this post was submitted on 16 Jun 2023
17 points (100.0% liked)

Star Trek

10572 readers
148 users here now

r/startrek: The Next Generation

Star Trek news and discussion. No slash fic...

Maybe a little slash fic.


New to Star Trek and wondering where to start?


Rules

1 Be constructiveAll posts/comments must be thoughtful and balanced.


2 Be welcomingIt is important that everyone from newbies to OG Trekkers feel welcome, no matter their gender, sexual orientation, religion or race.


3 Be truthfulAll posts/comments must be factually accurate and verifiable. We are not a place for gossip, rumors, or manipulative or misleading content.


4 Be niceIf a polite way cannot be found to phrase what it is you want to say, don't say anything at all. Insulting or disparaging remarks about any human being are expressly not allowed.


5 SpoilersUtilize the spoiler system for any and all spoilers relating to the most recently-aired episodes, as well as previews for upcoming episodes. There is no formal spoiler protection for episodes/films after they have been available for approximately one week.


6 Keep on-topicAll submissions must be directly about the Star Trek franchise (the shows, movies, books etc.). Off-topic discussions are welcome at c/quarks.


7 MetaQuestions and concerns about moderator actions should be brought forward via DM.


Upcoming Episodes

Date Episode Title
10-31 LD 5x03 "The Best Exotic Nanite Hotel"
11-07 LD 5x04 "A Farewell to Farms"
11-14 LD 5x05 "Star Base 80?"
11-21 LD 5x06 "Of Gods and Angels"
11-28 LD 5x07 "Fully Dilated"

Episode Discussion Archive


In Production

Strange New Worlds (2025)

Section 31 (2025-01-24)

Starfleet Academy (TBA)

In Development

Untitled comedy series


Wondering where to stream a series? Check here.


Allied Discord Server


founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

For those of you here who think the prime directive is flawed, or could be adjusted.

What do you agree with, how would you change what you disagree with, and why?

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] mfenniak@beehaw.org 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

One of the concerns I have with the Prime Directive is that it is intended to avoid a "slippery slope" problem, and so it is a very black-and-white rule. Starfleet can't protect a developing civilization from a catastrophic planet-ending disaster... and the core reason is that "interference" can be a bad thing, so we won't ever do it.

There are clearly situations where interference in another civilization would be immoral. There are also clearly situations where it would be moral. We can't possibly figure out those situations and enshrine them into law? We do better today! Homicide is illegal, but there are exceptions like self-defense, and there are mitigating circumstances like causing an accidental death.

The Prime Directive should be much more complex.

Might not make for great TV, though.

[–] roofuskit@kbin.social 2 points 1 year ago

Even funnier to think about, is that Starfleet has set the development of warp technology as the cutoff. But there are clearly species out there (Q anyone) who would find that stage of a species development way too early to introduce themselves.

[–] harkonnen2@startrek.website 1 points 1 year ago

Yes and no. Building such a list of exceptions from general rule can be daunting if not impossible, because you may always get yourself in yet another situation that will need an exception and another, and you find yourself having law that is made of tons and tons of exceptions. I recall the episode where Picard was tasked to help to relocate some inhabitants of planets that was about to be colonized by a rase with a bloated law system and very strict about it. In my opinion this episode showed how such absolutely specific law coinsisting of tons of rules can be used against you. Furthermore moving in such law is also frustrating (we have currently lots of examples with idiotic laws that do not really work because of exceptions list). Like every law Prime DIrective works for "most cases" and just like normal law it is impossible to create it so it covers all possible outcoms and cases.