Star Trek's Fear or apathy toward politics was a huge weakenss

[Nightdiamond]

[TUC] They kept it simple, but intriguing.

I found it to be quite heavy handed.

"

Heavy handed? I always thought it was kind of mild compared to let's say, Attack of The Clones.

The Klingon moon explodes, The Federation offers to help, and hopefully come to peace terms, but some higher ups on both sides don't want it, so they conspire to kill the Klingon chancellor and set up Kirk and McCoy for it.

The rest is mystery solving and action.

Heavy handed politics are really boring, but when done the right way, can be really interesting.

Some of the Obsidian Order vs Central Command vs Detopa Council politics were interesting, because the Cardassians are interesting, but we didn't get enough of it.

 

[eyeresist]

It's difficult to make paradise political or interesting (without undermining the fact that it is paradise).

Yes, I think the lack of detail about life and politics within the Federation is a deliberate choice. This way we can avoid things feeling dated or too little/too much PC. Also, when Trek does turn its attention to internal matters, the result is too often weakly dystopian (the Federation isn't perfect! There are bad people!), or else just boring and bureaucratic.

 

[Nightdiamond]

The colonists being forced to leave their homes on the border because of the treaty with the Cardassians, was a good chance to explore the politics of it, but it was another missed opportunity.


The Maquis situation, whether they are right or wrong could have provided some real good debate. It's a timeless issue.

In this one, there are a lot of rights and wrongs, and hard to point the finger particularly at anyone.

 

[T'Girl]

I found it to be quite heavy handed.

Heavy handed? I always thought it was kind of mild compared to let's say, Attack of The Clones.

Heavy handed, as in clumsy and unskillful.

The story certainly lacks subtlety, the Starfleet officers lacked legitimate reasons to oppose the de-escalations of hostilities with the Klingons. The plan involve officers in the highest positions of power in the Starfleet Admirality, and also a Vulcan prodigy who obviously held Spock's respect, their reasoning should have been well considered, realistic and based upon knowledge and logic.
　
They were given instead the motivations of irrational fear and racial bigotry.
　
The Federation President to depicted as silly, self-absorbed and easily malnipulated by the Klingons. A stereotype cartoon politician. Given the year of release and subject matter perhaps it would have been more intriguing to have had a verison of Ronald Reagan who would have push the Klingons hard for the best deal possible, rather than a Neville Chamberlain who falls all over himself to give the Klingons everything they ask for in return for "peace."
　
A bit more tough talk on the President's part during his communication with Azetbur, where they agreed on a second attempt at a peace conference, would have depicted the Federation and the Empire as being on more equal footing. Instead of the Federation bending over backwards, which is what was put on screen.

That is what I meant by "heavy handed."