So it looks like France and Russia have got their vetos out under the table. Cause to look at the security council record on vetos:
[quote]USSR/Russia: 120 vetoes. Only two vetoes since the collapse of the Soviet Union
US: 76 vetoes.
UK: 32 vetoes, 23 times with the US.
France: 18 vetoes, 13 with the US and UK
China: 5 vetoes [/quote]
The details are revealing:
35 of 76 US vetoes blocked resolutions criticising Israel
All of the UK’s unilateral vetoes were on Zimbabwe
China has used the veto only twice in the last 30 years. Both times were proxy votes against Taiwan (Guatamala / Macedonia).
One of the China vetos was wielded by Taiwan (ROC) to block the membership of Mongolia. Which leads us to…
What do you make of this? Article 23 of the UN Charter, relating to the Security Council starts like this:
[quote]Article 23
The Security Council shall consist of fifteen Members of the United Nations. The Republic of China, France, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America shall be permanent members of the Security Council.[/quote]
Taiwan (the ROC) is still listed as a veto-wielding permanent member. The ROC’s name has never been removed (the USSR is still there too). Any change to the charter would require ratification from two thirds or the members of the General Assembly, including all the
permanent members of the Security Council (See Article 108) and it’s never happened.
So get ye to New York, Eugene.
Hartzell eat your heart out.