I have 345 countries confirmed, and need three. One is covered with water, and is considered to be lost to sea rise due to global warming. But even if it did arise above sea level, hostilities prohibit mounting a dxpedition. The second, North Korea, prohibits all buy one poltical allie, Russia, to conduct Amateur Radio in its country, and in such a way that predictable contacts don't appear possible.

I can wait for the third, Glorioso, even if it is unlilely that permission will be granted to conduct a DXpedition there in my lifetime, because there is still the possibility it could become active.

I doubt anyone outside a few hardliners would believe I "backed into it".
 
Fortunately I really don't care either way, because it is a hobby. I can walk away and say it was fun while it lasted. 

But I care because there are a million other hams that still strive to earn that award, but will never achieve is because one rock in the south china seas is considered a country for some unidentified political purposes identified by a handfull of hams many years ago and a committee does not want to change that, not to mention that a revision to the rules would not allow that rock to be a committee.

A lot of us are scratching our heads over that.

73
KX1G