[extropy-chat] Restructuring the UN [was urban sprawl as defense]

[Adrian Tymes]

--- "Terry W. Colvin" <fortean1 at mindspring.com> wrote:
> Mike Lorrey wrote:
> > The spanish speaking people of the world are
> unrepresented on the SC.
> > How about Spain, or Argentina, or Mexico? The
> african people of the
> > world are similarly unrepresented, how about South
> Africa. India has a
> > billion people, why is China on the SC and not
> India? The muslim people
> > of the world are 800 million strong. Why isn't
> Saudi Arabia or Turkey
> > on the SC?
> 
> Agreed to include Brazil, India, and Japan and
> perhaps South Africa.  This
> would reflect more than the good ole boy's club we
> now have.

Actually, if you cut it by population, according to
the US Census Bureau the top 10 countries are:

China - 1,298,847,624
India - 1,065,070,607
United States - 293,027,571
Indonesia - 238,452,952
Brazil - 184,101,109
Pakistan - 159,196,336
Russia - 143,782,338
Bangladesh - 141,340,476
Nigeria - 137,253,133
Japan - 127,333,002

So...

1) Make as permanent members all those countries
capable (physically and psychologically) of projecting
significant military strength beyond their borders.
E.g., the USA, the UK, Russia, and China.

2) Rotate the remaining spots among India, Indonesia,
Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Japan.
Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Pakistan represent the
Muslims, Brazil speaks for the Spanish, and Nigeria
speaks for Africa.  *Maybe* include France, for
historical reasons and because they do still have
nuclear weapons (then again, so do India and
Pakistan) - or maybe just include the EU as a whole in
the rotating seats in addition to the UK's permanent
seat (France and Germany alone, if combined, would
easily break into the top 10).