Do you think there are any species in Star Trek that WANT to be assimilated by the Borg?

[at Quark's]

Pakleds: We look for things to make us go.
Borg: We can help you there.

(That's of course assuming the Borg would want to assimilate the Pakleds in the first place).

 

[Sim]

Have to say, I found the Borg more intriguing before they had a queen: A real cooperative, where all and any individuality has been extinct, the individual is nothing and the collective is everything, and there is hive mind instead of hierarchy.

The throwaway line in "Best of both worlds" that the Borg just strive "to improve the quality of life for all species" was fascinating, too: Rather than imagine the Borg as evil, what if they actually believe their system is really more desirable?

Without crossing too much into real life politics here, it would have been an interesting angle to paint the Borg as a kind of advanced, fururistic version of collectivist communists or any such political utopists, who just used technology to realize their ideal?

Another interesting aspect was Hugh's Borg group that had lost their collective, but couldn't handle individual freedom and fell for a cult leader like Lore ... a parallel could be drawn to societies that used to be dictatorships and then struggle with a new free system.

 

[at Quark's]

Have to say, I found the Borg more intriguing before they had a queen: A real cooperative, where all and any individuality has been extinct, the individual is nothing and the collective is everything, and there is hive mind instead of hierarchy.

Me too, but I think I can understand both sides of the argument. The Borg as a faceless enemy are more fascinating, more chilling as a concept, but First Contact (in particular Data and Picard) needed a villain, a face, to play against.

I've therefore chosen to regard the queen as a 'concrete' manifestation of the 'abstract' collective, an avatar, if you will, even though there are also scenes where she seems more like an actual individual.

The throwaway line in "Best of both worlds" that the Borg just strive "to improve the quality of life for all species" was fascinating, too: Rather than imagine the Borg as evil, what if they actually believe their system is really more desirable?

Many evil people believe what they are doing is ultimately for the best. Hitler probably honestly believed he had to purify the German people for its own good and to wage wars to safeguard its (future) hegemony. He probably wouldn't have viewed his own actions as evil, (though possibly some of his actions as necessary evils to reach a 'good' goal). Doesn't stop me from viewing him as evil, though.

 

[Sim]

Me too, but I think I can understand both sides of the argument. The Borg as a faceless enemy are more fascinating, more chilling as a concept, but First Contact (in particular Data and Picard) needed a villain, a face, to play against.

I've therefore chosen to regard the queen as a 'concrete' manifestation of the 'abstract' collective, an avatar, if you will, even though there are also scenes where she seems more like an actual individual.

Many evil people believe what they are doing is ultimately for the best. Hitler probably honestly believed he had to purify the German people for its own good and to wage wars to safeguard its (future) hegemony. He probably wouldn't have viewed his own actions as evil, (though perhaps as necessary evils to reach a 'good' goal). Doesn't stop me from viewing him as evil, though.

Yes, that's the reason why the Borg Queen was introduced, but imo it's a pity they did it just to please a wider range of moviegoers.

And yes, most evil people don't see themselves as evil. Some are cynic and justify their deeds as necessary for a greater good, others believe they are indeed good ... would have made an interesting story if the Borg would have been in the latter camp and actually had had a kind of ideology that paints their system as good. "We just improve the quality of life. No need to worry about your place in society anymore, no egoism that damages the common good etc ..."

 

[at Quark's]

Yes, that's the reason why the Borg Queen was introduced, but imo it's a pity they did it just to please a wider range of moviegoers.

And yes, most evil people don't see themselves as evil. Some are cynic and justify their deeds as necessary for a greater good, others believe they are indeed good ... would have made an interesting story if the Borg would have been in the latter camp and actually had had a kind of ideology that paints their system as good. "We just improve the quality of life. No need to worry about your place in society anymore, no egoism that damages the common good etc ..."

They very well might. There seem to be several indications that the Borg take it there will be resistance, but they don't really understand why species would resist in the first place, or they ascribe such resistance to the limited perspectives of individual minds.

 

[SithHappens]

Star Trek: 50 shades of borg

 

[xenotaris]

I think the Pakleds would weaken the Borg