I've always wondered if the Federation did all it could to find a peaceful solution to the Dominion conflict, or if they rushed too hastily into war. Mining the wormhole was obviously the action that provoked the war, but were there missed opportunities earlier in the conflict to achieve peace?
Could the Dominion War have been averted?
- Thread starter DavidGutierrez
- Start date
Knight Templar
Commodore
Not likely.
The Dominion had a tried and true modus operandi when it came to conquest. If Sisko had not mined the wormhole, the Dominion would simply have built up overwhelming military strength in Cardassian space until their victory was completely assured.
Once the Starfleet learned of the Dominion and it's bounderies, they could have avoided the area like the plage, not even approaching near their space.
Once throught the wormhole turn about and head immediately away from the direction of the Dominion, only explore and establish mining and colonies in that portion of the Delta Quad.
Once throught the wormhole turn about and head immediately away from the direction of the Dominion, only explore and establish mining and colonies in that portion of the Delta Quad.
Knight Templar
Commodore
You might as well argue "Could World War 2 have been avoided"?
Technically it could have been avoided in 1939 as Hitler did not expect Britain and France to fight for Poland.
But Hitler fully expected to go to war sometime in the early 1940s when his military was nearing full strength.
Technically it could have been avoided in 1939 as Hitler did not expect Britain and France to fight for Poland.
But Hitler fully expected to go to war sometime in the early 1940s when his military was nearing full strength.
No in fact the wormhole saved the Federations Behind. The Dominion already knew about the Federation and since they are led by Shapeshifters. The Dominion would have easily taken and corrupted the timeline. The Wormhole screwed the Dominion Invasion Schedule.
Yes, if the Feds had been willing to collapse the wormhole. One could argue that the Romulans had the right idea in "Visionary". Granted the Feds tried to do so later, but an argument could be made that the Dominion had made their hostility clear from first contact.
That being said, the Federation would likely have had to deal with the Dominion sooner or later; the wormhole simply accelerated events.
That being said, the Federation would likely have had to deal with the Dominion sooner or later; the wormhole simply accelerated events.
That's stupid. The Feds didn't "rush" into the war. You sound like a peacenik w/the head buried in the sand.
The Dominion:
*Sent spies to Earth
*Destroyed x number of ships, freighters/transports. No warships that we know of
*The Dominion's technical boundary was much farther away from the WH, but they went ahead and claimed every parcel of space on that side of the WH. That would be tatamount to the Feds saying, all space on this side of the Bajoran WH is ours.
*They captured Sisko and Quark while out and a super-secret science project...oh the nerve of Sisko
*The Dominion fired the first shots vs the Odyssey and the Runabouts
I could go on.
Feds are usually the ones singing, "Lets Give Peace a Chance" but they had no alternative but to fight.
Oh, there's no doubting the intent of the Dominion when first contact occurred. But, I refer you to the events of DS9: "The Ship." The episode ends with the tragic realization that Sisko and Kilana were each sincere in their offers, but that the deaths of Sisko's people and Kilana's Jem'Hadar - not to mention the injured Changeling in the titular ship - were the results of Sisko and Kilana being unwilling to trust each other.
What if Sisko and Kilana had trusted each other? Could this not have been the beginning of a kernal of understanding between the Federation and the Dominion? The springboard for the Federation convincing the Dominion of its sincerity in peaceful exploration and perhaps bringing the Founders closer to the realization that the Female Changeling finally reaches at the end of the war; that not all solids are the enemy?
Yes, the Dominion struck first and destroyed the Odyssey. But, the Klingons also struck first and destroyed many starships, including the Grissom; yet, peace was possible here.
What if Sisko and Kilana had trusted each other? Could this not have been the beginning of a kernal of understanding between the Federation and the Dominion? The springboard for the Federation convincing the Dominion of its sincerity in peaceful exploration and perhaps bringing the Founders closer to the realization that the Female Changeling finally reaches at the end of the war; that not all solids are the enemy?
Yes, the Dominion struck first and destroyed the Odyssey. But, the Klingons also struck first and destroyed many starships, including the Grissom; yet, peace was possible here.
I think the Federation had the war thrown at them. The Dominion provoked conflict at every turn.
They wiped out an innocent Bajoran colony in the Gamma Quadrant without any warning (it can be argued that maybe the Bajorans shouldn't have placed a colony in the Gamma quadrant).
