Ine Givar Strikes Again!

[parmasson]

I would like to resurrect an old topic if I could. I am asking because a couple of characters are about to become outlaws. I was considering using the I.G. as their patron. Old Ine Givar Thread

After reading this old thread I have some good ideas about the Ine Givar but what could their manifesto be?
Let’s see those manifestos!

The Seven Stars of the Ine Givar (proposed)
1. Whereas the Imperium is an oppressive tyranny the Ine Givar are resolved to bring it down and restore freedom to the masses.
2. Whereas the twelve megacorporations are both an instrument of oppression and defenders of the Empire they are collaborators and must be destroyed.
3. Therefore Ine Givar seeks to change minds and win hearts through publication and education leading to revolution of thought toward freedom.
4. The Ine Givar can and will use the Imperium’s own organs to tear down the edifice of the oligarchs of Capital.
5. As force is the only thing the oligarchs understand Ine Givar shall use force of arms to dismantle the Imperial machine.
6. We are the enemy of tyrants, oligarchs, and dictators, fighters for the freedom of the common people everywhere.
7. All agents of the Imperium and collaborators are oppressors and therefore enemies of the people and are therefore targets.

Freedom!

 

[parmasson]

On lower law level worlds they must have a political party?

 

[jappel]

I like this. It's broad enough to allow all manner of malcontents into the Ine Givar tent. Get screwed over by a noble? Join the Ine Givar! Megacorp strip-mining your world? Join the Ine Givar! Believe that all governments are corrupt and must be put aside? Join the Ine Givar!

The idea of multiple factions or sub-groups within the Ine Givar appeals to me greatly. I've long seen the various factions of the French Resistance in WWII as a potential model - i.e., groups that don't neccessarily get along, and might even hate each other, but which hate their enemy even more.

- John

 

[Golan2072]

I've always thought of Ine Givar as a sci-fi equivalent to the Narodnaya Volya (and their Social-Revolutionary follow-ups) group in Tzarist russia - throwing bombs at representatives of the hated system (nobles, generals, ministers and members of the royal family) in a desperate hope to arouse the masses into a revolution by their "propaganda of the deed", and to take revange for several social evils (as well as for the crimes of tyranny).

 

[alanb]

My general approach is to treat them as a rough equivalent of present day socialist/communist groups. They are hopelessly disunified, and vary wildly in their methods, strength, and sanity.

They can be anything from terrorist idiots to actual planetary governments, including everything in between.

Their ideology, IMTU, varies quite a lot from place to place. Some groups are more or less proxies for the Sword Worlds, the Zhodani, Arden, various Vargr states, or Imperial intelligence. Other groups are more or less planetary nationalists. A few are really just bandits, and some are just plain crazy.

And then there are the serious people... I tend to call the ideology of the "sane" Ine Givar "democratic pansophontism". That is, it combines democratic aspirations with inter-species and inter-cultural solidarity. In particular, democratic pansophontist groups tend to be sympathetic to groups like the Dandies on Junidy, who are second rate citizens on their own homeworld, and to the Vargr population in the Imperium, who tend to become scapegoats for corsair attacks and similar examples of "Vargr lawlessness".

Other groups, especially those of a nationalist or pro-Sword Worlds flavour, tend to be less interested in pansophontism, to the extent where some groups have even made overtures to hate groups like Superioriti.

Another aspect of IG politics is their attitude to psionics. While most pay lip service to psionic rights, the groups most closely associated with the Zhodani are particularly interested in this issue.

IMTU, the "Regina Regional Committee of the Ine Givar" is a sane IG faction, with a heavily democratic pansophontist orientation. While it does have an armed wing, its activities are mainly non-violent, operating through the above ground (but illegal on many worlds) group called Solidariti.

Solidariti, of course, was a word I coined following the same form as "Superioriti", when I decided I wanted a group directly opposed to the latter.

 

[Chaos]

How about this idea:

The Ine Givar doesn´t actually exist. It was "started" when some group of criminals blew something up and published a fake letter of a fake group called Ine Givar to take responsibility for that explosion, in order to make their ordinary criminal act look like a terrorist act - i.e. to send law enforcement investigations into the wrong direction.

