Circular logic

Mr Shashi Tharoor has said that the US could be thinking of a time when it’s no longer the sole superpower. He feels that when that realisation dawns, it may bring about pressure to transform the debate on whether India should be a member of the Security Council or not.

You’ve lost me there. Do we have to wait for a day for the US to no longer have any power to decide anything to put in its two-bit worth for us?

Well, we don’t have any other choice. And Mr Tharoor should know what he’s talking about. He has, after all, been in the highest echelons of the UN for a good long time.

Yes, so high as to not get the highest seat when he thought he was in with a shot. So, now that he has decided that he is in with a better chance as a candidate from Kerala, I wonder why you take him so seriously.

You may not know this, but even though Mr Tharoor is trying to get into the big league from Kerala, the UN is not what you think it is anymore. There are 192 countries who are feeling left out of the picture.

Oh yes, that should really count for something. Mr Tharoor’s telling us the way ahead from Kerala and maybe Burkina Faso will throw in its lot with us.

I can’t understand why you are not more enthusiastic about a seat at the UN high table.

I’d rather have a bit more on my own humble table. What has the UN ever been able to achieve? And if it was such a hot job, why is Mr Tharoor donning a mundu and galloping around the backwaters?

There is no convincing you. Let’s not think that we’ll be UN-seated for much longer.

Do say: We’re in there before you say ‘Bob’s your UN-ncle.

Don’t say: We’re going to be last man sitting

First Published: May 03, 2009 21:40 IST