I'll bet that within 5 years Venezuela will join these three.

Join these 3 in what? The idea that these three nations are allied in any fashion "against" the US is paranoiac/pie in the sky hooey. Start by looking at Steve Urkel's excellent link above. India simply adores the US and is one of the few countries that can politically stomach what the US is up to these days. China has virtually no need at all Russia except to make sure they keep sending them oil. That means nothing aside from "we're big, we're next to you, you're economy is shit, now give us your damn oil." Is it smart for these three nations to look to strengthen world governing bodies as a check to US imperialism? Certainly. But given a democratic win in '08 that all but goes out the window. But to call them "aligned" "in opposition to" the US is two steps beyond reality.

escalators never fail; they just become stairs

I'll bet that within 5 years Venezuela will join these three.

Venezuela is currently experiencing 20% annualized inflation and is unable to provide consumer staples like milk and meat to its population, thanks to government policies. In five years, Venezuela is more likely to look like the next Zimbabwe, with all the attendant international shunning that entails.

All things being equal, I wonder how long Chavez' shtick will continue to work out.  As someone else already noted, Venezuela is beginning to experience the effects of inflation brought about by some of Hugo's economic experiments running up against the reality that the marketplace works best when it is lightly controlled and basically free and open.

I think the reason the Indians are smiling in our direction is that they have been one of the beneficiaries of outsourcing by US companies and the fact that they do have a history of troubles with the Chinese.  

Illegitimi non carborundum.

You're right that the weakpoint is Russia.. but it is possible that Putin's constitutional tinkering may have created an environment that is favourable to autocratic rule.. Who knows if there will even be any opposition in Russia by the time the next elections happen. also, they have signed a long list of trade treaties.. Russia's government will honour that regardless of who's in power.. and that will bring them closer together.

On the other hand.. it is meant to be a paper tiger.. they explicitly say they want to strengthen the UN (of which India is expected to get a seat on the Security Council once it is finally expanded), which is by itself an attempt to give paper teeth. They do not expect to start any straight-up violence, nor are they trying to.. they want to win through bureaucracy. A Paper Tiger. If the west chooses to make it a physical confrontation out of it.. well that's a whole other story.

Tipping Sacred Cows