Slavery & The Jem Hadar
- Thread starter Photon
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Hmmm...I'm not sure I'd call it slavery as such. I should state right away that I'm no authority on legal definitions, so don't expect a meaningful answer, but I'll try to articulate my view of the Jem'Hadar. They're victims, certainly, and repressed. Their treatment might be comparable morally to slavery, in many ways- Jem'Hadar have no choice but to serve the Dominion as warriors- but I'm not sure if they're slaves in the sense of being owned legally by another. They're kept deliberately dependent on another- they need their White- and are subject to the whims of the Founders. They are certainly controlled and refused the opportunity to leave or make their own path in life, but I'm not sure if being part of a super-restrictive repressive state constitutes being a slave in any technical sense. We might well call it "slavery", but it's more like being subjects of a very, very overbearing and controlling leader, who places limits on every possible freedom. Is it written anywhere in the Founder's laws (and I don't think they would even have any written laws or documents outlining the nature of the Dominion) that the Jem'Hadar belong to the Founders? The Founders control the Jem'Hadar (albeit indirectly most of the time) but they don't feel the need to justify it by introducing any concept of legal ownership or obligation for Jem'Hadar service. They just control. They don't have to justify it- they're the Founders, the creators, and they act as essentially one multi-faceted being, through the Link.
I suppose we might say the Jem'Hadar are very similiar to slaves in that they are taught that they're obliged to serve another and be "owned" by another- in their case, this "reality" is forced on them not through legal means but by through their genetic programming, which directs them to consider Founders their superiors and to obey a Founder. We know elder Jem'Hadar can exercise their free will and begin to question those directives if free of White, so in that sense the Founders are attempting to force on them a role that might be at odds with the individual's capacity for self-determination and subordinate them by "natural law" to control of another being. But still, you could point to many parallels in real life that do not legally constitute slavery, I believe, whatever we may morally think about the comparison.
If the Jem'Hadar are slaves, are all the Dominion subjects slaves? Or is the fact that often those subject races are left more or less to their own devices (e.g. the Karemma) a point of disparity? Jem'Hadar are subject to far stricter controls, on a genetic level, for example, despite serving as part of the Dominion's state apparatus. A Jem'Hadar would be higher in the system than a Karemma, because he enforces the law of the Founders, but he is also subject to greater repression.
The way I see it, the Founders don't have slaves in the Jem'Hadar, they have children- abused and maltreated children. The relationship isn't a matter of legality, it goes deeper than that and becomes more complicated. Jem'Hadar are children who do as they're told and who have been "programmed" on a genetic level to serve a particular role for the glory and protection of the "family". Founders created the Jem'Hadar, so in a sense they have a responsibility for their development. I've always seen the Jem'Hadar (and anyone who knows my general stance on human culture and history will have seen this coming a mile off
) as being a (exaggerated of course) stand-in for how many human cultures condition their sons into warriors, training them from birth for one essential purpose- fighting for the protection/glory/whatever of the tribe or nation. It's repressive, it's controlling, but it's not really slavery in most cases, because it isn't really legal control these nations and elders have over the young males, but something deeper and far less easy to define or indeed attack. Oh, it might well become legal control at times, but that's actually often unnecessary- for all people like me moan about mandatory service, it's existence is actually a sign that the youths there are on the whole far less controlled and indoctrinated. To me, Jem'Hadar are on a genetic level what many young human men are on a cultural and psychological level- "programmed" to fight, to restrict themselves to a purpose rather than engage in exploration of their full faculties, and kept loyal through the manipulation of that (genetic/ideological) "code" to prevent self-sufficiency (though the concept of an actual physiological leash in the form of White, rather than a culturally-installed ideolgical leash is of course taking it to a whole new level). It's important to understand, of course, that most humans wouldn't define this as slavery- it's both more insidious and ten times more complicated. Given my political views and personal opinions, I like to make comparisons to slavery (and as an equivalent to my opinions I will point out we can identify similiar if different forms of ideological control over females in many cultures, and perhaps suggest similar comparisons) but it isn't slavery. Slavery is shallow and simple. Relationships not of a legal nature but of ...well...a human (or general sapient) nature are so much harder to define.
So, I see the Jem'Hadar as connected to the Founders on a level far beyond the legal. The Jem'Hadar are, to my mind, essentially mistreated children of the Founders. The Founders created them, and are essentially their parent race. But they are very poor parents indeed, seeing their "children" as tools or pawns to reinforce their own sense of security, and denying those children full expression and the ability to grow into their true potential. The Jem'Hadar need "liberating", I would agree. But the situation is complicated by the fact that they have been essentially programmed both to ignore any possibilities of self worth disassociated from the narrow role they're given, and to see that narrow role as the very thing giving them worth. Getting them out of that situation would be tricky (as it is with people in reality).
