A Post-war Change in the Dominion?

[Sorak]

With the first historic loss for the Dominion we probably have the Founders coming to trust solids a bit more: Odo vouches for it in the season finale when in the Command Center on Cardassia Prime. Moreover, he then joins the Great Link for good, sharing all the experiences he's had with solids, probably influencing other Changelings.

Do you think that the beating they got along with Odo's experiences may have started a change in the Dominion strategies and purpose? Perhaps, towards a less militaristic, more open foreign policy, along with a more liberal rule over their subjects? If that were the case, what to do with the Jem'Hadar? There have been instances of Jem'Hadar rebellions, and it wouldn't be hard to imagine a big-scale one occurring in the event of a more pacifist Great Link that simply puts them in mothballs.

Ideas? Opinions? All I know is that we've probably missed a powerful DS9 Season 8. Sigh...

 

[Jono]

I don't think the loss in the AQ would do anything to the Dominion in the GQ nor do I believe Odo would be able to truly change the Founders' mindset in the short term. Odo's tales of how nice the solids are will be seriously tainted by the two attempts at genocide that the solids launched in the previous three or four years.

Given the uncertainties of supply lines through the wormhole the Dominion would probably but on hold any plans of a renewed offensive until that problem can be worked around. I doubt they would treat their conquered lands any differently, if anything they would probably clamp down a bit harder to halt any thoughts that the Dominion's loss in the AQ means the Dominion is weak at home.

 

[Sorak]

I don't think the loss in the AQ would do anything to the Dominion in the GQ nor do I believe Odo would be able to truly change the Founders' mindset in the short term. Odo's tales of how nice the solids are will be seriously tainted by the two attempts at genocide that the solids launched in the previous three or four years.

Given the uncertainties of supply lines through the wormhole the Dominion would probably but on hold any plans of a renewed offensive until that problem can be worked around. I doubt they would treat their conquered lands any differently, if anything they would probably clamp down a bit harder to halt any thoughts that the Dominion's loss in the AQ means the Dominion is weak at home.

It makes sense. It's my opinion altogether. But does this mean that Odo becomes a Founder alright? I mean, not a Changeling: a Founder? The thought is creepy.

 

[Rom's Sehlat]

@Jono, two attempts at genocide against the Changelings? What two, may I ask?

@Sorak, you have a good question. I hope Odo doesn't become a Founder. Sure, he's a Changeling, but not a Founder.

 

[Jono]

^ Changeling virus and the Tal Shiar-Obsidian Order orbital bombardment of their homeworld. Actually, make that three since Garak tried to use the Defiant to wipe out the Great Link in "Broken Link". For which he received a six month jail sentence.

 

[indolover]

I think the Dominion changing is unlikely. Odo will tell the others in the Link that solids are not all evil, but whether the other Changelings would agree is moot.

I don't even think the Founders are evil. well, it's not a black and white case. If there stories of past oppression are true (and we see that most solid species distrust Changelings), then it may have been a case of desperate times call for desperate measures, and what was necessary to defend themselves at the time.

 

[Admiral Shran]

^ Too bad, for the Founders, that that mindset turns into a self-fulfilling prophecy. They expect that all Solids wish to kill them, so they set out to enslave all Solids, thereby making all Solids want to kill them.

As for whether or not Odo could change them.... I doubt it, at least in the short term. In the long, long term, maybe the Dominion would soften, a little.

 

[Sorak]

^ Too bad, for the Founders, that that mindset turns into a self-fulfilling prophecy. They expect that all Solids wish to kill them, so they set out to enslave all Solids, thereby making all Solids want to kill them.

As for whether or not Odo could change them.... I doubt it, at least in the short term. In the long, long term, maybe the Dominion would soften, a little.

I think you nailed the 'moral message' of the whole Dominion storyline here. Violence brings about violence, hatred brings about hatred, distrust brings about distrust.

 

[Rom's Sehlat]

Well, all the solids we know are around during the time of the Changeling's suppression/repression of solids. So all the solids we know are presently subject to or in fear of attack from the changelings-- that would breed distrust. All we know about the Dominion is that the Changelings say solids mistreated them. Did they? They say the victor writes history.

 

[Sorak]

Well, all the solids we know are around during the time of the Changeling's suppression/repression of solids. So all the solids we know are presently subject to or in fear of attack from the changelings-- that would breed distrust. All we know about the Dominion is that the Changelings say solids mistreated them. Did they? They say the victor writes history.

They do indeed. Well, when you consider races like the Klingons, the Cardassians or the Romulans you haven't a hard time imagining how racist they can be towards Changelings and more broadly towards anyone who's different. On the other hand the Founders suffer from a serious case of "solidphobia", to be sure...

PS. It's hard not to imagine your posts being 'said' by Rom's idiotic voice. It ruins a bit the effect but I'm doing an effort to disjoint the poster from the avatar

 

[Temis the Vorta]

I can't see a society as old as the Dominion changing anytime soon...

^ Too bad, for the Founders, that that mindset turns into a self-fulfilling prophecy. They expect that all Solids wish to kill them, so they set out to enslave all Solids, thereby making all Solids want to kill them.

As for whether or not Odo could change them.... I doubt it, at least in the short term. In the long, long term, maybe the Dominion would soften, a little.

I think you nailed the 'moral message' of the whole Dominion storyline here. Violence brings about violence, hatred brings about hatred, distrust brings about distrust.

DS9 wasn't really that consistently written to have a definite theme like that. And since there was a truce between the Feds & Doms in the end, maybe the message was "it was all just a big misunderstanding."