tier power at best since the end of World War I.

[Flagg]

10. there are lots of reason for France to be a permanent member

one of them being the fact that we can nuke India or any other country who is not a permanent member back to the stone age a hundred times over.

Also the 4th economic power in the world with lands on the 5 contnents.

Besides, who'll have the guts to stand up the US ?
Japan and Germany who both have tens of thousand of US troops on their soil ?
I don't think so.

[The Stranger]

21. France has a history of liberalism and, with the fall of liberal democracy

in the U.S., it is that much more important to have France on the Security Council.

[NewJerseyDem]

25. And Germany's more powerful?

France could probably beat up Germany any day of the weak. France actually has a significant military while Germany can really just do peacekeeping type missions.

France has a smaller economy because they have a smaller population but there is no reason why they should be removed.

[Kellanved]

29. Pegging France against Germany is pointless here

The whole move is sponsored by France, I doubt that Germany is interested in France's seat.

You're saying that France is a "second-tier power" ? Well, I guess that's true. Next to the US all are "second-tier powers" at best.

But among those "second-tier powers" France has no reason to hide itself.

[kodi]

9. need better ground rules. is it population, economic strength or what?

japan has world's the second largest economy, why not them?

of course, it plays into the truth that those with the gold rule.

population? china, india, the us, indonesia, brazil?

best soccer teams?

largest land masses?

the winners of ww2 just doesn't quite fit any more does it?

[mulethree]

16. what its supposed to make sense? :)

Japan is 3rd economy after US and China.

Japan, India, Germany, Italy and almost Brazil all have larger economies than Russia.

Was France a WW2 "winner"?

I don't see how Germany beats out India on any measure unless you look at per-capita measures, India even has nukes though if thats a requirement I'm sure Germany and Japan could whip some up within 2 years or so.

But Japan and Germany are still somewhat 'U.S. Occupied' though Germany seems more policy-independent than Japan.


How about ... no vetoes, no permanent members, and the top 10 economies get 5 seats to rotate amongst themselves. The other 10 seats rotating among the other nations?

[kodi]

19. japan is # 2 and about 2 times larger than china's

check your sources.

[mulethree]

22. Thanks I was using CIA factbook, IMF data shows the opposite

worldbank and IMF show Japan GDP about 2x china (with hong kong)
You know better sources? the IMF stuff is all 30 year CSV files and worldbank is a pain as well.

edit - hmm CIA uses a purchasing power parity calculation, so they are implying the Chinese currency is undervalued by almost 4X

[kodi]

23. very nice find about the cia analysis & their calc on china's gdp

here's why.

if the us trade envoys and negotiations are based upon world bank and imf numbers, then what is occuring is that the us govt. is not using the numbers generated by its own intelligence organizations.

it is akin to using secondary sense organs rather than primary ones.

since the us has decided to use the world bank and imf numbers, it should be explained by them and they ought to give a reason why they are not using their own intelligence estimates.

clearly, there is no desire to do so as it places national interest over international business consortiums that gain from using world bank and imf numbers.

our own government intelligence agencies know what is actually happening, but our leaders refuse to accept the facts.

now where have i seen that before?

[mazzarro]

13. The best representative candidate countries for the f**king UN SC

permanent membership are japan, india, brazil and south africa! The UN SC permanent membership is already euro-heavy at the moment!

[Flagg]

15. EU=1st economic in the world and 476 Million inhabitants

with repesctively the 4th and 5th Nuclear power in the world



got it ?

[Kellanved]

20. He who pays the piper ...

Besides, the proposal is to introduce new seats for Asia, Africa and Latin America as well.

[Zynx]

17. They should add India and Brazil to give regional balance.

Germany would make three Western European countries on the Security Council.

[TheFarseer]

18. why Brazil?!

Brazil is a piece of garbage almost any way you slice it. India or Germany makes alot more sense. Really after the US and China and maybe UK there are no clear cut candidates.

[NewJerseyDem]

24. Brazil, Germany, India, Japan, and Italy should join

Those 5 are the other 5 countries that have economies over $1 trillion. The other 5 are already permanenent members of the Security Council. This would add diversity and end the ridiculous situation in place now. The Security Council is based on the winners of World War II and the punishment for that should end for Italy, Germany and Japan. Also, India didn't exist at the start of the UN and the UN should modernize considering British imperialism is over. And Brazil has been quite successful since World War II, in comparison to much of the world, and that should also be rewarded.

[Matilda]

26. Whichever countries are accepted, the veto has to go.

The U.S. and the U.K. blocked the easing of the most petty and
inhumane sanctions against Iraq for years against the wishes of
every other S.C. member, and of course the U.S. has persistently
vetoed S.C. Resolutions against Israel, one of the greatest
offenders against U.N. and Geneva Convention rulings.

Wish we could start a grass roots campaign against the veto.

[LibLabUK]

28. Umm....

You may want to check your facts the UK never once vetoed the easing of sanctions against Iraq.

http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/membship/veto/vetosubj.htm