Eddington's vitriolic assessment of The Federation
- Thread starter Ragitsu
- Start date
Cool! In this particular context (i.e., "How did then-contemporary viewers perceive given messages of specific episodes?") there are other episodes that also spark my curiosity : "In the Hands of the Prophets" and "Paradise". Did people back then feel differently about (maybe even favorably disposed towards?) religion in the classroom? Was there greater support for Luddite living?
Hm. Perhaps I'll create another thread or two...
I couldn't really tell you about the online community then (first time I ever went online was 1999), and I read some articles here and there during that time. I don't recall anything about those two episodes you mentioned.
I can tell you my own feelings... religion has absolutely NO place in the classroom. Other than acknowledging the existence of various religions and maybe a surface level dive on various ones, religion has no place in schools.
That kind of thing should be taught by parents and family. (If you are so inclined... I personally think religion should not exist at all. Far too many problems have stemmed from religion.)
As for "PARADISE", a balance of both is good. Having a complete reliance on technology dulls the mind and you forget to do basics. And going full Luddite, you lose everything that actually helps people.
I can tell you my own feelings... religion has absolutely NO place in the classroom. Other than acknowledging the existence of various religions and maybe a surface level dive on various ones, religion has no place in schools.
That kind of thing should be taught by parents and family. (If you are so inclined... I personally think religion should not exist at all. Far too many problems have stemmed from religion.)
As for "PARADISE", a balance of both is good. Having a complete reliance on technology dulls the mind and you forget to do basics. And going full Luddite, you lose everything that actually helps people.
I'll agree with Farscape that I don't recall there being enough of an online community to really opine on the subject of the question.
I thinkt ITHOTP was a great episode from jump, with Vedek Winn as a great antagonist, though I also figured at the time that we'd never see her again (oops!).
By the end of "Paradise" I wasn't sure whether I was more interested in phasering Alixus or her idiot followers. There's arguments to be made that her philosophies weren't without value, but primarily this seemed to be an episode about the dangers of a cult mentality, and it made me -so- angry that none of her followers called her out at the end.
The correct answer is both... on stun with the followers in the hopes it might shake them of the cult mentality, on maximum to vaporize Alixus and Vinod.
I can easily make an exception in her case.
It's entirely possible that Alixus ultimately cheesed me off far more than Winn. I can find room in my heart to understand and pity Winn's life choices, but Alixus seems to have just decided at some point that her followers were her personal playthings.
Subconsciously it's possible that her "escape from technology to live in paradise!" nonsense (IMO) was one of the things that poisoned the well for me once the Maquis issues started to come into play.
Subconsciously it's possible that her "escape from technology to live in paradise!" nonsense (IMO) was one of the things that poisoned the well for me once the Maquis issues started to come into play.
I like to think that Alixus was taken to the most sprawling, Coruscant-like technological megalopolis in the Federation and forced to live there for the rest of her days, smack dab in the middle of the technology she claimed to hate so much
Or, better yet, stick her in a shuttlepod and ship her off to Borg territory.
Or, better yet, stick her in a shuttlepod and ship her off to Borg territory.
Ceti Alpha V is an option...
Or, better yet, stick her in a shuttlepod and ship her off to Borg territory.
She did seem to like the idea of communal living...
Winn tried to satisfy her thirst of power through others, Alixus over others. On the other hand, Alixus might really have deluded herself in believing she did what she did to serve the goals of her community - whereas I don't think Winn ever lost sight of the fact that she was a hypocrite just serving her own ends, even if she'd never admit that to others (or at least not until the very last episode of DS9). Though I suppose some of her anguish and doubts (as to why the Prophets never communicated with her) were real.
Though that is just from memory, it's been a long, long time since I watched Paradise. Perhaps I should rewatch it soon
Though that is just from memory, it's been a long, long time since I watched Paradise. Perhaps I should rewatch it soon
Though that is just from memory, it's been a long, long time since I watched Paradise. Perhaps I should rewatch it soon
I recommend putting a stick between your teeth so that you don't clench them so hard that you damage them.
Winn tried to satisfy her thirst of power through others, Alixus over others. On the other hand, Alixus might really have deluded herself in believing she did what she did to serve the goals of her community - whereas I don't think Winn ever lost sight of the fact that she was a hypocrite just serving her own ends, even if she'd never admit that to others (or at least not until the very last episode of DS9). Though I suppose some of her anguish and doubts (as to why the Prophets never communicated with her) were real.
Though that is just from memory, it's been a long, long time since I watched Paradise. Perhaps I should rewatch it soon
I think the only real difference between Alixus and Winn is the former gained power by creating a cult, while the latter gained power from a cult that already existed. (Let's be honest, all religions are a cult in one form or another. Some are harmless and try to do good things, while many are harmful.)
