Re: Merc Guild - Not Really

On Mon, 07 Jan 2002 11:25:40 -0800 "Brian Bilderback"
<bbilderback@hotmail.com> writes:
>Glenn M Wilson wrote:
>
>>Well, there are at least two Canon Arab/Islamic powers - The IF and 
>The
>>SK - Plus the Turks
>
>Just a note on the Turks  -- Turks are not Arabs, and while they are 
>Muslims, modern Turkey is a secular state.
>

True and if I implied they were it was unintentional.  But the religion
of choice is till Islam.

>(Yes, to a much lesser degree - I have read about
>>their skill in Korea)
>
>Don Maddox sent me a URL for an article written by someone in a 
>western 
>military who encountered Turks as part of the UN forces in the 
>Balkans, and 
>spoke quite highly of the professionalism of the Turkish unit.
>

I have heard second hand that they stress professionalism and
non-political armies more then most of the third world.

>that either carry the past practices
>
>An interesting book, translated from Turkish to English, about the 
>Army is 
>"The Iron Shirts", I forget the author.  The Turkish army ingrains 
>deeply in 
>it's officer corps a sense of professionalism and loyalty to 
>democracy.  
>Attaturk, who founded toe republic and the modern army, was staunchly 
>anti-communist and equally opposed to Islmaic theocracy.
>

Bet he is unpopular in certain circles today.

>>In the Tuffleyverse I assume that they have overcome illiteracy 
>(enough,)
>>lack of training (enough,) and rotten doctrine (enough,) to be second 
>or
>>third tier players in the 'Game of Star Empires' in the games [FT, 
>DS2,
>>SG2].
>
>If the Turks continue the professionalist attitude, they may be, 
>though 
>non-canon, equal to the task of standing up to geographically larger 
>powers 
>such as the IF ans FSE.
>

That is what it comes down to in the game I think - Despite the degree
of
truth in "...Quantity has a certain quality of it's own..." a well
trained force beats a poorly trained force (all other things being equal
- which they seldom are) 99% of the time.

>I mean if the IC can do it with the (form or lack of a) government
>>given then why not the Islamic/Arab powers?  We need to keep 'current
>>real world Arab' and 'GZG future Arab' nations as separate.  Ditto 
>the
>>Thousand Nations and my NPC from "Native American" cultures today.  
>And
>>also the PRC and the PHR of my little block of insanity...
>>

Again I want to point out the obvious - this is in the *F*u*t*u*r*e*
(copyrighted) and a lot has changed between then and 'now-to-be'...

Gracias,
Glenn/Triphibious@juno.com
This is my Science Fiction Alter Ego E-mail address.
Historical - Warbeads@juno.com
Fantasy and 6mm - dwarf_warrior@juno.com

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