Season 4's Aesop really annoys me

[Charles Phipps]

I have to say that the premise of Season 4 bugs the hell out of me. I think it's a matter of regional history and where the metaphor bends in the wrong way. Basically, I live in Appalachia and there's a lot of mining in our history. There's also a lot of horrifying pollution, deaths, and accidents that the corporations are responsible for out of negligence.

Basically, they don't bother to do due diligence and the lives of people are ruined.

10-C is portrayed as a bunch of innocent victims that the Federation make peaceful contact with. Except, they have destroyed worlds and killed billions that they only did because they didn't bother to properly investigate where their mining was going. They're told, they stop, and it's shown to be a happy ending.
But that's absolutely not a defense.

They're guilty of manslaughter and improper safety on a truly massive scale but we're just supposed to pretend that's okay. It feels like Star Trek is going, "Well, those corporations didn't KNOW those heavy metals would poison the community. They shouldn't suffer any penalties." It wouldn't be nearly so noticeable if not for the fact they're space miners too.

Anyone else agree?

 

[Quantum21]

I have to say that the premise of Season 4 bugs the hell out of me. I think it's a matter of regional history and where the metaphor bends in the wrong way. Basically, I live in Appalachia and there's a lot of mining in our history. There's also a lot of horrifying pollution, deaths, and accidents that the corporations are responsible for out of negligence.

Basically, they don't bother to do due diligence and the lives of people are ruined.

10-C is portrayed as a bunch of innocent victims that the Federation make peaceful contact with. Except, they have destroyed worlds and killed billions that they only did because they didn't bother to properly investigate where their mining was going. They're told, they stop, and it's shown to be a happy ending.
But that's absolutely not a defense.

They're guilty of manslaughter and improper safety on a truly massive scale but we're just supposed to pretend that's okay. It feels like Star Trek is going, "Well, those corporations didn't KNOW those heavy metals would poison the community. They shouldn't suffer any penalties." It wouldn't be nearly so noticeable if not for the fact they're space miners too.

Anyone else agree?

I understand what you're saying but the difference is in Kardashev levels and biological, perception issues.

It's one of Trek's most realistic portrayals of an alien society and the Federation.

As far as consequences...what court do we take them to??

 

[Charles Phipps]

I understand what you're saying but the difference is in Kardashev levels and biological, perception issues.

It's one of Trek's most realistic portrayals of an alien society and the Federation.

As far as consequences...what court do we take them to??

The fact the Federation is rushing to reassure them they haven't done anything wrong kind of is part of the issue.

The framing is an issue, IMHO.

 

[Quantum21]

The fact the Federation is rushing to reassure them they haven't done anything wrong kind of is part of the issue.

The framing is an issue, IMHO.

Reality is there's no way to properly judge them. I don't think there's any law for what happened...planetary manslaughter? Who do you call to judge, Q?

The other problem is an imbalance of power. If they don't want to be held responsible, they won't be, like in a lot of international law these days.

 

[fireproof78]

PICARD: What happened on Rana Four? The truth this time. All of it.
KEVIN: Very well. For what it's worth. I am a Douwd. An immortal being of disguises and false surroundings. I have lived in this galaxy for many thousands of years although until today, no one has known my true identity. Once, while traveling in human form, I chanced to fall in love with an Earth woman. I put aside my powers and became her husband. Our life was happy and rich. Eventually we came to this planet to live our final years. Now she is dead. She never knew what I really was.
PICARD: Your colony was attacked by a warship.
KEVIN: Belonging to the Husnock, a species of hideous intelligence who knew only aggression and destruction. I could have destroyed them with a mere thought, but I did not do so.
CRUSHER: You had the power to stop them but you didn't?
KEVIN: I refused to for the same reason I refused to stop the Enterprise. I will not kill.
PICARD: So you let the colonists fight a hopeless battle.
KEVIN: I tried to fool the Husnock as I tried to fool you. It only made them angrier. More cruel.
PICARD: And then what you most feared, happened. Rishon went to fight with the colonists, and died with them.
KEVIN: How I wish I could have died with her.
PICARD: But you couldn't. You were left alone.
KEVIN: Yes. I saw her broken body. I went insane. My hatred exploded, and in an instant of grief I destroyed the Husnock.
CRUSHER: Why did you try to hide this from all of us? Was it out of guilt for not helping Rishon and the others when they were alive?
KEVIN: No, no, no, no. You don't understand the scope of my crime. I didn't kill just one Husnock, or a hundred, or a thousand. I killed them all. All Husnock everywhere. Are eleven thousand people worth fifty billion? Is the love of a woman worth the destruction of an entire species? This is the sin I tried so hard to keep you from learning now. Why I wanted to chase you from Rana.
PICARD: We're not qualified to be your judges. We have no law to fit your crime. You're free to return to the planet and to make Rishon live again.

~The Survivors, TNG (emphasis added).