Over time, both other criminals and real terrorists have done the same thing (although they thought the Ine Givar was real), thereby reinforcing the belief of the public (and military and law enforcement) that the Ine Givar actually exists. In fact, the Ine Givar myth was so credible that the Zhodani had their Consulate Special Forces commandos pose as Ine Givar terrorists around the time of the Fifth Frontier War...

 

[Border Reiver]

Or perhaps Ine Givar is actually an arm of Imperial Naval Intelligence set up to vidicate the oppression of democratic elements, instill revulsion of anyone that questions Imperial authority. In fact similar groups exist across the Imperium and perhaps even the Solomani Confederation is no more than a INI covert op set up to help foster the continued power of the Imperial military industrial complex.

 

[parmasson]

I think I am going to go with a loose knit amalgamation or umbrella group fro pro-democratic or soft socialists. Both the player’s character are currently active duty and they are about to be court-martialed! It is a “…yes those things did happen but there were circumstances…”
Loss of an imperial vessel due to negligence, willful destruction of Imperial property, and insubordination.
They will be dishonorably discharged and sent to the Blackwell Imperial Dentition Center. An officer for the I.G. will recruit them (prison guard) and the adventure will continue.

 

[Uncle Bob]

A see a superficial resemblance to Al Quaida, but without the religious extremeism. Still, there seem to be both Sunni and Shiite groups under that banner.

Hatred of Euro-American power and wealth seems to be a stronger unifying thread. like hatred of Imperial power and megacorp wealth. In that Ine Givar operates more like Al Quaida, including the deer-in-the-headlights, "What did we do?" look the general population gets after an attack.

 

[Golan2072]

Originally posted by Border Reiver:
Or perhaps Ine Givar is actually an arm of Imperial Naval Intelligence set up to vidicate the oppression of democratic elements, instill revulsion of anyone that questions Imperial authority. In fact similar groups exist across the Imperium and perhaps even the Solomani Confederation is no more than a INI covert op set up to help foster the continued power of the Imperial military industrial complex.

Reminds me of a documentary I've seen about the Red Brigades in the 1970's Italy, which were possibly funded by right-wing elements inside the Italian government of the time to do their bidding (such as rid themselves of Alberto Moro (sp?)) and to form a menace to scare the masses with. I don't know if to believe this, but it is an interesting conspiracy theory. Similar things were said about certain provocator agents in contemporary anti-G8 demonstrations (some of the most "radical" anarchists were possinly security service agents trying to discredit the more peaceful demonstrations and to give the riot cops an excuse to beat up the crowd).

Also reminds me of the great computer game Deus Ex, in which the government/corporation complex blew up the Liberty Stattue in order to create a comfortable excuse for the formation of paramilitary forces outside any kind of democratic control.

Big brother is watching you.

Conspiracy aside, I see Ine Givar as a name, nothing more; no "Central Comitee of the Ine Givar", as much as the Imperial media would claim that such a villian exists. The original group was started up by Zhodani intelligence, but subsequent splinter groups, as well as other radical left groups, used the name, or were attached to this name by the Imperial media. Most of these groups aren't even remotely related in ideology, methods or organization.

Alanb, I love your idea about the Solidariti movement - when you've presented it before, I thight about making it into an anti-Confederation, anti-Imperium and possibly anti-Consolate dissident group operating mostly in the Solomani Sphere (as an underground resistance movement) - they should be something born out of an Ine Givar splinter group rather than an actual Ine Givar group; once the Palace Revolution ("Rebellion" in Traveller cannon) and the Virus take place, I had it planned for them to overthrow the SolParty government on several Confederation worlds and create their own ploity - maybe even leading up to an uprising on Gaia (their name for Terra).

 

[leadhead]

The canon paints the Ine Givar as a pseudo-socialist pansophantist terror group.

I see their platform as follows:

The program of the Ine Givar

The program is the political foundation of the Ine Givar and accordingly the primary political law of the People's Interstellar State. It has been made brief and clear intentionally.

All legal precepts must be applied in the spirit of the party program.

Once taking over of control, the Ine Givar Party will have succeeded in the realization of essential portions of the Party program from the fundamentals to the detail.

The Party Program of the Ine Givar was proclaimed on the 36-1003 by Eneri Givar and since that day has remained unaltered. Within the People's Socialist philosophy is summarized in 25 points:

1. We demand the unification of all humans in the Greater Human Polity on the basis of the right of self-determination of peoples.

