Prime Directive? Us only?

[Timo]

^Indeed, this would jibe with Picard's TNG "First Contact" insistence that the Federation PD was created as response to a disastrous Klingon first contact. Since the human first contact with Klingons in ENT wasn't disastrous at all (although some later dealings were), we might want to think that Picard is speaking of the Vulcan first contact with the species.

Certainly Vulcans practice the PD even before it's formulated into a Federation Starfleet rule. And certainly Vulcans in ENT have an axe to grind with Klingons, but not in the openly confrontational way that they treat Andorians. Instead, Vulcans seem to give Klingons a wide berth but from a position of superiority - the classic PD attitude.

Sure, that's all speculation. But it works pretty well.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Epsilon IX]

There was that race in the Voyager episode "Prime Factors" that had something similar to the Prime Directive, by which they couldn't/wouldn't give technology to alien races on the grounds that they would misuse use it. This was all the more frustrating to Voyager's crew because 1. They realised how frustrating it was to be on the RECEIVING end of the Prime Directive , and 2. It would knock HALF the distance off their journey! The technology untimately turned out to be incompatible with Voyager's systems anyway!

 

[Noname Given]

Timo said:
Since the human first contact with Klingons in ENT wasn't disastrous at all...

Actually, I beg to differ. A human farmer shot a Klingon, and almopst killed him; the Vulcans had to interceed to prevent the Klingons from sending a fleet of ships against Earth; and AFTER the Klingons told the Vulcans that they just prefered that they let the Warrior die; the Humans patch him up, and take him DIRECTLY to the Klingon homeworld.

Also, after the Chancellor makes a remark to Archer; and he asks Hoshi what he said, her response is "You don't want to know."

So, given the fact that the first Klingon to set foot on Earth was immediately assualted; and the fact that the Humans could care less about Klingon culture, or the Klingon government's wishes - I would hardly call Klingon/Human first contact as a successful/peaceful affair.

 

[Timo]

But all is end that ends well. The Klingons were obviously very happy to have their precious secrets delivered to them. They didn't kill Klaang outright, or shun him, or anything. And their insulting parting words to Archer were practically a French kiss as far as Klingon customs go - the very fact that Archer was allowed to walk out of the hall alive signifies the great triumph of that first contact.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Timo said:
^Indeed, this would jibe with Picard's TNG "First Contact" insistence that the Federation PD was created as response to a disastrous Klingon first contact. Since the human first contact with Klingons in ENT wasn't disastrous at all (although some later dealings were), we might want to think that Picard is speaking of the Vulcan first contact with the species.

Certainly Vulcans practice the PD even before it's formulated into a Federation Starfleet rule. And certainly Vulcans in ENT have an axe to grind with Klingons, but not in the openly confrontational way that they treat Andorians. Instead, Vulcans seem to give Klingons a wide berth but from a position of superiority - the classic PD attitude.

Sure, that's all speculation. But it works pretty well.

Timo Saloniemi

While I used to disagree with this (and I don't see any real contradiction between Enterprise and Picard's statement), I'm starting to lean towards this. Part of the reason I'm doing so is that Vulcans already covertly observe other species and make contact with them when they get warp drive, so, either the Vulcans adopted this policy because of a disastrous contact with the Klingons, or humans had a disastrous contact with Klingons and the Vulcans suggest they adopt something they already have done.

 

[I am not Spock]

The Klingons certainly haven't got a Prime Directive. Remember when they were handing out flintlock muskets to Tyree's people in 'A Private Little War'?

Nor do the Ferengi, evidently. Remember when Arridor and Kol were posing as gods in VOY'S 'False Profits'?