Discussing Federation Imperialistic Policy

[Kamen Rider Blade]

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I think Lore Reloaded's final conclusion makes some sense.
StarFleet itself cannot interfere with a civilization due to the prime directive, however the UFP Citizenry of it's Member Species/Worlds can expand and colonize as they see fit, especially with the scouting reports on new territory from StarFleet.

Then once the UFP citizens expand and colonize a new world, StarFleet itself must protect & support existing UFP citizens in their new colonies / annexed territories.

Regardless of the potential for any "Future Civilizations" that may spring forth from newly found planet, StarFleet might not be able to "Interfere" by it's own rules & regulations. But UFP Civilians can expand and colonize willy nilly.

Ergo vast expansion of the UFP without StarFleet getting their hands dirty.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

There’s no indication Federation citizens colonize planets with sentient life.

And I don’t think many people care if they colonize a planet that might have sentient life in millions of years.

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

There’s no indication Federation citizens colonize planets with sentient life.

None with Sentient & Sapient life that is.

And I don’t think many people care if they colonize a planet that might have sentient life in millions of years.

I concur, UFP members might not care that there are exotic micro organisms or Non Sentient and/or Sapient animals.

 

[The Wormhole]

I think this sums up the Federation's imperialism perfectly:

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Skip to the 2:30 mark to get to the really relevant stuff.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I think this sums up the Federation's imperialism perfectly:

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Skip to the 2:30 mark to get to the really relevant stuff.

Eddington is pretty full of himself in that message. Conflating other cultures being naturally influenced by the Federation with being culturally invaded.

 

[Tim Thomason]

I wonder if Eddington studied the writings of T'Kuvma.

 

[Vger23]

Go conquer those fuckers. Survival of the fittest. Long live Federation Imperialism!!!

 

[Dumbbell]

One thing for sure, the Federation uses both diplomacy and force to at least maintain its sovereignty. Federation polices have successfully opened the way for many to join it, resulting in expansion that hostile parties view as a threat.

Conversely, the Federation has unhesitatingly attempted to exercise its policies of diplomacy and force against hostile parties in an effort to reduce or eliminate such threats. A case in point was mutually effected war with the Klingons, which was thwarted only by the Organians.

Federation policies might not be aggressive or colonialist most of the time (except for prison colonies, and maybe Cestus III), but they certainly are expansionist and imperialist.

 

[Kor]

And of course they impose their value system on anyone who wants to be allies or join this insidious Federation of theirs.

Kor

 

[Vger23]

Those imperialist bastards! Dystopia!!!!!!!!!!!!! DYSTOPIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Doesn't the Federation have the right to expand?

They do so in the right way. They don't interfere with native cultures, and they point out (to a prospective new member) the benefits that world can realize if it joins. But the Federation never forces a world to join against its will.

"Imperialism" is such an overrated word, anyway. The simple fact is, the Federation is just like any other culture: if it doesn't expand, it will die. The difference is, they do it peacefully. Which they are entitled to do.

 

[Kor]

The Federation isn't exactly a culture. It's more of a political coalition. Its member worlds have their own cultures; and, presumably, many cultures on each world rather than the cliched monocultures we typically see in the movies and series. And plenty of real-world cultures have done quite well within a limited geographical area, without needing to expand their territories to engulf neighboring cultures (even though in many cases they didn't really thrive until more powerful neighboring cultures stopped trying to engulf them).

Kor

 

[at Quark's]

Doesn't the Federation have the right to expand?

They do so in the right way. They don't interfere with native cultures, and they point out (to a prospective new member) the benefits that world can realize if it joins. But the Federation never forces a world to join against its will.

"Imperialism" is such an overrated word, anyway. The simple fact is, the Federation is just like any other culture: if it doesn't expand, it will die. The difference is, they do it peacefully. Which they are entitled to do.

Why would a culture need to expand, or die? Non-expansion doesn't necessarily equal stagnation.

 

[The Wormhole]

But the Federation never forces a world to join against its will.

I'm pretty certain if the Federation had their eye on a particular planet which wasn't interested in joining, Section 31 would be called in to "convince" them.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I'm pretty certain if the Federation had their eye on a particular planet which wasn't interested in joining, Section 31 would be called in to "convince" them.

No., they wouldn't.

 

[The Wormhole]

Really? You can confidently say that in the 900 year history of the Federation prior to the Burn, that was never done at all? Not even once?

 

[Kamen Rider Blade]

No., they wouldn't.

Exactly, Section 31 operates independently, without control or consent by the Federation Council.

 

[Kor]

It's possible that a highly-placed Federation official or maybe a Starfleet admiral who has clandestine connections with S31 could drop some hints their way, without the knowledge or approval of the Federation Council. But S31 might not do a thing about it, if they don't think it's actually in the best interests of the Federation as determined by them and them alone.

Kor

 

[Dumbbell]

Doesn't the Federation have the right to expand?

No.

The Federation presumptuously assumes that right as do all of the other races that expand. Neither race willingly forfeits its own sovereignty to a superior court that might grant them the right to do as they do. In essence then, each race grants themselves the right to expand and challenges the self-proclaimed rights of the others when there are conflicts of interest. This system inevitably leads to competition and conflict. Just look at any two-dimensional Star Trek map and see all the ugly colors that divide space itself, no less, into zones of influence where one race dominates.

Nevetheless, this is acceptable to the Federation because it is part of the Federation’s founding ideology of self-determination. Unfortunately, we see the negative results reflected in the violence of Star Trek, which serves to entertain many.

The Federation does not recognize a higher court that might grant them a lisence or the legal right to expand. Therefore, the Federation must resort to its own might to make it right.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Really? You can confidently say that in the 900 year history of the Federation prior to the Burn, that was never done at all? Not even once?

Yes, I can.

Because that's simply not what Section 31 does. They deal with threats to the Federation, not worlds that simply haven't yet joined.

Besides, if S31 threatened or cajoled a world into joining, the truth would come out. And they wouldn't want that.