Starfleet could only be *entirely* military if the word 'military' means something different in the 24th Century than it does today. The words 'civilian' and 'military' are not at absolute designation but merely large buckets into which we slot for convenience all sorts of different kinds of behaviour. There is no…

It simply doesn't matter whether or not Starfleet is technically 'the military'. That isn't an important question. Furthermore, it's a question extremely hidebound by 20th Century circumstances. The important question is, does Starfleet have a noble mission and principles compatible with democratic Federation rule,…

It simply doesn't matter whether or not Starfleet is technically 'the military'. That isn't an important question. Furthermore, it's a question extremely hidebound by 20th Century circumstances. The important question is, does Starfleet have a noble mission and principles compatible with democratic Federation rule,…

Thanks @LurkyMcLurkerson:disqus and I sort of agree with you on Voyager if we have to include seasons 1 to 3. In the first three seasons there are some gems but you really have pick through a lot of really bland stuff to find them and try not to get too jaded so you can still recognise them when they come. In seasons…

Thanks @LurkyMcLurkerson:disqus and I sort of agree with you on Voyager if we have to include seasons 1 to 3. In the first three seasons there are some gems but you really have pick through a lot of really bland stuff to find them and try not to get too jaded so you can still recognise them when they come. In seasons…

@avclub-5fd46b34a6a2b731b200d17014ad4409:disqus You make good points too; however I suspect that if the writers of DS9 had really *wanted* to retcon the Ferengi even more than they already were, nothing would have stopped them. They didn't really care much about continuity when it conflicted with the stories they…

@avclub-5fd46b34a6a2b731b200d17014ad4409:disqus You make good points too; however I suspect that if the writers of DS9 had really *wanted* to retcon the Ferengi even more than they already were, nothing would have stopped them. They didn't really care much about continuity when it conflicted with the stories they…

@avclub-23dc117ef9479407fb6c6a666005af40:disqus "It's not "no reason at all," it's because she is impairing the greater good through a blind focus on ideals. I am criticising her world view because it negatively affects those under her command, because she lets her own sense of morals take precedence over getting the…

@avclub-23dc117ef9479407fb6c6a666005af40:disqus "It's not "no reason at all," it's because she is impairing the greater good through a blind focus on ideals. I am criticising her world view because it negatively affects those under her command, because she lets her own sense of morals take precedence over getting the…

"But I always thought the main thrust of their argument was not "it's our
land!" but "We were never asked before we were put in Cardassian
territory!" In other words, they don't feel betrayed just because they
had a farm, but because they didn't realize they would be outside
Federation protection until after…

"But I always thought the main thrust of their argument was not "it's our
land!" but "We were never asked before we were put in Cardassian
territory!" In other words, they don't feel betrayed just because they
had a farm, but because they didn't realize they would be outside
Federation protection until after…

@avclub-0cb1ebf6ff9c06e9608d771f7ffd268b:disqus I have enjoyed the conversation too and agree that good points were made on both sides. I agree on Torres — I felt her inner conflict was very well handled but I chose to let that counterpoint stand because fair is fair. She was indeed conflicted. I still like (and more…

@avclub-0cb1ebf6ff9c06e9608d771f7ffd268b:disqus I have enjoyed the conversation too and agree that good points were made on both sides. I agree on Torres — I felt her inner conflict was very well handled but I chose to let that counterpoint stand because fair is fair. She was indeed conflicted. I still like (and more…

@avclub-79557cb93066f4470b8cee6e9110f757:disqus I agree with you — especially since you just basically repeated what I said in my first 2.5 sentences. 8)

@avclub-79557cb93066f4470b8cee6e9110f757:disqus I agree with you — especially since you just basically repeated what I said in my first 2.5 sentences. 8)

@Thrasymachus:disqus I'm not sure if I'm logging in under the same Disqus account, but it's me, Paul. Also I seem to not have the ability to reply directly from my netbook here. So this is the only reply I'll post for now. I'll check out people's other responses later…
"I'm sorry, what?  The question of why Kirk or…

@Thrasymachus:disqus I'm not sure if I'm logging in under the same Disqus account, but it's me, Paul. Also I seem to not have the ability to reply directly from my netbook here. So this is the only reply I'll post for now. I'll check out people's other responses later…
"I'm sorry, what?  The question of why Kirk or…

@Thrasymachus:disqus Why does Janeway have to answer that question when none of the male captains do? Why is rising through the ranks in standard careerist fashion not enough? Because women are not supposed to naturally have ambition. There's your double-standard right there. Kirk never had to justify his command.…

@Thrasymachus:disqus Why does Janeway have to answer that question when none of the male captains do? Why is rising through the ranks in standard careerist fashion not enough? Because women are not supposed to naturally have ambition. There's your double-standard right there. Kirk never had to justify his command.…

@avclub-595675a771ced4a4e62f56480fc9f893:disqus "Voyager signally failed to explore the boundaries an limits of the
federation utopia under the most extreme of circumstances, and that's
why it's almost totally uninteresting."