Join the Club, or Not.

President Obama's trip to India was overdue, and it seemed to have all the usual bells and whistles. Today came a big announcement: the United States supports the notion of India becoming a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. There were smiles and warm fuzzies all around. President Manmohan Singh beamed, the Wall Street Journal reported.


There's just a few problems with the invitation to join this exclusive club. First, there was the suggestion that India should initiate a rapprochement with Pakistan first. This is unlikely to be of real interest to the powers in Islamabad; meaning the ISI, the Pakistani military, the Pakistani Talaban, and the weak central government. Pakistan and its enablers will not abide India's membership. Next, there was the suggestion that India could join after the Council restructured. It's unlikely that the current permanent members have any interest in doing this, except.....


Permanent members of the Security Council each have the power of the veto over any resolution that is politically unpalatable. "Restructuring," among other things could make some future permanent members of the Council join without the veto right. In other words, it's back to the image of barrister Mohandas Gandhi boarding a railway train with a first class ticket and being sent to steerage. Some are more equal than others. "The world is a ghetto," as the song by War goes.


Even though Indian educational, scientific and cultural exchanges with the Peoples Republic of China have been on the upswing for years, China is definitely not in favor of India becoming a permanent member of the Security Council. The PRC has both philosophical and pragmatic reasons for not wanting to share the global political platform with India, its neighbor and friendly rival.

Put this altogether, and the offer today to support India as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council is nothing more than a photo opportunity and an empty promise.


On a different topic, the nicest images of the Obama visit are the President and the First Lady interacting with young children at different sites. They both are clearly enjoying meeting the kids and engaging with them; the kids are clearly pleased to see the First Lady and President of the United States as people with similar skin colors. Travel, even in the cocoon of a Presidential visit, can make deep impressions. This is good stuff, and over time good things may emerge from "First Contact."