An act of war in itself, and a perfect way to cause a dangerous future counter attack--from somebody.
They seemed to be claiming the Gamma quadrant itself, rather than its own space.
The best arguement is that the Fed should have steered clear of the wormhole period, but that was Bajor's ticket to prosperity.
They wiped out an innocent Bajoran colony in the Gamma Quadrant without any warning (it can be argued that maybe the Bajorans shouldn't have placed a colony in the Gamma quadrant).
An act of war in itself, and a perfect way to cause a dangerous future counter attack--from somebody.
They seemed to be claiming the Gamma quadrant itself, rather than its own space.
The best arguement is that the Fed should have steered clear of the wormhole period, but that was Bajor's ticket to prosperity.
Still Wormhole proved useful. Seeing as the Prophets eliminated a whole Dominion Fleet and put the fear in their hearts.
Well the Dominion would have got them a century or so later. Since the Dominion owns a whole quadrant and has nothing else to prep for while the Federation is stuck duking it out with Foes.
Right, 'cos Dominion imperialism obviously had nothing to do with it.
Ummm...no. This fails to comprehend the actual structure of the Dominion. Kilana could have been persuaded to trust the solids all she wants, but the reality is that she was a solid and the Founders did not trust ANY solid. The female shapeshifter ended the war because of Odo. She was more inclined to trust him, especially since he cured her of the plague and promised to save their people.
Yes, exactly. Had Kilana trusted Sisko and gotten the Founder out alive, the facts do not change. Kilana was essentially a cog in a machine (with a very nice figure, but I digress ...). Had the events of "The Ship" ended less tragically, things wouldn't be that different. Kilana's feelings as to whether Sisko or other solids in general are trustworthy wouldn't mean jack squat to the Founders. Like other Vorta and the Jems, she was created to serve a race of paranoid, xenophobic shapeshifters. Heck, if she tried to suggest that the Founders make peace with the feds they probably would have just said she was a "defective" clone and killed her.
I doubt that would have worked, much like I doubt the Changeling virus would have prevented or stopped the war once it started. The Founders are pretty hands off and like to hide away for the most part, which makes it possible to conceal their extinction. The Vorta run the floor anyway so for the most part they could continue running the Dominion and no one would be the wiser. In fact the Vorta might even have an programming to make sure they keep the Dominion going as a final act of spite by the Founders and instead of bringing order the new mission might be extermination.
Has Founder biology ever been addressed? I was always curious how much of Odo could "detach" and he could eventually recover?
Still, I imagine more than a few would exist outside the Great Link doing various infiltration tasks at any point in time. If the Link was destroyed could enough individuals make their own Small Link and eventually reproduce enough to remake a Great Link? Possibly through cloning and genetics implemented by the Vorta.
Avoiding the war, though, isn't possible without assuaging the belligerence of the Dominion. Sort of surprising no other Founder ever had an experience similar to Odo's, though. Most likely answer is that one did and it was simply overwhelmed by the collective experience/attitude of the rest in the Great Link. Without the two fold combination of Odo's own experience of love and trust in Kira (which could/would be altered as she aged and he didn't, though again depends on Founder biology and how they handle aging themselves...) combined with curing the Dominion of Sector 31's virus (which itself only justifies the Founders' paranoia), seems likely they'd revert to their old ways eventually.
Still, I imagine more than a few would exist outside the Great Link doing various infiltration tasks at any point in time. If the Link was destroyed could enough individuals make their own Small Link and eventually reproduce enough to remake a Great Link? Possibly through cloning and genetics implemented by the Vorta.
Avoiding the war, though, isn't possible without assuaging the belligerence of the Dominion. Sort of surprising no other Founder ever had an experience similar to Odo's, though. Most likely answer is that one did and it was simply overwhelmed by the collective experience/attitude of the rest in the Great Link. Without the two fold combination of Odo's own experience of love and trust in Kira (which could/would be altered as she aged and he didn't, though again depends on Founder biology and how they handle aging themselves...) combined with curing the Dominion of Sector 31's virus (which itself only justifies the Founders' paranoia), seems likely they'd revert to their old ways eventually.
To answer the OP question: No.
Because the episodes would have been boring without the War. Like we needed more alien of the week BS.
Because the episodes would have been boring without the War. Like we needed more alien of the week BS.
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