2. We demand equality of rights for the Vilani, Solomani and Zhodani people in respect to the other nations; abrogation of the peace treaties of Esalin and Prometheus.

3. We demand land and territory (colonies) for the sustenance of our people, and colonization for our surplus population.

4. The right to determine matters concerning administration and law belongs only to the citizen. Therefore we demand that every public office, of any sort whatsoever, whether in the Interstellar community, the county or municipality, be filled only by citizens. We combat the corrupting parliamentary economy, office-holding only according to party inclinations without consideration of character or abilities.

5. We demand that the state be charged first with providing the opportunity for a livelihood and way of life for the citizens. If it is impossible to sustain the total population of the State, then the members of foreign nations (non-citizens) are to be expelled from the Polity.

7. All citizens must have equal rights and obligations.

8. The first obligation of every citizen must be to work both spiritually and physically. The activity of individuals is not to counteract the interests of the universality, but must have its result within the framework of the whole for the benefit of all Consequently we demand:

9. Abolition of unearned (work and labour) incomes. Breaking of rent-slavery.

10. In consideration of the monstrous sacrifice in property and blood that each war demands of the people personal enrichment through a war must be designated as a crime against the people. Therefore we demand the total confiscation of all war profits.

11. We demand the nationalization of all (previous) associated industries (trusts).

12. We demand a division of profits of all heavy industries.

13. We demand an expansion on a large scale of old age welfare.

14. We demand the creation of a healthy middle class and its conservation, immediate communalization of the great warehouses and their being leased at low cost to small firms, the utmost consideration of all small firms in contracts with the State, county or municipality.

15. We demand a land reform suitable to our needs, provision of a law for the free expropriation of land for the purposes of public utility, abolition of taxes on land and prevention of all speculation in land.

16. We demand struggle without consideration against those whose activity is injurious to the general interest. Common national criminals, usurers, and so forth are to be punished with death, without consideration of confession or race.

17. We demand substitution of a People's common law in place of the Imperial Law serving a materialistic world-order.

18. The state is to be responsible for a fundamental reconstruction of our whole national education program, to enable every capable and industrious person to obtain higher education and subsequently introduction into leading positions. The plans of instruction of all educational institutions are to conform with the experiences of practical life. The comprehension of the concept of the State must be striven for by the school as early as the beginning of understanding. We demand the education at the expense of the State of outstanding intellectually gifted children of poor parents without consideration of position or profession.

19. The State is to care for the elevating national health by protecting the mother and child, by outlawing child-labor, by the encouragement of physical fitness, by means of the legal establishment of a gymnastic and sport obligation, by the utmost support of all organizations concerned with the physical instruction of the young.

20. We demand abolition of the mercenary troops and formation of a national army.

21. We demand legal opposition to known lies and their promulgation through the press.

22. We demand freedom of religion for all religious denominations within the state so long as they do not endanger its existence or oppose the moral senses of the People.

23. For the execution of all of this we demand the formation of a strong central power. Unlimited authority of the central parliament over the whole of human space and its organizations in general. The forming of state and profession chambers for the execution of the laws made by the State within the various states of the confederation. The leaders of the Party promise, if necessary by sacrificing their own lives, to support by the execution of the points set forth above without consideration.

 

[Golan2072]

The interesting thing about the above manifesto is the mix of democratic socialist demands ("The right to determine matters concerning administration and law belongs only to the citizen", "the right of nations for self determination") with Stalinist ideas (strong centralized state without any clear demand for elected and recallable representatives in all offices); of moderate reformism ("We demand the education at the expense of the State of outstanding intellectually gifted children of poor parents without consideration of position or profession" rather than free quality education for all) alongside more radical socialist ideas ("We demand the nationalization of all (previous) associated industries (trusts)", "we demand the total confiscation of all war profits"); and to this mix several centrist, or even right wing nationalistic ideas are thrown in ("5. We demand that the state be charged first with providing the opportunity for a livelihood and way of life for the citizens. If it is impossible to sustain the total population of the State, then the members of foreign nations (non-citizens) are to be expelled from the Polity.").

