The Photoshop Thread, Part III

[The Academic]

Most "bringers of peace" have had the cojones to first *create* that peace on the battlefield.

Or do you not know why there are ships named Hood and Farragut?

Or why there are ships with names like Yorktown and Lexington?

Or why ships are named after earlier warships, like Yamato, Reliant, Kongo, Exeter, Valiant....

Or perhaps you are just being snidely political and only making a slurring insinuation about Netanyahu?

There was never any 'slurring insinuation' intended by me... and I hope that goes for you, too, concerning my person.

Let's be honest here, Benjamin Netanyahu has a more than ambivalent image due to his provocative politics and general hawkishness (even in his corresponding wikipedia entry). So, what I meant is that bringing up contemporary politics in a fictional futuristic context - particularly issues that are very controversial on a global scale and still unresolved - leaves a sour aftertaste in countries or ethnic or religious groups that don't necessarily share your views. You have to keep in mind that Star Trek is now a global phenomenon more than ever and, as such, should remain as sensitive and neutral as possible (in an extra-universal sense).

Your introductory thought, however, is basically correct, albeit a little bit too simplistic - at least in the eyes of somebody with a PhD in modern history. Your list of starship names makes sense as well, but, since it is drawn from history and not from current affairs, it is far less likely to stir up misgivings of any kind.

Edit:
Ergo, why not call the starship 'U.S.S. Ben-Gurion' or 'U.S.S. Meir' if you must (there were already plans for an Akira-class heavy cruiser named 'U.S.S. Rabin' (NCC-65549) anyway)? You know, even a name can be a statement and political correctness cuts both ways... but now enough with politics.

 

[AJBryant]

So, what I meant is that bringing up contemporary politics - particularly issues that are very controversial on a global scale and still unresolved - leave a sour aftertaste in countries or ethnic or religious groups that don't necessarily share your views. You have to keep in mind that Star Trek is now a global phenomenon more than ever and, as such, should remain as sensitive and neutral as possible (in an extra-universal sense).

Well, I can see that point.

The difference is, in real terms, I see Netanyahu -- regardless of hawkishness -- on the *right* side, ultimately. It is Hamas, the PLO, the PFLP, and so on, who want to see Israel destroyed. It's in their charters. Bibi has not called for "Palestine delenda est." I would not be offended by a ship named after him, for example, but one after Arafat? Hell, yeah, that would offend me.

To an extent, I really don't care if that upsets some folks. The thing is, too many people are more concerned with being friendly and all happy and cuddly (and getting walked over in the process) and willing to ignore the fact that there is good and bad out there, and refusing to take sides.

Your introductory thought, however, is basically correct, albeit a little bit too simplistic - at least in the eyes of somebody who has a PhD in modern history. Your list of ship names makes sense as well, but, since it is drawn from history and not from current affairs, it is far less likely to stir up misgivings of any kind.

That list of ship names was right off TOS (only the Yamato was new), and I was making the point from Trek's *first* official starship names.

BTW, what's your specialization? Mine is premodern Japanese.

Ergo, why not call the starship 'U.S.S. Ben-Gurion' or 'U.S.S. Meir' (there were already plans for an Akira-class cruiser named 'U.S.S. Rabin' (NCC-65549))? You know, political correctness can cut both ways... and now enough with politics.

Agreed. I'm dropping the ish -- especially as it's a thread derail.

 

[Praetor]

{shudders at the thought of Scott Bakula as Bill Adama}

I just wanted to prove that things could have been worse for the Galactica.

Here's another colourfrak.

Wow, you know I've never had a problem with Picard in gold and Data in blue in the TNG uniforms to start with, but these seem to work even better! Well done.

 

[hellsgate]

The Academic: In Trek fics I toy around with, I like having starship names that steer away from Bravo Fleet "U.S.S. Devastator" type battle-centric themes. For one, "Devastator" was the constructicon combiner team from "Transformers". X-over names like that don't work well for me, personally.

Sometimes you need to flavor your story with slightly riskier names such as the "U.S.S. Netanyahu", "U.S.S. Vonnegut", "U.S.S. Israel", or "U.S.S. Geneva", to indicate the ship's purpose (dedicated to the CoE, Starfleet Diplomatic Corps, Starfleet Center for Stellar Cartography, et al.) in addition to 'strength', 'resilience' & the fact that 'Trek' is (supposed to be) about the fact we've gotten past old hurts by 2161, realized the death toll needs to stop as too many good people have been lost on both sides. We've made diplomatic progress, chosen to turn the page, and gotten together as a unified, evolved species working toward a Utopian Society.

In example, someone in Germany (in pre-Federation Trek future-history,) may have stood-up, acknowledged the German Government's past wrong-doing, & asked the global Jewish Community for forgiveness for The Holocaust, and then gave it their 110% all, towards working on mending fences from that point on.

I respect and honor your heritage. I honor and respect the past and present casualties of the Palestinian/Jewish conflicts, in addition to the fact that I feel that the "(I.S.S.) Arafat" would be a better fit for a Terran Empire vessel, than a standard Starfleet designation.


(Kurt Vonnegut however wasn't a "bringer of peace", per se, but Vonnegut's message in his books was alledgedly, "we have to be nicer to each other.")

 

[The Academic]

[...] in addition to the fact that I feel that 'I.S.S. Arafat' would be a better fit for a Terran Empire vessel, than a standard Starfleet designation.

May I remind you - before I definitely quit this misplaced debate - that, in 1994, Yasser Arafat received the Nobel Peace Prize, together with Yitzhak Rabin, for signing the Oslo Accords, an agreement calling for the implementation of Palestinian self-rule in portions of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, along with an immediate halt to Israeli settlements in those areas...

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

The Academic: In Trek fics I toy around with, I like having starship names that steer away from Bravo Fleet "U.S.S. Devastator" type battle-centric themes. For one, "Devastator" was the constructicon combiner team from "Transformers". X-over names like that don't work well for me, personally.

Wait, doesn't that make Yamato, Akira, and Thunderchild crossover names? :P

 

[The Academic]

[Wait, doesn't that make Yamato, Akira and Thunderchild crossover names?

Well, the historical Japanese battleship Yamato was the largest naval vessel of World War II and the largest, heaviest battleship ever constructed... however, the other two names are entirely fictional (taken from the Akira manga/anime and H.G.Wells' The War of the Worlds, respectively).

 

[Praetor]

And IIRC, Yamato is the correct historic name for the anicent land and people of Japan anyway...

 

[hellsgate]

[...] in addition to the fact that I feel that 'I.S.S. Arafat' would be a better fit for a Terran Empire vessel, than a standard Starfleet designation.

May I remind you - before I definitely quit this misplaced debate - that, in 1994, Yasser Arafat received the Nobel Peace Prize, together with Yitzhak Rabin, for signing the Oslo Accords, an agreement calling for the implementation of Palestinian self-rule in portions of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, along with an immediate halt to Israeli settlements in those areas...

I stand corrected. Thank you for bringing that important fact to my attention. I shall endeavour to do better about keeping my facts straight in-future.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Woops, this thread's already past 1000 posts. I'll shut it down and you can start a new one