this post was submitted on 09 Dec 2023
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Risa
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Come on'n get your jamaharon on! There are no real rules—just don't break the weather control network.
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This is what I never understood. The principle of respecting the autonomy of other cultures is good imo, but what "cultural contamination" could be worse than the total extinction of the civilization you're trying to protect?
Applying the Prime Directive in such extreme circumstances turns it from an anti-imperialist ideal to a Social Darwinist one.
I mostly chalk that kind of thing up to writers not having any idea what the Prime Directive actually is.
the whole point of having captains out in the black, is for them to make a judgement call on when the rules should be ignored.
Picard had a conversation with Data about this very thing, when Data went with his 'gut' to disobey a order.