Sword Worlds Confederation Subtleties: How SWC remains in charge etc.

[jatay3]

The Confederation Patrol/Police(I take them to be interchangable names for the same service, but prefer patrol)is an interesting organization. According to Sword Worlds it is essentially an intersteller police orginization. Besides what is mentioned in the book it would handle such day to day stuff as navigational assistance, local surveys, government courier etc. In wartime it might even do convoy escort.
However.
The Patrol is the only armed force directly under the command of the Confederation government.
Therefore though it has been compared to the IISS, and might be used for simmilar roles, it is needed by the SWC far more even than the Imperium needs the IISS.
In someways it is a glue that holds the SWC together.
The Patrol could be used on a number of missions.
A war could be on the point of breaking out on Gungir(there is always a war on Gungir but were talking about one particular war). The delegates are to meet aboard a Patrol ship crewed by PC's. This is a variant of a plot used in several well known Sci-Fi TV episodes: more than one Star Trek and at least one Buck Rogers. It is a good source for intrigue type stories.
The Patrol also might handle peacekeeping if it is clear that both parties are agreeable. This would be diplomaticly tricky and the Patrol doesn't have that much force anyway. It can however handle the organization and arrange for contingents from various places presumably those known to be capable in such things.
Simple humanitarian things like disaster relief could easily be done by the Patrol.
Other thoughts along that line can be dreamed up.
Another idea.
The Third Imperium can afford to tolerate small interersteller sub-empires to some degree. The Sword Worlds Confederation cannot afford to. It also cannot admit that it cannot afford to. The SWC has almost no force of it's own. Of course such things are more than they seem: Gram forces, for instance would always support the SWC when asked as it would almost always be in their interest. But that would become counterproductive very soon. Without a large force one way to make sure that internicine quarrels are confined to each planet is to make sure that though the planets have all the force, almost all the supplies are in the hands of the SWC Kriegstab. This could be officially explained as a strictly military convenience, and a method to allow each planet to concentrate on it's teeth and save the boring stuff for the SWC. Everyone will know though no one will say that it is also a means to ensure that any aggresors will be unable to get anywhere.
The SWC would also have several carrots to make up for it's lack of sticks. Protection would do in times of crisis and indeed the SWC probably makes a point of that. And of course they are probably as fearful of each other as the Imperium. But other services would be provided indirectly or directly to bind the various states closer. In a way the SWC would be a giant Tyrs Hand Consultants.
An example of such things could be "Svaerverdeniren Staat Forbund": Sword Worlds Diplomatic Academy. Based on Tizon it would give training in statecraft to students from all over the Sworld Worlds. The very highest grades would be offered careers in the SWC government while others would have good jobs back at the home country. In the process of course they would be indoctrinated in the traditions and ideology of Confederalism. Thus such ideology would spread through the Sworld World's elite
Simmilar services would be offered which others might think up.
The SWC is to delicate an organization to run without a great deal of political skill. This is missed by outsiders who see only one side of them.
It may indeed be true that it is more important to be feared than to be loved. But in dealing with it's members it doesn't have that option. Therefore the SWC has to make sure that it is loved. Or more realistically to make sure it is needed.

 

[jatay3]

An example of such things could be "Svaerverdeniren Staat Forbund": Sword Worlds Diplomatic Academy. Based on Tizon it would give training in statecraft to students from all over the Sworld Wor
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Tizon is an obvious choice as that is the intellectual capital of the Sword Worlds, and the
Confederation would not want to openly associate with Gram

 

[jatay3]

The SWC's position is analogical to that of King Boris of Bulgaria during WWII.
King Boris was a mildly controversial figure. He has been called a "lackey of Hitler" because he several times followed his orders in policy,including writing anti-semetic laws. He has also been called a "righteous gentile" because he used the delay and red-tape of which he was a master to save a number of the Jews; perhaps he is best thought of as in between, neither a hero nor a villain.
Throughout his reign Boris was surrounded by extremist factions inside and powerful enemies outside. He had few assets. He survived until he was assasinated by a little bit of appeasement to one faction here, another there, playing them against each other, always delaying.
The SWC is permanently in Boris' position. Of course the anology goes only so far; one man can play a poor hand the way Boris did for a while, but a whole government cannot exist for several generations without some advantages. Nevertheless this anology gives some insight into the problem. Juggling the internal balence of power is as important for the SWC as dealing with outsiders.

 

[jatay3]

He has been called a "lackey of Hitler" because he several times followed his orders in policy,includin
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apparently more from fear than ideology or personal inclination

 

[jatay3]

SWC would sometimes use the Champions Guard as their muscle. Colada as I think I read somewhere is among states that are unusually inclined to favor SWC. Using Gram would have political difficulties("front for the arrogant Grams" as would bringing in Star Mercs from foreign places(Swordies hate them). The Guard, on the other hand is fairly well respected and can be used as muscle without so much extra baggage. The SWC can't use muscle too often of course. But having some available is useful.

 

[jatay3]

Another important point is that the three most important SWC powers Tizon, Narsil, and Gram are also the three main naval powers(I get this from inference, but considering the tradition of Tizon and the industrial capacity of Narsil and Gram, it is not a hard inference).
Thus none of the planets can make aggresive moves outside it's own system without the permission of SWC, because they cannot launch without the permission of Tizon, Narsil, and Gram unless they fall out among themselves.
The SWC is a better arrangment then it looks now that I think about it. It gives the biggies a source of power that they don't have to fight for while giving the little guys protection from further encrochment. It is still tricky to manage but it is doable.