Basically, I see them as maltreated children and/or abused conscripted soldiers. And while those are in many ways very similiar in my mind to slavery, I'm not sure the term truly fits.
Interesting offshoot question: are the Vorta slaves? More priviliged "overseer" slaves?
I suppose we might say the Jem'Hadar are very similiar to slaves in that they are taught that they're obliged to serve another and be "owned" by another- in their case, this "reality" is forced on them not through legal means but by through their genetic programming, which directs them to consider Founders their superiors and to obey a Founder. We know elder Jem'Hadar can exercise their free will and begin to question those directives if free of White, so in that sense the Founders are attempting to force on them a role that might be at odds with the individual's capacity for self-determination and subordinate them by "natural law" to control of another being. But still, you could point to many parallels in real life that do not legally constitute slavery, I believe, whatever we may morally think about the comparison.
If the Jem'Hadar are slaves, are all the Dominion subjects slaves? Or is the fact that often those subject races are left more or less to their own devices (e.g. the Karemma) a point of disparity? Jem'Hadar are subject to far stricter controls, on a genetic level, for example, despite serving as part of the Dominion's state apparatus. A Jem'Hadar would be higher in the system than a Karemma, because he enforces the law of the Founders, but he is also subject to greater repression.
The way I see it, the Founders don't have slaves in the Jem'Hadar, they have children- abused and maltreated children. The relationship isn't a matter of legality, it goes deeper than that and becomes more complicated. Jem'Hadar are children who do as they're told and who have been "programmed" on a genetic level to serve a particular role for the glory and protection of the "family". Founders created the Jem'Hadar, so in a sense they have a responsibility for their development. I've always seen the Jem'Hadar (and anyone who knows my general stance on human culture and history will have seen this coming a mile off
) as being a (exaggerated of course) stand-in for how many human cultures condition their sons into warriors, training them from birth for one essential purpose- fighting for the protection/glory/whatever of the tribe or nation. It's repressive, it's controlling, but it's not really slavery in most cases, because it isn't really legal control these nations and elders have over the young males, but something deeper and far less easy to define or indeed attack. Oh, it might well become legal control at times, but that's actually often unnecessary- for all people like me moan about mandatory service, it's existence is actually a sign that the youths there are on the whole far less controlled and indoctrinated. To me, Jem'Hadar are on a genetic level what many young human men are on a cultural and psychological level- "programmed" to fight, to restrict themselves to a purpose rather than engage in exploration of their full faculties, and kept loyal through the manipulation of that (genetic/ideological) "code" to prevent self-sufficiency (though the concept of an actual physiological leash in the form of White, rather than a culturally-installed ideolgical leash is of course taking it to a whole new level). It's important to understand, of course, that most humans wouldn't define this as slavery- it's both more insidious and ten times more complicated. Given my political views and personal opinions, I like to make comparisons to slavery (and as an equivalent to my opinions I will point out we can identify similiar if different forms of ideological control over females in many cultures, and perhaps suggest similar comparisons) but it isn't slavery. Slavery is shallow and simple. Relationships not of a legal nature but of ...well...a human (or general sapient) nature are so much harder to define. So, I see the Jem'Hadar as connected to the Founders on a level far beyond the legal. The Jem'Hadar are, to my mind, essentially mistreated children of the Founders. The Founders created them, and are essentially their parent race. But they are very poor parents indeed, seeing their "children" as tools or pawns to reinforce their own sense of security, and denying those children full expression and the ability to grow into their true potential. The Jem'Hadar need "liberating", I would agree. But the situation is complicated by the fact that they have been essentially programmed both to ignore any possibilities of self worth disassociated from the narrow role they're given, and to see that narrow role as the very thing giving them worth. Getting them out of that situation would be tricky (as it is with people in reality).
Basically, I see them as maltreated children and/or abused conscripted soldiers. And while those are in many ways very similiar in my mind to slavery, I'm not sure the term truly fits.
Interesting offshoot question: are the Vorta slaves? More priviliged "overseer" slaves?
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ProtoAvatar
Fleet Captain
Yes - the jem'hadar are slaves.
In human history, the law was the instrument of bondage. The law dictated that some humans are property, belong to other humans.
In the Dominion, the instrument used is much more effective - through genetic engineering, every jem'hadar is born with a leash inside his head. Every jem'hadar is programmed to obey the founders, to be a mere instrument, cannon-fodder, property - and he has no choice in the matter, no say.
And then there's the tetracell-white addiction - to ensure that the rare jem'hadar who manages to liberate himself, to break through the chains of slavery will soon die.
The human historical equivalent would be - installing poison-capsules in slaves, to be triggered if the slave escaped his master (and yes, I know the technology didn't exist).
In human history, the law was the instrument of bondage. The law dictated that some humans are property, belong to other humans.
