Mandatory Starfleet service
- Thread starter Laura Cynthia Chambers
- Start date
I don't think so on this point as it sounds like a (member) state vs. federal government situation, Maybe I'm wrong but I don't see a state like, say, Indiana, conscripting citizens for the US arrmed forces but none of the other 49 states doing so.
Now, if there is an equivalent to the National Guard or some other local legitimate militia, then sure. So if member planets have planetary militias, I could see this. But it seems like member states do not are not allowed militias because Bajor was supposed to fold their militia into Starfleet if/when they joined the Federation.
I'm not so sure.
I believe it's "The Siege of AR-558" where a Starfleet crewman shoots his own foot with a phaser in order to get out of there. Starfleet service can't be voluntary otherwise people would be able to quit without putting a hole in their foot. If it's based on a contract, like US military enlistment, what goods and services are Starfleet offering in a society without money and post scarcity? If Federation law is similar to the American legal system, a valid contract needs the exchange of things of value from one party to the other to be valid. What is a person's labor getting for service in the Federation that an average civilian wouldn't already be entitled to?
I think another interesting side question to this would be whether the Federation has something similar to "basic" in The Expanse, where the citizens of the United Nations get "basic" (or automatic welfare) as a subsistence level of support.
I don't see it as a star fleet program to draft anybody, never mentioned in any cannon series about it. Probably plenty of people volunteering to join up, especially after any attack/war, Parallels exist in current times, or even the past, WW2 happens, people lining up around the block to kill some Germans. same with 9/11 people signing up left and right.
Now, individual planets militia, military, etc. I could see that happen, as said, individual countries do mandatory enlistment, Israel, S Korea, etc. So I could see some planets adopting that. Nothing Fascist about it. Maybe ingrain a sense of belonging to the planet.
I could only see starfleet doing a draft if the Crapola really hit the air impeller..
Now, individual planets militia, military, etc. I could see that happen, as said, individual countries do mandatory enlistment, Israel, S Korea, etc. So I could see some planets adopting that. Nothing Fascist about it. Maybe ingrain a sense of belonging to the planet.
I could only see starfleet doing a draft if the Crapola really hit the air impeller..
There might be times when quitting is not allowed, such as in the heat of battle. It wasn't quitting itself that was the problem, it was how and when he did it.
I've never been in that situation, but I tend to think that a lot of the people that have been in that position gets to a point that feel they have "no other way out." Just pure speculation, I just don't think that if it was possible to go to his CO and quit, that you blow your foot off with a phaser.
Maybe a full-on Borg invasion where they turn their entire fleet loose on Federation space?
Vulcan maintains its own service in the 23rd and 24th centuries, as seen in Disco, Lower Decks and Prodigy. And indeed, in the novels when Bajor did join the Federation, the Bajoran Militia continued to exist independently
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It didn’t take a lot for Joesepth Sisko to convert from being a blood test skeptic to a boot licker - far more sensible to encourage vollenteers through the application of propaganda (see also the first few years of ww1) than through conscription
the only explanation for ar558 was logistics problems. There is no sensible answer which would have had Klingons refusing to take the responsibility
the only explanation for ar558 was logistics problems. There is no sensible answer which would have had Klingons refusing to take the responsibility
Starfleet canonically has a seldom-used “reserve activation clause” for former members, but I can’t see them drafting people en masse. Surely you don’t want thousands or millions of little-trained extras blundering around in starships, where hitting the wrong buttons might open the hull or kill the crew.
To be fair, we are aware that Starfleet vessels have several layers of failsafes and security buffers. I don’t think it would be possible for anyone to kill everyone onboard or… open the hull?
What does that mean? Open the hull? Has that ever happened?
What does that mean? Open the hull? Has that ever happened?
This is the whole argument against conscription in a professional army in the first place.
Given that there is barely any need for canon fodder (if you have a single ship in orbit you can obliterate a planet) the conscription would have to be at Utopia Planitia -- more about assembling large ships in a "total war" style economy. Even then you need well trained staff though today -- let alone in 300 years time. Sure you might have an individual "you've been drafted" request (McCoy in TMP, Riker in Picard s1e10), but respite McCoy's protestations I suspect he was quite happy to be back with his old crew (even if he had to take the transporter to get there), I don't get the impression that either was a forceful order with a punishment if they said "no".
War isn't everybody's cup of raktajino. I bet some people that were already enlisted didn't want to participate in the war, or it may have been someone who did join for the war, and after a campain had a change of heart. Not everyone is suited for it, rather them not be there, then to rely on them to protect your back.
By all means quit in the heat of battle. Just don't expect to have any transport away. Or any food.
Could have gone down something like
"Next transport is 3 months, you can leave then"
* shoots foot *
"Emergency evac in 3 days, you're taking our one escape pod back to federation leaving the rest of us with no evac options should be get a leg blown off"
War isn't everybody's cup of raktajino. I bet some people that were already enlisted didn't want to participate in the war, or it may have been someone who did join for the war, and after a campain had a change of heart. Not everyone is suited for it, rather them not be there, then to rely on them to protect your back.
In WW1 everyone and his dog were falling over themselves to sign up to Fight the Hun. Once they were in the trenches and the months turned to years their view was somewhat different, but people still kept signing up.
We heard it happen in “The Naked Now”. (Pretty sure one of the movies had somebody open the “viewscreen” area and suck somebody out, too, though I don’t know how easy that was.)
I doubt an organization that considers itself as enlightened as starfleet would ever have conscription. I also don't see member nations of the Federation endorsing that.
If you leave starfleet but remain in the reserves, then yes, there is the seldom-used 'reserve activation clause.' But that is the very essence of what being a reservist is: you are the 'reserve' to be called up in times of emergency or need.
If you leave starfleet but remain in the reserves, then yes, there is the seldom-used 'reserve activation clause.' But that is the very essence of what being a reservist is: you are the 'reserve' to be called up in times of emergency or need.
If you're allowed to force people back into service and stop them from leaving the service, are you really that far away from conscription?
Perhaps the enlightenment is that the Fed citizens are aware that such service is necessary and conscription isn't needed? I mean if The Great Bird can claim that they're so advanced that there's no interpersonal conflict then surely they should all be on the same page when the Dominion rolls up.
Put THAT in Roddenberry's Box!
We work to better ourselves and the rest of humanity.
What better way than through service?
What better way than through service?
