The Prime Directive... what do you think? Is it applicable in present-day, real-life situations?
This question cannot be answered by anyone that supports the current US military status in the Middle East. ;) (so, um.. yeah, I cannot answer it either.. ~giggles~)
Yes and no. Its a nice idea and it would be nice if people followed it but no society in human history ever has and I doubt any in the future will.
The basic premise behind it is sound and a "good idea," but in practice it sucks. There's so many different mitigating circumstances shown in the show alone that the idea is in MAJOR need of an overhaul.
I agree with the spirit of the PD, but it wouldn't always be practical or even possible.
I view the Prime Directive in much the same light as I view Communism (which is funny, considering that I view the Federation as a Communist Regime): It's a great idea, but ultimately insupportable.
I have to go with no. It's wasn't even workable in the ST universe as is evidenced by the number of times it was bent of broken to fit the personal beliefs of the affected captain and/or crew member. They all talked a good game but rarely had the courage of conviction to follow through.
The present day is much the same. We are far too concerned with what is happening "over there" to leave it alone. We deem it a moral imperative to prevent what we see as hardship in another country and thus are unable to be objective about the deaths that occur as a result of various influences. With that in mind how as a society would we be able to implement such a policy in this day and age? Before WWII when we were still a primarily isolationist country then maybe we could of done it but now with all of the aid we give to other nations it would be difficult to say the least to stop providing the support and let the chips fall where they may.
Those are just my rambling thoughts on the subject.
Tom
It is humourous to watch the natives with a Coke™ can for the first time.
Quote from: SirBlackFox on July 28, 2008, 05:01:20 PM
It is humourous to watch the natives with a Coke™ can for the first time.
Hehehe :)
Thanks, everyone, these are great responses. My own feeling is much the same. I think in general it's best if we mind our own business but there are definitely instances where the issue of human rights or the balance of power requires intervention.
An example - I was watching a show called
The adventures of Mark and Olly: Living with the Kombai where these two British blokes go and live with a very remote tribe in Papua New Guinea. The tribe had met westerners before, but still retained most of their traditional ways. There came a point when a young woman was suspected of being a witch and making people sick. The tribesmen revealed that they might kill her. Clearly Mark and Olly knew that the illness was NOT caused by witchcraft, but this tribe knew nothing (or very little) of western medicine. So they were faced with a dilemma. Do they allow events to transpire as they would without Western presence? Or do they "violate the PD" and interfere to prevent an innocent (by their standards) young woman's death?
So what did they decide, Charlotte? I can only imagine how awful it would have been to face such a dilemma...
It would seem like it might prevent someone from intervening in genocides in places like Serbia, Sudan, WWII Germany, etc. so there have to be exceptions.
But when there is a major difference in the levels of technology and/or cultural perceptions it does make some sense. There's a classic story told in college anthropology classes where Europeans gave iron axes to some less developed culture, and accidentally disrupted the local society. They didn't realize the indigenous people had some complex social customs related to who could make/own stone axes and when they started giving iron axes to anyone (including horror of horrors women) there was a certain amount of turmoil. So with a primitive alien culture one could see any number of things that could get accidentally affected. -Just think how the flat-earth-sun-revolves-around-the-earth-fundamentalists would react if a shipload of Vulcans showed up on Earth.
The "Prime Directive" was the ultimate evil in the federation. To watch entire sentient races die so as not to violate it on principle...the ultimate in isolationist policy. The worst idea in the Star Trek universe next to green-lighting "the Way to Eden"
Prepare to vomit at warp speed...
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2317488580563375952&q=the+way+to+eden&ei=gISOSOXcIYmS4wKujoGSCA
Oh, did I mention I love Star Trek, warts and all!
Quote from: Tipsy Gypsy on July 28, 2008, 09:15:59 PM
So what did they decide, Charlotte? I can only imagine how awful it would have been to face such a dilemma...
They decided to interfere. However, before anything happened, the young woman left the village.
Raise your hand. How many people sat and watched all 7minutes and 22 seconds of that video?
*me me me* ;D ::)
Oh, Dreg, don't be such a Herbert! :D
The maddening thing about the Prime Directive for me was its uneven application. Granted, a lot of that was the fault of the writers, but the production staff had a reference manual (obviously burned and buried for Enterprise) to ensure consistency. An example of how ridiculous it could get was an episode of The Next Generation called "Pen Pals". Data befriends a little alien girl on a planet that is in the process of tearing itself apart, threatening her entire civilization with certain extinction. Data brings their plight to Picard's attention, and Picard invokes the Prime Directive and refuses to help because it would interfere with their culture's natural development. Seems to me extinction through no fault of their own is a pretty big interference with their culture's development. I was waiting for Picard to offer Data an alternate solution along the lines of "I'll tell you what. We have a gas. Smells just like apple sauce. They won't feel a thing."
Dreadful, dreadful writing.
I once rescued a baby bird from being eaten by a cat. Stomped all over the Prime Directive then. In the end the bird didn't make it, but I'd still do it again in a heartbeat. Now the cat was just doing what he knows and he probably did it again when I wasn't looking but at least I tried. Should I have just said "Ah well. Circle of life" and stood by and watched? You do what you can when you can. I figure if the Universe provides you with the opportunity to help you should!
Quote from: Mad Jack Wolfe on July 29, 2008, 09:20:04 AM
...I was waiting for Picard to offer Data an alternate solution along the lines of "I'll tell you what. We have a gas. Smells just like apple sauce. They won't feel a thing."
Dreadful, dreadful writing.
ROTFLMAO!
Looks as if the Cats are already ahead of the Federation in technology.
(http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l268/Dragon3802/Copyof128346966180468750cloakingdev.jpg)
(http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c353/Knoty-Dragon/cheez%20burger/picardhamster-steve.jpg)
So another question for Star Trek fans (TOS). While watching my latest DVD purchase, Star Trek, TOS remastered season two..."Mirror-Mirror" to be specific, I noted Uhura's costume from the parrallel universe... :o
No wonder I loved this show! Seriously, what an absolute vision of beauty, none of the deadly thin super anerexic skeletal models we see today. This woman had shape and style...am I alone in thinking women of that era were more atractive than the "ideal" woman of today???
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r41D669zmwA
No, Dreg, you're not alone. Scrawny isn't sexy.
Quote from: Anna Iram on July 29, 2008, 10:32:22 AM
I once rescued a baby bird from being eaten by a cat. Stomped all over the Prime Directive then. In the end the bird didn't make it, but I'd still do it again in a heartbeat. Now the cat was just doing what he knows and he probably did it again when I wasn't looking but at least I tried. Should I have just said "Ah well. Circle of life" and stood by and watched? You do what you can when you can. I figure if the Universe provides you with the opportunity to help you should!
...and if a cat chokes to death while eating a bird, then who killed who?
I'm so there with you Dreg. People always look at the bombshells of yesteryear. Marlene Dietrich, Jane Russell Betty Grable, Sophia Loren, Jayne Mansfield, and of course Marilyn Monroe. Just to name a few, every single one would have been turned down for being over weight by today's standards. But they are the truest women of beauty if ever there where. They all had substance and style baby.
I Sir, am no "Herbert"
The "Prime Directive" makes for good Drama, little else...
Very much like "Socialism",
In Theory: Good.
In Practice: Bad.
...just my $0.02 worth.
Quote from: Angus on August 26, 2008, 07:47:32 PM
I Sir, am no "Herbert"
The "Prime Directive" makes for good Drama, little else...
Very much like "Socialism",
In Theory: Good.
In Practice: Bad.
...just my $0.02 worth.
I will practice the Prime Directive here. :D