I'm not saying this as the criticism of leadhead's write-up, as these contradictions actually fit the Ine Givar well (or atleast the faction who wrote this - I see the Ine Givar as a collection of several different factions rather than one organization). The writing faction probably tried to appeal to several "target audiences" at once, making too many compromises and ending up with a mixture of radical-sounding ideas that don't always fit togather. Now add to this their terrorist methods ("propaganda of the deed" to use the 19th century Anarchist term) and the whole thing will fit in.

This isn't the first, and unfortunately in't the last, sectarianist and opportunistic group on the so-called "left" to seem like that.

Now, if I'll ever run the OTU, the Solidarity faction (inspired by alanb) will have a different manifesto:

1. We demand the abolition of both the Imperium and the Solomani Confederation and the establishment, in their place, of a democratic federation to which star systems will be able to join on their free will and which star systems will be allowed to leave if their population decides so.

2. We demand equality of rights for all sophonts whereever they are sophonts, whether they are part of Humaniti or not.

3. We demand the immidiate and complete cancellation of Empress Paula's orders regarding the Psionic Institutes and the cancellation of all other anti-Psionic laws and customs.

4. The right to determine matters concerning administration and law belongs only to the masses. Therefore we demand that every public office, of any sort whatsoever, whether in the Interstellar community, the county or municipality, will be filled by elected representatives who will be recallable and replaceable by the voters at any moment by the means of a simple petition.

5. We demand equal and unconditional sufferage (that is, the right to vote) for all citizens abouve the age of 16 (or the racial equivalent thereof) regardless of sex, gender, species, planet of origin, political views or spiritual beliefs.

6. We demand that the state will welcome all sophonts who wish to join it (unless there is a proven intent to harm irt or its citizens) and allow all sophonts who wish to leave it to do so.

7. All citizens must have equal rights and obligations.

8. The first obligation and right of every citizen must be to work. The activity of individuals is not to counteract the interests of the universality, but must have its result within the framework of the whole for the benefit of all Consequently we demand:

9. Abolition of unearned (work and labour) incomes. Breaking of rent-slavery. The employment of the entire population capable of working in order to reduce the personal workload and to shorten the working day and week without a reduction in total wage.

10. In consideration of the monstrous sacrifice in blood that each war demands of the workers, personal enrichment through a war must be designated as a crime against the working class. Therefore we demand the total confiscation of all war profits.

11. We demand the nationalization of all large industries, corporations and trusts, and their placement under the democracic control of their workers. We demand the division of each such cooperative's profits between its workers with bonuses given to workers who have needed expertise or who risk their health in order to give an incenitive to education and to compensate workers who have to take physical risks in order to do their jobs.

12. We demand a universal minimum wage of Cr1,000 per month for all workers, youth and soldiers included, no exceptions.

13. We demand a universal pention fund which will provide all retired workers over the age of 65 with a monthly pention of Cr1,000, with bonuses given according to the work done.

14. We demand the right of citizens to open their own small businesses as long as they do not employ others. We demand the right of all citizens to form new cooperatives in which each associate worker recieves an equal (given expertise considerations) share of profits.

15. We demand a land reform suitable to the needs of the working masses, provision of a law for the free expropriation of land for the purposes of public utility, abolition of taxes on land and prevention of all speculation in land.

16. We demand struggle without consideration against those whose activity is injurious to the general interest. Common national criminals, usurers, and so forth are to be put to just trial before an elected court, without consideration of confession or race.

17. We demand substitution of a Workers' common law in place of the Imperial Law serving a democratic and egalitarian world order.

18. The state is to be responsible for the education of the masses. We demand equal and free education given to all children within the ages of 2 and 18 (or equivalent) as well as the free technical, academic and/or professional education to all adults who pass standardlized aptitude tests.

19. The State is to establish a polity-wide health service, which will provide high-tech free healthcare and preventive healthcare to all citizens.

20. We demand abolition of the mercenary troops and formation of planetary militias as well as a polity-wide professional military force in their stead.

21. We demand the unconditional rights of free speech, free movement and free gatheting. We demand the freedom of the citizens to form their own political parties as long as these do not use physical violence (as in terrorism or sabotage) against the state.

22. We demand freedom of religion for all religious denominations within the state so long as they do not endanger the lives or freedom of the masses.

23. We demand the complete abolition of noble titles, estates and privilegues.

24. For the execution of all of this we demand the formation of a democratic federation headed by an elected cenrtral government rather than the over-centralized and tyrannical Imperial, Solomani or Zhodani states.

