UK/US in balkans (as the UN) and back to the GZGverse UN

> One interesting point that Alan brough up:

Just so the UN doesn't bear the brunt of the criticism here, I believe if you
check, the mission into Kosovo was a NATO operation, under UN Auspices. The
decision to hold back the British troops from reaching the airport was made by
the NATO Supreme Commander (US General Wesley Clark) so that US forces could
get there first. Perhaps he thought that would make for better press
domistically in the US, and thereby assuage the poor public opinion regarding
intervention by US ground troops... Whatever the reason, it was most
definately politically motivated meddling, and the British commanders in the
area, including the Kosovo operational commander (who was British also, if I
remember correctly) were REALLY mad.

And they said so, loudly. And rightly so.

> A good example of how politics interferes with military operations

Or any auspices for that matter.

Politicians MUST exercise control over military forces (in Democracies,
anyway), but in a POLICY sense, and NOT operationally. The list of military
campaigns lost by politicians despite their generals is long and sad. Given
that this has been a historical truism for several thousand years now, I
suspect it will continue into the future. The GZGverse would contain plenty of
examples of meddling politicians, and while others seem to see the UN as a
major power player in Inner System politics, I wonder if it wouldn't perhaps
be more of a patsy. A few dedicated military forces, perhaps a few directly
controlled UN territories from which revenue could be generated, but I would
be surprised if the major powers allowed the UN to gain a position of REAL
power.

I see the GZGverse UN forces as being highly professional, well equipped,
and politically hamstrung - except perhaps once the KV invasion starts -
at which point the UN would become a rallying point... Maybe this is a bit
cynical, but the major powers could use the UN as the "fall guy" with their
own citizens - "UN Leads Failed Counter Attack" if things go bad, or
"NAC Fleet Leads Human Allies to Victory As UN Forces Counter Attack" if
things go well...

As to the whole issue of "UN Citizenship": perhaps for soldiers and
professionals, but for a whole population group? If the UN became a nation
with its own citizens, it would by necessity end up with National concerns and
issues on the international stage. How could it possibly excercise nutrality
and impartiality? It would end up, like any nation, looking out for its people
first. The UN might control territory, like it does in New York and Geneva,
and may directly administer disputed territories, but sovereign territory from
which it generates revenue? That puts it into direct competition with its
member states. Nationalized corporations in the capitalist democracies now
have constant battle to demonstrate that they are competing fairly in the
market place (unless they are a monopoly), and governments come under a lot of
pressure from business interests to avoid favouritism and biases in favour of
gov't corporations. Can you imagine the craziness involved if you mixed
international political wrangling with that kind of thing? The UN and its
agencies would by necessity be the final arbitrator of international
commercial disputes. It would have a hard time justifying a decision in favour
of itself, or in developing commercial policies and trade treaties in areas
that it competed
in....

Anyway, that's my rambling $0.02....

> From the snowy blowing blistery north, I bid you all adieu.