This topic again!
One of our evergreens...
Starfleet was both careless and arrogant for not taking Dominion warnings to stay out of the GQ seriously. Sure, the Bajorans weren't technically under Starfleet control, but Starfleet could have "strongly advised" them not to start any colonies until the situation could be thoroughly checked out.
When the Dominion decided to announce their displeasure at the interlopers "forcefully," Starfleet should have evacuated the GQ and declared travel thru the wormhole off limits until and unless diplomatic relations and some accommodation could be reached with the Doms.
Instead, Starfleet just kept whacking the hornet's nest, which prompted the Romulans to try to blow up the wormhole
in self defense (knowing where Starfleet blundering would lead - I'm sure they've seen this movie before) and when that failed, they moved on to Plan B, the pre-emptive strike in collaboration with Cardassians, which the Founders of course took as an act of war. After that, open conflict was inevitable.
Starfleet must have been composed of oblivious fools for not mining the wormhole at that point - if some aliens had tried to blow up Earth, how would Starfleet react? Just sit on their hands? Blithely assume that the aggressive aliens have gotten it out of their system and will never try again? The level of Starfleet incompetence is astounding!
Since the Feds, Rommies and Cardies were all involved in this idiotic sequence of events, it's no wonder the Dominion saw them as part of the same power structure - the whole AQ was dangerously insane and unstable. And then when they found out about the fourth power, the notoriously militaristic Klingons, it's a wonder that they didn't just decide to blow up the entire quadrant and have done with it.
If that's how Starfleet handles first contact with aliens, no wonder they're perpetually at war with somebody. And then they complain that they're really "explorers," poor babies! Their idea of exploration is what forces them to be military.
^ They should've mined the entrance to the wormhole waaayyyy earlier, so... whoever was in charge of that...
Or just blow it up. The Rommies had the right idea. And if the Prophets really were gods, of course they'd be fine. You can't blow up a god.
Marie is right, these ppl really didn't want peace.
Then why did the Feds sign a peace treaty with the Dominion? Surely they can't be expected to honor that treaty if they are drooling warmongers bent on imperial conquest!
Considering that the Doms didn't launch an aggressive war until after their homeworld had been targetted for obliteration, it's impossible to say that they were acting imperialistically. They were fully justified in launching a war in self-defense at that point, and since the Feds later signed a peace treaty with the Doms, the Feds must agree that the Doms' motives were other than simple imperial conquest.
These are the people that are supposed to protect the Federation and keep it from being invaded. They have the phasers and the torpedoes.
But they refuse to see themselves as even part-time soldiers?
Oh that's just old granny Picard. But he must be especially dense not to see the linkage between exploration and warfare. One implies the other, even if you're being a lot more careful than is Starfleet's habit.
Starfleet did what it should have done - it sent ships to explore and try and find out what the situation was in the Gamma Quadrant. Sitting back and doing nothing and letting the threats come to you is simply asking for disaster.
Sure, you send ships. You don't let civilians found colonies, or if they do, you make sure they know they're on their own. Then, when you get thwacked, you retreat fast, put up a defensive shield (mines at the very least) and assess the situation. You don't stomp around like Dax did and declare your unconditional right to explore (trespass) wherever you feel like, not unless you really like getting into wars with your neighbors.
As for mining the wormhole earlier, the major problem with that is any one wandering through it would be destroyed.
Put up a warning buoy with a Universal Translator on the GQ side. If the folks there are like Starfleet and blithely ignore warnings, then they deserve to get blown up.
Also it might be seen as an act of bad faith, that the Federation will prevent anyone from coming through but will send others to the GQ.
The travel prohibition obviously needs to go both ways. The mines should stop anyone from traveling AQ to GQ too.
As for the Dominion, I don't really blame them for seeing that region of the AQ as a threat. 3 of the 4 major powers are very aggressive and militaristic. The Dominion was probably right to be concerned about this new short cut that appeared relatively close to their territory.
Not to mention that three of the four powers are blundering baboons that step all over each other and accidentally incite a war where none needed to happen. Sheesh, the Klingons of all people were the only ones who didn't help cause that war! Pretty sad state of affairs when they're the most responsible power in the AQ. What a frakkin' zoo!
Oh trust me...Starfleet policy doesn't NEED anybody to sabotage it. Just see TNG for evidence.
