Welcome to the Club?

After years of international criticism (and far too many Model UN committees to count), it looks like the UN is going to see some substantial reform. Most importantly, (if it's not vetoed, that is) is the expansion of the Security Council outlined by the report commissioned by UN SG Kofi Annan as reported by the NYT:

In its most attention-getting recommendation, the panel
called for an expansion of the Security Council to 24
members from 15. But the panel was unable to agree on one
proposal and ended up suggesting two options. Both are
intended to broaden the membership of the Council to
reflect the world of today rather than the one that existed
at the United Nations' beginning nearly 60 years ago.

The Council now has 5 veto-bearing permanent members -
Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - and
10 members elected to two-year terms.

One alternative would add 6 new permanent members - the
likely candidates are Brazil, Germany, India, Japan, Egypt
and either Nigeria or South Africa - as well as 3 new
two-year term members.

The other would create a new tier of 8 semipermanent
members chosen for renewable four-year terms and one
additional two-year term seat to the existing 10.

The right to cast vetoes, a power coveted by the nations
seeking permanent status and one they are likely to press
for, would continue to be limited to the 5 original
permanent members.

Living in South Asia has made me realize the true ridiculousness of the current permanent 5, post-war Security Council setup; leaving more than 1 billion people without real influence in arguably the world's most powerful decision making body simply makes no sense at all in the 21st century, nor does leaving other continental powers out in the cold. Here's hoping that the world's-most-powerful-nation-governed-by-a-man-by-the-name-of-W-doesn't-pull-out-their-
trump-card-to-sink the-whole deal.