 

[Quantum21]

PICARD: What happened on Rana Four? The truth this time. All of it.
KEVIN: Very well. For what it's worth. I am a Douwd. An immortal being of disguises and false surroundings. I have lived in this galaxy for many thousands of years although until today, no one has known my true identity. Once, while traveling in human form, I chanced to fall in love with an Earth woman. I put aside my powers and became her husband. Our life was happy and rich. Eventually we came to this planet to live our final years. Now she is dead. She never knew what I really was.
PICARD: Your colony was attacked by a warship.
KEVIN: Belonging to the Husnock, a species of hideous intelligence who knew only aggression and destruction. I could have destroyed them with a mere thought, but I did not do so.
CRUSHER: You had the power to stop them but you didn't?
KEVIN: I refused to for the same reason I refused to stop the Enterprise. I will not kill.
PICARD: So you let the colonists fight a hopeless battle.
KEVIN: I tried to fool the Husnock as I tried to fool you. It only made them angrier. More cruel.
PICARD: And then what you most feared, happened. Rishon went to fight with the colonists, and died with them.
KEVIN: How I wish I could have died with her.
PICARD: But you couldn't. You were left alone.
KEVIN: Yes. I saw her broken body. I went insane. My hatred exploded, and in an instant of grief I destroyed the Husnock.
CRUSHER: Why did you try to hide this from all of us? Was it out of guilt for not helping Rishon and the others when they were alive?
KEVIN: No, no, no, no. You don't understand the scope of my crime. I didn't kill just one Husnock, or a hundred, or a thousand. I killed them all. All Husnock everywhere. Are eleven thousand people worth fifty billion? Is the love of a woman worth the destruction of an entire species? This is the sin I tried so hard to keep you from learning now. Why I wanted to chase you from Rana.
PICARD: We're not qualified to be your judges. We have no law to fit your crime. You're free to return to the planet and to make Rishon live again.

~The Survivors, TNG (emphasis added).

Yes.

It's humbling to encounter species so much more advanced than us.

Imagine UFOs from ETs even 100 years ahead of us let alone billions landing on Earth today.

We had no nuclear power, no microchips, no spacecraft, only basic knowledge of our universe then.

 

[UssGlenn]

They're guilty of manslaughter and improper safety on a truly massive scale but we're just supposed to pretend that's okay.

Remember that next time you accidentally step on an ant mound.

 

[Charles Phipps]

Remember that next time you accidentally step on an ant mound.

I'm pretty sure that's how corporate miners have always viewed my ancestors.

*gets all O'Brian about it*

 

[drt]

Now, that I think about it,p Season 4 is a bit of an inversion of "The Devil In The Dark" tropes.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I have to say that the premise of Season 4 bugs the hell out of me. I think it's a matter of regional history and where the metaphor bends in the wrong way. Basically, I live in Appalachia and there's a lot of mining in our history. There's also a lot of horrifying pollution, deaths, and accidents that the corporations are responsible for out of negligence.

Basically, they don't bother to do due diligence and the lives of people are ruined.

10-C is portrayed as a bunch of innocent victims that the Federation make peaceful contact with. Except, they have destroyed worlds and killed billions that they only did because they didn't bother to properly investigate where their mining was going. They're told, they stop, and it's shown to be a happy ending.
But that's absolutely not a defense.

They're guilty of manslaughter and improper safety on a truly massive scale but we're just supposed to pretend that's okay. It feels like Star Trek is going, "Well, those corporations didn't KNOW those heavy metals would poison the community. They shouldn't suffer any penalties." It wouldn't be nearly so noticeable if not for the fact they're space miners too.

Anyone else agree?

I think the final scene between Book and the 10-C address this.

 

[Cr0sis21]

I think the final scene between Book and the 10-C address this.

No, I don't think so.
I'd like to have seen some request, nay, even a demand for reparations of some sort. An acknowledgement that no, we are not cool with this.
Think of it this way: When we have an oil spill, we clean the fucking beach. We scrub the animals. We don't just shrug and say "Welp, sorry."
Yes, we might not have the power to ensure anything, but we could damn sure say something at least. They wiped out a whole species, after all.
And the Kevin Uxbridge thing is different because, not only was Uxbridge godlike on a Q level, but he'd also demonstrated a willingness to knowingly wipe out entire species in an instant. Yet Picard still made it clear that he did NOT approve of Uxbridge, even if he couldn't do anything about it.

 

[Nerys Myk]

No, I don't think so.
I'd like to have seen some request, nay, even a demand for reparations of some sort. An acknowledgement that no, we are not cool with this.
Think of it this way: When we have an oil spill, we clean the fucking beach. We scrub the animals. We don't just shrug and say "Welp, sorry."

I just watched it. Seemed to be more than that.

 

[Cr0sis21]

I just watched it. Seemed to be more than that.

Well, I'm glad Book got closure. But, come on, he's one guy.
There were a lot more people than just Book who were affected.

 

[Nerys Myk]

We've been tracking subspace rifts.

The Ten-C are keeping their
promise to clean them up.

I assume this means they're helping and not just saying "Sorry".

 

[Cr0sis21]

I assume this means they're helping and not just saying "Sorry".

Okay, good, that's good!
And maybe I'm being greedy, I dunno, but it still bothered me that everyone treated it like, "oh, whoopsie, well let's just not do it again, okay?"
I would have liked one comment indicating the Federation requested more than just "Clean up those subspace rifts".

 

[fireproof78]

Well, I'm glad Book got closure. But, come on, he's one guy.
There were a lot more people than just Book who were affected.

They're not important.

 

[Cr0sis21]

They're not important.

Well, narratively maybe not as important. But that's lazy writing, then. It redshirts a whole Planet.

 

[Nerys Myk]

They're not important.

Book was "the face" of the victims.

 

[JoseNoodles]

Godlike or nearly godlike aliens who seem to be unaware of how their actions affect people is a recurring theme in Trek. In some instances, making them aware of their actions ends any activity that is causing harm to "lower" lifeforms, but they're not expected to make amends for their past deeds (since the hero crew has no way to compel them to face justice for their actions). I would say for Species 10C, while they obviously can't bring back all the numerous civilizations they've probably destroyed, it could have been suggested to them that they help more recent victims of the DMA find new worlds to settle. However, that would probably have to be explored in a new story arc, and the show is definitely moving on to something else for Season 5.

 

[fireproof78]

Well, narratively maybe not as important. But that's lazy writing, then. It redshirts a whole Planet.

Trek tradition.