Comments on: At the Grown Up Table http://www.chapatimystery.com/archives/homistan/at_the_grown_up_table.html what is the vertiginous chapati saying to me? Thu, 08 Jan 2009 20:32:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Saurav http://www.chapatimystery.com/archives/homistan/at_the_grown_up_table.html/comment-page-1#comment-3098 Saurav Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.chapatimystery.com/archives/uncategorized/at_the_grown_up_table#comment-3098 This is really a question about what the character of the U.N. can and should be. Up until now, it's been a space for the most powerful countries in the world to dominate and argue and very, very occasionally collaborate. The G-4 view is just a continuation of that (as are many other things you read in the news these days, like India's change of patent laws), as emerging world powers are looking for a seat at the table of world dominance. On the other hand, I'm not sure if the UN would be sustainable under a different model. Geopolitics seems to be about force, given that there's no overarching authority with enough military and economic strength to hold everyone in line without pushing its own interests ahead. I guess there must be some way to diffuse power away from the Security Council and towards a more democratic structure, but it needs to happen gradually and, unfortunately, with the consent of the world's most powerful states, in my opinion. It would probably be best if there were a large, powerful, nongovernmental movement to force all fo the states in the U.N. to create more equitable division of power so it's not just a playground for international rivalry and tension. But that's a pipedream for now, from where I sit (New York :) This is really a question about what the character of the U.N. can and should be. Up until now, it’s been a space for the most powerful countries in the world to dominate and argue and very, very occasionally collaborate. The G-4 view is just a continuation of that (as are many other things you read in the news these days, like India’s change of patent laws), as emerging world powers are looking for a seat at the table of world dominance.

On the other hand, I’m not sure if the UN would be sustainable under a different model. Geopolitics seems to be about force, given that there’s no overarching authority with enough military and economic strength to hold everyone in line without pushing its own interests ahead. I guess there must be some way to diffuse power away from the Security Council and towards a more democratic structure, but it needs to happen gradually and, unfortunately, with the consent of the world’s most powerful states, in my opinion.

It would probably be best if there were a large, powerful, nongovernmental movement to force all fo the states in the U.N. to create more equitable division of power so it’s not just a playground for international rivalry and tension. But that’s a pipedream for now, from where I sit (New York :)

]]> By: Simon World http://www.chapatimystery.com/archives/homistan/at_the_grown_up_table.html/comment-page-1#comment-3099 Simon World Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000 http://www.chapatimystery.com/archives/uncategorized/at_the_grown_up_table#comment-3099 <strong>Daily linklets 15th April</strong> This is a daily collection of links, some with commentary, to news stories and interesting blog posts. It will be updated throughout the day with a new timestamp for the updates. Scroll down for today's other posts. Rupert Murdoch gets blogs (Dan Gillm... Daily linklets 15th April

This is a daily collection of links, some with commentary, to news stories and interesting blog posts. It will be updated throughout the day with a new timestamp for the updates. Scroll down for today’s other posts. Rupert Murdoch gets blogs (Dan Gillm…

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