It was.
Eddington's vitriolic assessment of The Federation
- Thread starter Ragitsu
- Start date
It’s paradise, you shouldn’t want to leave. You are right the Maquis get a lot of hostility from the Federation because they are an ideological blow more than anything.
Eddington himself latched onto the Maquis I think out of a dissatisfaction with his life, a case of main character syndrome, (not to mention a desire for personal glory). He wasn’t as far as I know, an original colonist shafted by the treaty. So you should definitely take his claims with a grain of salt. But there is something to be said about the Federation’s own belief in its inevitable expansion and how everyone will eventually like the root beer.
I sympathised with the maquis on all the series, though not Eddington - the character was written to be exaggeratively villainous. "Journey's End" shows how much dissent there was in Starfleet about the colonies in the dmz. Picard fought Starfleet on it. Starfleet made a bad deal with the Cardassians to end the war, and they caused the whole problem by trying to treat Federation citizens like Starfleet personnel. People aren't going to up and leave their homes and everything they built because Starfleet suddenly gave their homes to a different government. Being a Maquis was about self-determination - and it echoes a lot of real-world political scenarios in which politically-motivated centralized governments lose touch with far-away districts and indigenous people.
It's not exactly a great solution. War, or abandon your citizens.
Whether your opinion of the man is that he leans more character or caricature, there are quite a few people who genuinely believe that his philippic to Sisko has merit.
I think his statement is meant to reflect the maquis spirit, so yes I agree with the sentiment. It's anarchic. However, I don't sympathise with Eddington in that moment because he's overdramatic and his obsession with Sisko takes away from the political ideals of the statement.
Well, he's right, you do give up some freedoms as a citizen, he's just being dramatic, which in my opinion takes away from any kind of point...like you said, there's a lot of crazy things he says.
It had already descended into anarchy before it declared independence.
To be clear, Starfleet did not negotiate the treaty with the Cardassian Union. The Federation government did that, and Starfleet as the Federation's space force was tasked with implementing parts of the treaty agreement. If there's anyone to blame for the treaty, it's Federation President Jaresh-Inyo (assuming he was in office in 2370).
It's just that he makes the whole arrangement come off as decidedly nefarious instead of mildly objectionable.
Agreed. The writing is ridiculous. Especially the lifting from Victor Hugo. So lazy. They were just trying to create an extra conflict to fill episodes.
Of course, there are people who really are like that...
I can easily see his "shock jock" tactics fitting in with contemporary politicians.
In a hypothetical scenario where the Maquis had been a true threat to The Federation - though not an overwhelming one, perhaps just at parity - I can't see Michael Eddington being the man to negotiate an end to hostilities; putting his annoying theatrics aside, he never gave me the impression of an even enough temper. Though Chakotay didn't typically express much fire in his spirit, he seemed infinitely more reasonable without being a pushover; you need temperance of that caliber if you want such a venture to be successful.
That's why Eddington as the face of the Maquis without any clear counterparts bothered me. He definitely seemed like a radical hothead (once he gave up his Startfleet guise), not the type willing to reach compromises.
If the Federation and Cardassians had agreed to recognize the Maquis as a free state and he had any issues with the terms, he'd probably shoot the whole thing down (potentially literally) rather than attempting to negotiate.
If the Federation and Cardassians had agreed to recognize the Maquis as a free state and he had any issues with the terms, he'd probably shoot the whole thing down (potentially literally) rather than attempting to negotiate.
I doubt Eddington would have led a Maquis Republic in peacetime. He's the kind of person who wins followers in times of strife; someone with more of a Chakotay-esque personality would be far more likely to win power amongst the Maquis if they were being treated as equals by the Federation and Cardassian Union.
I agree with that assessment. Mainly for two reasons.
First, Eddington actively committed treason by supplying information and equipment to the Maquis while on duty. Chakotay resigned his commission, then joined the Maquis. While they both had their issues with the Federation, Chakotay proved to be a more trustworthy person by that simple action.
Second, the reasons for their turning to the Maquis. Eddington basically wanted to live out his fantasy of being a hero. Chakotay felt honor bound because of what happened to his father. One motivation was selfish... the other less so.
First, Eddington actively committed treason by supplying information and equipment to the Maquis while on duty. Chakotay resigned his commission, then joined the Maquis. While they both had their issues with the Federation, Chakotay proved to be a more trustworthy person by that simple action.
Second, the reasons for their turning to the Maquis. Eddington basically wanted to live out his fantasy of being a hero. Chakotay felt honor bound because of what happened to his father. One motivation was selfish... the other less so.