Chakotay's Scorpion tale

Discussion in 'Star Trek: Voyager' started by xvicente, Sep 26, 2013.

  1. Robert Comsol

    Robert Comsol Commodore Commodore

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    I provided a link to Wikipedia's analysis on the first page of this thread which features the essential variations of the fable. Here's my take on it:

    • The Frog and the Mouse: The frog is the anatgonist and offers the mouse a free ride. But while carrying the mouse across the river he deliberately submerges to drown the mouse. But the mouse is holding on to the frog, both are spotted by a bird of prey which eats the mouse and the frog. The morality of this fable: What goes around comes around
    • The Turtle and the Snake / the Scorpion: The snake / scorpion is the antagonist and tries to bite / sting the turtle while crossing the river. The turtle submerges, the snake / scorpion drowns. The morality of this fable: Don't bite the hand that feeds you
    • The Frog / Fox and the Scorpion: The scorpion is the antagonist, the frog / fox is being naive. The reasoning of the carrier is that the scorpion won't sting because then he would also drown. But the scorpion can't help it because it's in his "nature". The morality of this fable: Once a street rat always a street rat (my own bad personal experience would suggest this isn't too far from the truth, but I might be biased)
    While the morality of the last fable is an issue of debate (it suggests that bad people will not change their attitudes), I think it perfectly fits the context of this particular episode of VOY.

    The Borg won't change their ways because they feel that their way is the best to improve living conditions and bring order to the galaxy. You can't really reason with them because they think they're right and everybody else is wrong.

    It has been mentioned that the fable of the Frog and the Scorpion doesn't really make sense. Why should the frog offer a natural enemy a free ride. The rationalization had been that somehow the frog needs the scorpion as a navigator, so they are mutually dependent on one another to embark on this fateful ride together. Again, it works in the context of the VOY episode.

    Bob
     
  2. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Goddamn it. When do we get a story where the swimming animal and the passenger animal become friends? That's what Roddenberry would have wanted.
     
  3. Guy Gardener

    Guy Gardener Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Flipper ran for 4 years, until Gentle Ben ate him after a lovers tiff

    Oh Robbie, Robbie, Robbie.

    Janeway thought that she was the Frog because she's bat shit crazy.

    Above is Seven saying that the Borg clearly believed that they would be betrayed by humanity, despite how awesome they are, as Chakotay slid back on the deal and tried to screw over his allies, refusing to fight the war Janeway agreed to, and only then did he murder dozens of drones to compensate for his tiny tattoo.

    Notice how Janeway has forgotten the dozens of spaced Drones? Chakotay pissed away any good faith they might have had, and taking Voyager from that point was just tit for tat and pay back.

    Of Course Janeway was operating in bad faith, in line with Sevens earlier prediction about the destructive and duplicitous inherit dyed in the wool nature of human beings, which turned into a death blow the instant Seven complained about the kick in the nads the collective had just got.

    Lets break this down...

    Seven: "How dare you kill my friends! You must die!"

    Kathy: "How dare you complain about me killing your friends! For that you must die!"

    Voyager was the scorpion.

    Voyager was a tiny speck riding the Collectives coolness, and then in a fit, chipped off and leggy blond, and wouldn't give her back.
     
    Last edited: Sep 27, 2013
  4. Robert Comsol

    Robert Comsol Commodore Commodore

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    ^^ Interesting interpretation! The "scorpion" is always the other side that can't be trusted. ;)

    Bob
     
  5. Guy Gardener

    Guy Gardener Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Seven sacrificed her ship and tens of thousand of drones (those things are big) to save Voyager from 8472. Boom. In return, quid pro quo for that ultimate sacrifice, acting Captain Chuckles calls her an asshole and finishes off the remainder of her comrads 20 minutes later.
     
  6. R. Star

    R. Star Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Moral of the story: Never help anyone cross the river. You're just gonna get screwed.
     
  7. Guy Gardener

    Guy Gardener Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Do you think Charon lets scorpions onto his ferry across the river Styxx?
     
  8. Timewalker

    Timewalker Cat-lovin', Star Trekkin' Time Lady Premium Member

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    1. Only if they have a coin to pay the passage.

    2. What difference would it make if the scorpion stung anyone/anything? They're all dead anyway.
     
  9. Guy Gardener

    Guy Gardener Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Because it hurts.

    You were supposed to put a coin in each eye.

    Spiders can have as many as 12 eyes.

    Is that really fair?
     
    Last edited: Sep 27, 2013
  10. Praetor

    Praetor Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Charon probably uses turtles to pull the ferry, and scorpions to motivate the turtles. A single turtle goes out of line? BAM. Deadsville.
     
  11. Guy Gardener

    Guy Gardener Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    So if you think about it, the river Styx is just a massive trough of Turtle Soup.
     
  12. Praetor

    Praetor Vice Admiral Admiral

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    And the Earth is riding on the back of a giant turtle.

    Suddenly, all of reality makes sense.
     
  13. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    When those brats called B'Elanna a turtle head she should have submerged herself and drowned them all.

    Worf shouldn't get to be the only Klingon that kills human kids during recess.
     
  14. publiusr

    publiusr Admiral Admiral

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  15. iguana_tonante

    iguana_tonante Admiral Admiral

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    I always preferred Shinsei's version of the tale:

     
  16. Melakon

    Melakon Admiral In Memoriam

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    It's turtles all the way down.
     
  17. Gov Kodos

    Gov Kodos Admiral Admiral

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    Sounds like Garak with his lesson from 'The Boy who cried Wolf', never use the same lie twice.