Data and Genocide

[Klaitu]

Let's say you're evil, and you take your phaser, set it to full power, and you vaporize Data.

Sure, you probably committed murder, but did you also commit Genocide? Even with Juliana Tainer and B4 still around, you killed 33% of the entire Soong-android population (assuming Lore is still dismantled)

What percentage of a race must you kill before it changes from murder to genocide?

 

[Horga'hn]

As I recall, it technically qualifies as genocide if any act is committed with the intent of destroying a social/racial group, so if you killed Data with the intent of killing other Soong-androids then it would be genocide.

I'm pretty sure it's about intent, not numbers. I could be wrong though.

 

[Lazarus]

What percentage of a race must you kill before it changes from murder to genocide?

Good question...

 

[Timo]

Also, what qualifies as "genus" might be a related question to be mindlessly ruminated.

The Nazis going after the Jews certainly wouldn't qualify in biological terms, but is the archetype and definition of the word "genocide" in practice. Clearly, things more specific and subtle than "genus" may be used as the yardstick. In that sense, Data might be the only one of his kind: Tainer would be of another "genus", as would B-4, because they are different models, and even Lore would have that subtly different brain. So phasering down Data could count as totally successful genocide regardless of the intent...

OTOH, if we try and be faithful to biology, the "genus" of positronic robots might be a much broader thing, and Data might form but a tiny fraction of it. Most other positronic thinkers out there might be subsentient machines, or perhaps starships, or sessile supercomputers a fantasmabillion times smarter than Data, but still considered part of the same genus.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[chakotay_lover]

genocide would be systematicly killing off a speices, so you would want to kill the others as well, so if you were going to do that I recommend you start with lore, then data...just a though

 

[Alrik]

I'm guessing your question is from a pre-Nemesis time frame. With that being the case, it would take locating Lore's parts, then B-4's and destroying them so that they could never be reassembled. Vaporizing Data would do the trick on him. Dr Tainer, if she is still kicking, wouldn't be an issue. When her time was done 'after a long life' she would simply shut down and not be able to be reactivated.

 

[DevilEyes]

As I recall, it technically qualifies as genocide if any act is committed with the intent of destroying a social/racial group, so if you killed Data with the intent of killing other Soong-androids then it would be genocide.

I'm pretty sure it's about intent, not numbers. I could be wrong though.

Actually, you are right, that is the definition of genocide. Numbers don't matter, intent does.

 

[Timo]

I'm guessing your question is from a pre-Nemesis time frame. With that being the case, it would take locating Lore's parts, then B-4's and destroying them so that they could never be reassembled.

However, if B-4 was a Romulan plot rather than a genuine Soong android, then you'd have to assume the Romulans can build Soongian components (albeit substandard ones), and you'd have to go after their industries first...

Also, one'd think that by now, the Feds would know how to build more Soong machine men, and you'd have to kill those in the know - which in such an open society might mean millions if not billions of people.

Timo Saloniemi