Presentation on Political TV: Choosing DS9

[C_Miller]

Good Evening, Niners,

I'm a political science major and in one of my classes, we have to watch a political television program and respond to how it relates to a political actor, institution, or public issue and how we react to it. It's really open ended, so I thought I'd have a little fun with it and pick Star Trek and Deep Space Nine in particular, since most people will do shows like The West Wing and 24.

Now, I plan to give a basic overview of Trek (UFP = United Nations, Romulans = USSR, Neutral Zone = Berlin Wall, ect) and as a whole I think I want to focus on Homefront/Paradise Lost as a analogy to the Bush Administration and the PATRIOT Act, but I'm open to suggestions if there are better choices.

So yeah, I'd love input on what I can do with this presentation by way of alegories to the real world and what not. Thanks!

 

[Navaros]

Some schools would hammer you in your marks for retconning history to call something an allegory that references something the makers of the art couldn't possibly have intended, even if it is fitting. Since DS9 was made before Bush was in power, it clearly was not the showmakers' intention to make a Bush allegory. I agree though, that due to happenstance, it does fit very well together with what happened during Bush's administration. If I were you I'd check with my Profs about that before going ahead with your plan.

If you wanna retcon in things that aren't related to the showmakers' intentions then you have a whole lot of choices with DS9. For example, you can compare Bajoran terrorism to Palestinian terrorism. And/or you can compare Jem'Hadar suicide bombing into enemy ships to the 9/11 plane hijackers, etc.

 

[Ensign_Redshirt]

As Navaros has indicated, Homefront/Paradise Lost was filmed during George W. Bush's first year in office... that is as Governor of Texas. These two episodes were in many ways prophetic and way ahead of its time. As for intended allegories though, Enterprise's Xindi arc was more or less modeled on the post-9/11 world.

As far as DS9 is concerned, I would perhaps recommend "In the Hands of the Prophets". It basically deals with the whole issue of evolution vs. creationism in public schools.

 

[DevilEyes]

If you wanna retcon in things that aren't related to the showmakers' intentions then you have a whole lot of choices with DS9. For example, you can compare Bajoran terrorism to Palestinian terrorism.

How would you know if they are or aren't related? Palestinian terrorism has been around for decades.

Suicide bombings, also been there for a long time, it's not like it never happened before 9/11.

 

[Ensign_Redshirt]

I'd say there could definitely be an intended relation between Bajoran and Palestinian terrorism.

I think the Jem'Hadar's suicide runs are actually modeled after Japanese kamikaze attacks in WWII though.

 

[C_Miller]

Already cleared with my Professor. And while it did predict the Bush Administration, it also clearly reflected the Alien and Sedition Act during WWI, Japanese Internment, and the Red Scare and countless other events through human and political history. Fear and paranoia are powerful persuasive tools.

Also, the class is a Public opinion class, so it has to relate somewhat to that topic. That scene with Joseph Sisko is excellent.

 

[Ensign_Redshirt]

Very well then. I think the interesting thing about the two-parter is that in "Homefront" all these extended security measures were depicted as necessary and legitimate, while in "Paradise Lost" everything was turned upside down and the Founder threat was replaced by the threat these security measures constitute. In the end, Leyton became more dangerous than the Dominion itself. Interestingly, Captain Sisko was agreeing with Admiral Leyton at first ("Homefront"), but at a certain point he just couldn't follow him anymore ("Paradise Lost"). Also, in "Homefront" the Federation president was depicted as hesitant, weak, and not very strong-willed. In "Paradise Lost", it turns out that he was right all along.

As for a broader perspective, it's worth noting that especially those blood tests have always been depicted as useless and ineffective against the Founders. Joseph Sisko comes to this conclusion rather quickly in the two-parter, while it takes much much longer for Starfleet personnel (including Captain Sisko) to realize it.

In "The Adversay", the blood tests helped at no point in identifying the Founder. In fact, it was turned against Starfleet when the Changeling (who impersonated Bashir) uses the test to set up Eddington. The Changeling Martok also passes the blood test without much effort in "The Way of the Warrior" (although his later-to-be-revealed status as Changeling was probably a retcon). In "Homefront"/"Paradise Lost" the blood tests don't prevent a Leyton imposter from infiltrating Starfleet Command, while the real Leyton uses it implicate and arrest Sisko as a Founder. Most of the time the test was used to set up innocent people. And not even once it helped in exposing an actual Changeling.

As for the issue of public opinion: I think it was mentioned by several characters in "Homefront"/"Paradise Lost" that the declaration of martial law proved to be very popular among the general population. In one scene, the Federation president basically tells Sisko that he needs hard evidence against Leyton otherwise he would commit political suicide by repealing the state of emergency. Also, Joseph Sisko is at first very much opposed to the security measures, and then he turns into a supporter of martial law after the global power outage.

Final observation: The plot for "Homefront"/"Paradise Lost" was possibly inspired by "Seven Days in May":
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Days_in_May

 

[Admiral Shran]

I agree that Homefront/Paradise Lost are the best episodes available for this. However, there are others I think deserve mention....

Cardassians - Was Sisko right in returning Rugal to Cardassia?
Paradise - Which is preferrable - the Starfleet lifestyle or that of the colonists? Also, was Alixus right or wrong in basically forcing the other colonists to live her verison of "paradise"?
The Darkness and the Light - For an exploration of Bajoran terrorism.
For the Uniform - Was Sisko right to use biological weapons on the Maquis colony? What are the acceptable lengths we can go to when fighting terrorism?

 

[Rush Limborg]

A political ep?

I'd recommend "Past Tense, I and I". A lotta meat for both sides o' the aisle, I should think.

Those on the Right--like me--can view it as an indictment of government-run unemployment programs in general--bureaucracies, rationing, etc. Those on the Left can view it as an advocate of more compassion for the unemployed. Either way, great food for thought.

Also, Section 31 in general is a "how far should you be willing and able to go to keep your country safe?" concept.

 

[Thor Damar]

^ I second that amendment sir!

I would also advise any episode dealing with either the Cardassian Union or the Klingon Empire, in which we see how a society can lose its way. Plus the Cardassians are just bloody brilliant anyway.

 

[Ensign_Redshirt]

^

"Tribunal" - show trials... and totalitarianism in general

 

[T'Girl]

Present excerpts from the Dominion War as a whole, pull parallels from not the war on terror but the second world war. Homefront and the public approval for security measures could be the internment of Japanese, Germans and Italians in the US. Sisko's effort to bring the Romulans into the war could be Churchill's (and his little fibs) effort to bring America into the European war. Draw the Dominion as the Japanese empire, JemHadr as imperial soldiers. Starfleet loses at the beginning akin to similar loses by the US Navy. Russia like the Klingons the necessary uncomfortable ally.