Dunno if you should look at the numbers on the weekends during events in the SEA. When you get 30-50 people flying in another arena, kinda messes up the sample. Then again, the only way to REALLY look at the numbers is to take many samples over the course of a tour.
As for the people saying it's just your turn in the bucket. Well, sure, but this is a long turn in the bucket from what the old time vets have been saying. The whining about it only started recently, so for the most part, people were ok with it being their turn in the bucket. It's just when no end to it has come that people are starting to say stuff about it. It's almost the start of another tour, which means some squads will rotate. We'll see what happens after that.
As for artificial methods of balancing. How about all newbies start out in the country with the less amount of people (maybe instead of using the numbers at the time, it takes a 24 hour average or something.) Right now, all new players start out as Bish. If that doesn't help, perhaps when a non-squaded player logs on, he's automatically put in the country with the least number of players. He can switch immediately if he chooses, but if he doesn't care he acts as a balancer. (yeah, this would be annoying to no end.)
Aside from that, squad rotation coordination would help, but not every squad that rotates wants to put up with the headache that would be! (don't blame 'em either.)
Most of the Mongrels laugh at the numbers and just grin and bear it. Personally, I don't really care -too- much about the numbers, as long as there are other Mongrels around. It gets a little tiresome always being outnumbered, but I still have fun.