25. We are against ALL kinds of imperialism, be that Solomani, Zhodani or Imperial imperialism. We denounce all factions who call themselves "Ine Givar" yet serve the interests of Zhodani imperialism.

26. We support the armament of the masses and the formation of workers' militias for defence against Imperial, Confederate or corporate agression. Nevertheless, we oppose all forms of terrorism who harm hard-working citizens. We view all who use such methods against the masses as enemies of the working class, be they Imperial, Zhodani, Soolomani or Ine Givar agents.

 

[alanb]

Originally posted by Employee 2-4601:
The writing faction probably tried to appeal to several "target audiences" at once, making too many compromises and ending up with a mixture of radical-sounding ideas that don't always fit togather. Now add to this their terrorist methods ("propaganda of the deed" to use the 19th century Anarchist term) and the whole thing will fit in.

This isn't the first, and unfortunately in't the last, sectarianist and opportunistic group on the so-called "left" to seem like that.

I agree that this kind of mess is entirely realistic.

It's also very likely that different factions will have their own programmatic documents. I just can't be bothered writing one for my version of Solidariti.

 

[parmasson]

Nice manifestos!

 

[leadhead]

I'll tip my hand on this one. My version of the Ine Givar manifesto is a close paraphrase of the platform of the Fascist and National Socialist parties with the anti-Semitic planks removed (I don't think the Ine Givar are that concerned with religious or racial issues).

My point was that by basing the Ine Givar on far left (or right, at a certain point if you go far enough to one extreme you end up on the other) parties of the real world I'd end up with a mishmash of nonsense that was perfectly credible because someone had actually advocated it.

Heck, if you used the demands of the American colonists as a base you could end up with a credible anti-Imperial organization. The trick is to use something believable.

A group based on the Continentals would be sympathetic with one based on the Nazis would be less so.

 

[Golan2072]

Originally posted by leadhead:
or right, at a certain point if you go far enough to one extreme you end up on the other

If you are opportunist enough, and spreading right-wing ideas would buy you a bigger group of followers, you'll do so.

As I've said, I like (as a referee) your faction of the Ine Givar, as it is completely paulsible and fits its "shoot/bomb/poison/spread antharax first, think later" character well - there were many terrorist groups with similar manifestos in the past. There were groups who tried to say that they represent the interests of the working class, yet they had no problem with bombing factories and/or working class areas knowing that workers will be hurt.

Now, the inter-faction conflict within the so-called Ine Givar (say between your faction and my Solidariti) will be very interesting to the game as the player characters could end up entangled in this political mess...

 

[leadhead]

I like it!!! You don't need to be an extremist to have that kind of inter-factional fighting either. Consider the Adams Federalists vs. Jefferson Democratic-Republicans in the early USA or the Palmach vs. the Haganah in early Israel or the Shia vs Shiite in Islam. THEN we can talk about lunatics vs. maniacs among the wackos... ooo the possibilities are endless!

Just keep each faction believable (history offers so many examples to choose from) and it should work!

 

[parmasson]

With communications being so hard in the TU major political differences would have to exist as well as cultural and linguistic differences. They could even end up fighting each other!

It might be more accurate to talk about the Ine Givar as a movement rather than a specific set of ideas.

 

[sinistral]

IMTU: from the journal of Owen Heron, Efate campaign.

"As kids, we'd play Ine Givar. None of us knew what it meant back then, of course. They were just the bad guys of countless 3V's. As I got older, I began to notice the name in the news, in reports of house arrests, detentions and seizures of property. Rumour had it that the authorities used the term to arrest anyone they didn't have enough evidence. Some said that Ine Givar never existed at all.

Then came the loss of the Altamaha. A civilian habitat of 50,000 lost with all souls. Ironically the bulk of the population were the poorest of the system. The loss of the Altamaha yards caused an economic slump that spread as far as Glisten, and put half a million out of work, sector-wide.

The Navy were recruiting, and I signed up.

Everyone knows what happened at Efate, what is still happening there. No-one can deny now that Ine Givar exists. So what if we search a few villages. They destroy cities."

IMTU Ine Givar started as a 'flag of convenience' for rogue agencies, but as the reputation spread, quite genuine Ine Givar cells arose. These interacted and formed the organisation the Imperium faces today.