[gurps] Starship Troopers, Ch. 2-5

[Jeff Wilson]

> From: "Onno Meyer" <Onno.Meyer at gmx.de>
> Rupert replied to me:
> 
>>> If it is dogs, fine. If it is allied ETs, I find it extremely telling
>> that 
>>> the oath covers being placed in command of allies, but not being
>>> placed under the command of allies ... no equal partnership.
>>>   
>> Or no requirement that you accept being so placed. It doesn't preclude 
>> this happening if you volunteer, so what it does is guarantee that you 
>> won't be ordered to work for a foreign power, essentially.
> 
> So if aTerran general wants to task-organize a MI battalion with a 
> skinny regiment, he needs the OK from each individual trooper? 

The general could presume assent unless the trooper objects; there a 
similar right for troopers to resign service any time up until they 
strap in the jump capsule.

> Under that interpretation, the Terrans cannot have allies. They 
> can only have poodles.

Remember, we don't get the entire Oath, it may have the dreaded "and 
other duties as assigned" clause. Heinlein wrote the book IIRC in 8 
weeks spread over about 3 months' time in 1958-1959, and it wasn't the 
only thing he was working on at the time, so it may be less than 
perfectly airtight.

-- 
Jeff Wilson - jwilson at io.com
< http://www.io.com/~jwilson >