In the Dominion, the instrument used is much more effective - through genetic engineering, every jem'hadar is born with a leash inside his head. Every jem'hadar is programmed to obey the founders, to be a mere instrument, cannon-fodder, property - and he has no choice in the matter, no say.
And then there's the tetracell-white addiction - to ensure that the rare jem'hadar who manages to liberate himself, to break through the chains of slavery will soon die.
The human historical equivalent would be - installing poison-capsules in slaves, to be triggered if the slave escaped his master (and yes, I know the technology didn't exist).
Without doubt.
I actually handled it succinctly in a fanfic of mine. Put simply, the Founders have used genetics to deprive them of the free choice that all people should have. What they have done is on the same moral level as Borg assimilation. Even though they may be individuals, their souls are still in chains. The same holds for the Vorta--they are also slaves.
Sadly, I must say that those worlds that are left without genetic alteration...even the Teplan...are in a better situation than the Jem'Hadar and Vorta, because at least the power of choice and thus even a slim chance of bettering their situation (or at least going out on their OWN terms and not those dictated to them by genetics) remains.
I actually handled it succinctly in a fanfic of mine. Put simply, the Founders have used genetics to deprive them of the free choice that all people should have. What they have done is on the same moral level as Borg assimilation. Even though they may be individuals, their souls are still in chains. The same holds for the Vorta--they are also slaves.
Sadly, I must say that those worlds that are left without genetic alteration...even the Teplan...are in a better situation than the Jem'Hadar and Vorta, because at least the power of choice and thus even a slim chance of bettering their situation (or at least going out on their OWN terms and not those dictated to them by genetics) remains.
The Tosk Hunters seemed to enjoy a degree of autonomy
Of course, we also aren't 100% sure the Hunters are Dominion subjects, according to canon.
Agree, their technology seemed to be even better than the Jem's had.
If the Jem'Hadar are slaves, then so are you and me. Our loyalty is bought: our lives are dependent on our superiors giving us money so that we can continue to go on living. We can rebel, in which case we fail to get the money, and then we suffer and perish, although we have won the freedom to suffer and perish in disloyal ways.
The Jem'Hadar have free choice as much as we do. We see them exercise it on multiple occasions, generally leading to punitive taking of life. But they are merely kept disciplined like any pool of workers, not completely controlled. They could have a life after the working hours if they wanted one; their biology just doesn't call for one. And they are well paid for their work, in what they find the most valuable currencies: the White, and professional recognition. Although of course some do have loathsome bosses who are miserly beyond belief on payday.
Timo Saloniemi
The Jem'Hadar have free choice as much as we do. We see them exercise it on multiple occasions, generally leading to punitive taking of life. But they are merely kept disciplined like any pool of workers, not completely controlled. They could have a life after the working hours if they wanted one; their biology just doesn't call for one. And they are well paid for their work, in what they find the most valuable currencies: the White, and professional recognition. Although of course some do have loathsome bosses who are miserly beyond belief on payday.
Timo Saloniemi
ProtoAvatar
Fleet Captain
Timo
You or me are payed for our work. No one has the right to arbitrarily kill you or me.
We can choose to work or not, to enlist or not, to desert or not - yes, there are consequences to every choice, but we still have it.
The jem'hadar don't have this choice. They are genetically conditioned to obey the founders' every whim; they are obviously not payed for their work. And, of course, the founders have no problem callously killing jem'hadar.
The jem'hadar ARE slaves.
You or me are payed for our work. No one has the right to arbitrarily kill you or me.
We can choose to work or not, to enlist or not, to desert or not - yes, there are consequences to every choice, but we still have it.
The jem'hadar don't have this choice. They are genetically conditioned to obey the founders' every whim; they are obviously not payed for their work. And, of course, the founders have no problem callously killing jem'hadar.
The jem'hadar ARE slaves.
Furthermore, we DO have the possibility, however slim it seems to our modern sensibilities, to go into the wilderness and live completely off the land without anybody's money. Yes, our lives would be drastically shortened in many cases if we did so, but we do have the choice and the ability to do it.
So do slaves. They can choose not to work or to try and run away if they want, and accept the consequences. What's the difference between a slave breaking the law and running off to freedom and anyone else breaking a law imposing a restriction on them?
You seem to be saying that to be a slave you have to have your capacity for free choice taken from you, which must mean that there have never been human slaves (because no human was ever genetically programmed like a Jem'Hadar or Vorta).
And some of your other comments seem off too; for example, slaves often can't be arbitrarily killed any more than you or I can be arbitrarily killed. Many slave-holding societies had a series of rules for how slaves were to be treated.
You seem to not so much be saying that "Jem'Hadar are slaves" as you are saying "slaves are only slaves if their plight is like that of Jem'Hadar".
