Re: Before Dishonor -- comments & opinions ****SPOILERS****
I am not in the real life military and therefore I am curious now: If that is true, is it really the case that people have to follow orders, even if the superior officer is obviously misusing his authority, as in bullying? I know that officers can (and from the legal standpoint, should) disobey illegal orders but what about the grey area in between? Also, if such an officer disobeys an order and at the end it is obvious that this officer was right to do so, would he still be punished? (Similar to what Picard experienced, who was threatened with a court martial?)
Having said that, Starfleet is not the real life military. It is a mix of various things. The most obvious difference is, of course, that Starfleet vessels often have civilians, sometimes including children, on board.
On the one hand we have cases as I described. On other occasions officers are told that they should also use their own judgement. I remember that Data was praised in an episode for disobeying an order and doing the right thing.
Starfleet is supposed to be about an ideal. I find it very disappointing that this hard line military thinking is more widespread and supported by the top leadership.
I often can`t shake the feeling that this attitude is more about showing subordinates who is boss than genuinely do what is actually required. Admirals don`t want to be seen as being wrong, therefore captains who defy them have to be put in place.
I am not in the real life military and therefore I am curious now: If that is true, is it really the case that people have to follow orders, even if the superior officer is obviously misusing his authority, as in bullying? I know that officers can (and from the legal standpoint, should) disobey illegal orders but what about the grey area in between? Also, if such an officer disobeys an order and at the end it is obvious that this officer was right to do so, would he still be punished? (Similar to what Picard experienced, who was threatened with a court martial?)
Having said that, Starfleet is not the real life military. It is a mix of various things. The most obvious difference is, of course, that Starfleet vessels often have civilians, sometimes including children, on board.
On the one hand we have cases as I described. On other occasions officers are told that they should also use their own judgement. I remember that Data was praised in an episode for disobeying an order and doing the right thing.
Starfleet is supposed to be about an ideal. I find it very disappointing that this hard line military thinking is more widespread and supported by the top leadership.
I often can`t shake the feeling that this attitude is more about showing subordinates who is boss than genuinely do what is actually required. Admirals don`t want to be seen as being wrong, therefore captains who defy them have to be put in place.
