Re: UN

At 10:49 AM 1/17/00 -0500, you wrote:
>I have to agree with Beth. Cannon history seems to indicate the UN is
at
>least partially independent and must hold a bit of territory (even if
only
>for research stations, military bases, and a few small enclaves) around
>human space. And its obvious they've got enough teeth to prevent the
big
>boys from hashing it out in the Inner System. 
>
>I'd suggest the UN  
>i) has ts own citizens
>ii) has its own sources of revenue
>iii) receives donations (dues) from member states
>iv) has enough teeth to patrol the Core very effectively and the inner
>colonies effectively enough
>v) is limited by tacit agreement of the major powers from extending its
>power into the Outer colonies though no doubt that is UN intention
>vi) acts by diplomacy where it can, deterrence where it must, violence
where
>nothing else works
>vii) acts in the outer colonies by some diplomatic and humanitarian
>extensions and by <it is suspected> covert action - intelligence
gathering
>and an operational capability
>viii) might have some tech up their sleeve no one has seen yet - look
at
>their ships! ;)

Looking over this list, the thought that occurs to me is this: what's
the
difference between the UN and any other nation-state? If it has it's own
citizens, it has de facto sovereignty. Checking over the rest of the
list
the UN seems just like every other nation in the GZG universe (or many
nations IRL). What makes it interesting is that an international
organization has (seemingly) gone from a forum of independant nations to
being a nation in and of itself. How long will it take for that nation
to
look out for it's own interests, as opposed to the putative interests of
its member states? Of course, going by the "there are no good guys" rule
we
could say that this is exactly what's going on. A Great Power claiming
the
moral high ground (working for All Humanity) and cyniclly manipulating
the
diplomatic situation to increase it's own power, at the expense if it's
rivals. . . errr member states. Hmmm, anyone else now suspicious of the
Kra'Vak incursion? Finally, GZG UN that I can believe in.  :-)	 

>I suspect the UN has enough force to make any major player realize that
>trying <insert activity> is a bad idea if the UN objects - maybe the
NAC,
>NSL and ESU could individually take out the UN, but they know not
without a
>mauling and that'd leave them prey to their other neighbours. Plus in a
case
>of one-bully, many bystanders the UN could go for help and get two or
three
>other powers to whack the crap out of the offender. 
>
>A structure like this would not allow the UN to mess with the outer
>colonies, leaving the big boys and their smaller wannabees to settle
who is
>the mui macho hombre out in the fringes while the UN keeps the core
worlds
>intact, productive, and relatively peaceful. They're like the pressure
cap
>that holds things together and prevents the major powers from wrecking
the
>Earth. 

Or, since there are no good guys, they are increasing their control over
the important centers of power in the Human Sphere, and the backwards
colonials can sod off, unless they can be used as a pretext for weaking
the
traditional Great Powers.

>This can't be entirely done by an ineffectual organization with no
resources
>of its own. 

 Well*that's* true.

>YMMV.

It sure does. :-)

Honestly, I don't believe in black helicopters.