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ProtoAvatar
Fleet Captain
The difference is - there's NO LAW forbidding you to stop working - you are FREE to choose to do so.
But if a slave were to stop working, he would be a hunted by the authorities, brought back in chains and FORCED to work.
As for the vorta and jem'hadar - they don't even have the liberty to try and stop working - their very mind is enslaved.
Which is why I said "In the Dominion, the instrument used [for slavery] is much more effective"
About the concept of 'slave':
Yes - the concept of 'slave' is often understood as 'forced labourer'.
But the worse type of slavery in human history involved the master having the right to kill his slave, as if the slave was literally inanimate property.
As for the jem'hadar - their bondage is worse still - they very minds are in chains, they lack even the freedom to think free thoughts.
So in your mind anyone hunted down and brought back "in chains" if they flee from work they are legally required to perform is a slave. So are conscripted soldiers then slaves? That would seem to me at odds with some of your earlier comments, because those conscripted soldiers still have the capacity for choice and are not genetically "promgrammed" to act in a certain way.
ProtoAvatar
Fleet Captain
Deranged Nasat:
"About the concept of 'slavery':
Yes - the concept of 'slave' is often understood as 'forced labourer'.
But the worst type of slavery in human history involved the master having the right to kill his slave, as if the slave was literally inanimate property.
As for the jem'hadar - their bondage is worse still - their very minds are in chains, they lack even the freedom to think free thoughts."
"those conscripted soldiers still have the capacity for choice and are not genetically "promgrammed" to act in a certain way"
Every human being that ever existed had the capacity for free thought, regardless of his/hers condition; no one managed to take that away from us - not yet, anyway. Which, of course, doesn't mean that slaves never existed - do READ what I wrote about the concept of slavery, Deranged Nasat.
"So are conscripted soldiers then slaves?"
Conscripted soldiers are payed for their work - which differentiate them somewhat from slaves.
However, the fact that they had no choice, that they are forced to 'work', to risk their lives brings them very close to the concept of 'slave'.
"About the concept of 'slavery':
Yes - the concept of 'slave' is often understood as 'forced labourer'.
But the worst type of slavery in human history involved the master having the right to kill his slave, as if the slave was literally inanimate property.
As for the jem'hadar - their bondage is worse still - their very minds are in chains, they lack even the freedom to think free thoughts."
"those conscripted soldiers still have the capacity for choice and are not genetically "promgrammed" to act in a certain way"
Every human being that ever existed had the capacity for free thought, regardless of his/hers condition; no one managed to take that away from us - not yet, anyway. Which, of course, doesn't mean that slaves never existed - do READ what I wrote about the concept of slavery, Deranged Nasat.
"So are conscripted soldiers then slaves?"
Conscripted soldiers are payed for their work - which differentiate them somewhat from slaves.
However, the fact that they had no choice, that they are forced to 'work', to risk their lives brings them very close to the concept of 'slave'.
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But the fact that they are genetically programmed not to question the Founders means that they WOULD vent their frustration at the Vorta instead, even if under freer conditions they would also have had reason for a grudge against the Founders. (I suspect the Vorta were given less genetic control over the Jem'Hadar to keep the Vorta on their toes--given their slimy tendencies, the force of the Jem'Hadar might actually be seen as a "check and balance" by the Founders against the Vorta getting too much control.)
Although they probably are. The Tosk look so much like the Jem'Hadar - and have exactly the same shrouding ability - plus a Hunter was supposed to appear in "Broken Link" (navigating the Defiant to the Founder homeworld) but they took it out at the last minute.
Not denying it's a very strong possibility--just going on onscreen evidence. 
True, but the Jem'Hadar aren't stupid either- they are bred for and enjoy combat, which they can do as soldiers for the Founders. They do seem to like that aspect- to a point. But-- since in doing so they were put under the Vorta, that they don't respect, instead of having direct contact with the Founders- who almost become a myth- they seem to have started the chafe...
And since there doesn't seem to be a failsafe against them killing the Vorta and going off on their own, they at least seem to enable themselves... It's a tricky subject for me-- a lot of people I know have "phobias" and they just roll over to them. They don't even try to get over their fear of dogs (still afraid of tiny puppies), or spiders (even pictures) but I know that some people try- and succeed, and I have overcome my own fears. So some people are a slave to their phobias, some refuse to be... and that's how I see the Jem'Hadar, some are too young or don't feel like overcoming their mind to serve willingly or rebel... kinda... Taran'atar said that appeals of free will were for cowards... but... in ST, it's hard to tell how much the Founders modified their minds. If the Founders are that good- wouldn't they find a way to brain wash everyone, since the want to take over?
I've always suspected the Founders WERE working on such methods, but had not found something yet that wasn't species-specific to some extent or another. (Dunno if you ever read my fanfic "The Nature of the Beast," but that kind of shows what such an experiment might look like.)
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