RE: [FT] UNSC

<MAJOR SNIPPAGE>

> Actually, that's the hardest part to understand about the UNSC.  If
> the UNSC is technologically advanced, the smallest of the 'great
> powers', and is still controlled by the other powers (by funding, if
> nothing else), then it's almost impossible for them to be 'left
alone.'
> The current UN is a broiling pot of politics, patronage, and what
> remaining idealists there are on the international scene.
>
> Thus, there has to be a clean break somewhere.  The UN of 2183 is not
> the same institution of 2001.  Totally different organization, with
> the same name as the original UN.  In particular, there has to be no
> security council, and there has to be some sort of funding
> independence, as space navies are expensive.	It also has to be a
> politically savvy organization, playing off the great powers against
> each other.

I run two FT campaigns, one in a Cyberpunk-Traveler universe, and the
second
in the Cyberpunk universe. (Rather, I use the FT rules to resolve space
combat in both of these RP campaigns with occasional small-unit actions
etc.
along with DS. SG is problematic...)

In the CP campaign the UN has become a major power simply due to outside
interests deciding that there needed to be "neutral force" to counteract
both nation-states and corporate interests. Through various means and a
certain amount of luck the UN became this neutral party and makes it's
money
off of taxation on orbital and interplanetary traffic and whatnot.

> I agree that the URNS (UNP/ UNSC Marine Corps) have to be
> professional, well-trained, and well equipped, since they will
> almost always be fighting outnumbered and with the imitative toward
> their opponent.  The recruitment problem is something else I'm
> wrestling with, as most countries will not take lightly having
> their citizens abandon their citizenship and join the UNSC, nor,
> can I see the UNSC allowing their ships to be crewed by volunteers
> from member nations.	But, everything we've seen and heard suggests
> an fairly effective force, which suggests that they must have their
> own recruitment pool somewhere, independent of the other great
> powers.

The UN in my game has it's own passports (as I think is possible now...)
and
there has been the same issue with people joining the UN forces after
being
dissatisfied with their current situation. I would say that since the UN
is
not a nation-state in it's own right that it is difficult at best to get
a
"UN passport" simply by applying. You have to have a skill that they
want
and/or can use at the time that you apply. They pay well, have a great
mission statement, and supply neat toys to play with... More people
apply
than they accept, this keeps the other Powers happy.

> Trying to figure out how to do this without a) putting together a
> bunch of impossible events or b) turning the GZG world on its ear
> is what's keeping me from updating the UN webage at the GZGPedia.

In my case it was a couple of things, have a couple of *serious*
accidents
in space that would have given the member-states of the UN a reason to
allow
the creation of an independent force to police space (see the 4th Corp.
War
in the CP timeline by RTG for a couple of ideas), and then have it paid
for
by taxes and tariff's that it levies itself (but determined by the UN).
Once
that occurs it is simply a matter of time until the current rather vague
situation develops.

We're talking over 100 years of FTL travel BTW, that's plenty of time
for
all sorts of mission drift and incremental change in mission
statements...