Then again, in any series, we are only witnessing a handful of each of the most dramatic (some would say "exciting") moments in The United Federation of Planets' day-to-day operations; it would be safe to say it oftentimes functions as intended.
Is it time to put Star Trek to rest?
- Thread starter Dar70
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Then again, in any series, we are only witnessing a handful of each of the most dramatic (some would say "exciting") moments in The United Federation of Planets' day-to-day operations; it would be safe to say it oftentimes functions as intended.
I don't think you're supposed to assume Ron Tracy et al are more representative of the Federation than Kirk is.
A corrupt institution would likely not promote, much less retain, officers like Kirk and Spock, who recognize individuals like Tracey and Cartwright as criminals and bring them to justice.
Why are there so many antagonists in the ranks? Drama, obviously. But if absolute power does corrupt absolutely, then it's to be expected that corruption would be a recurring problem that Starfleet would always have to be on guard against.
That doesn't mean that the institution is corrupt per se. At least, that's not how I would put it. I would say simply that the temptation to play god comes with the territory.
And considering just how large an organization Starfleet is, the bad ones we DO see is a tiny, tiny fraction of everyone else, who seem to be competant and the good guys.
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