Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 alpha 4/3/85; site ukecc.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ukma!ukecc!edward
From: edward@ukecc.UUCP (Edward C. Bennett)
Newsgroups: net.startrek
Subject: Re: prime directive
Message-ID: <264@ukecc.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 27-Sep-85 10:14:28 EDT
Article-I.D.: ukecc.264
Posted: Fri Sep 27 10:14:28 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 29-Sep-85 06:56:18 EDT
References: <1668@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: Univ. of Ky. Engineering Computing Center
Lines: 46

In article <1668@umcp-cs.UUCP>, gasarch@umcp-cs.UUCP (William Gasarch) writes:
> 
> In which episodes did they violate the prime directive?
> 
> Commentary on whether they should have done so, or consistency
> to when they do apply it should spark some discussion.
> _________

	Quite a few of them I'd say.

	Take "Friday's Child" for example. Here we have the Cappelans (sp?)
happily killing each other on thier own little planet. They are probably
totally unconcerned about the possibility of life elsewhere in the galaxy.
And all of a sudden here come strange-looking beings, wearing strange
clothes, carrying weapons that shoot beams of light, materializing out of
thin air and talking about mining treaties. To me, just beaming down in
full view of the inhabitants of a planet violates the PD. Furthermore,
not wearing native clothing and the use of phasers further complicate
matters.

	Now of course there are episodes where they do things right.
In "Bread and Circuses" they beam down outside the city to avoid being
seen. Even though I can't think of any episodes where they outfit themselves
in native costumes BEFORE making contact, they do refit to blend in
several times. The clothes-stealing scene in TCOTEOF comes to mind here.
The use of phasers was an issue in "A Private Little War". (You'll recall
how Nona saw McCoy use his phaser to heat rocks to keep Jim warm.)

	To carry this to extremes raises this problem. If your most strict
rule is non-interference, how do make friends with alien cultures? There
are times when 'mutual benefit by the exchange of knowledge', "Spock's
Brain" is a good example, is referred to, either explicitly in dialogue
or implicitly in the plot. Doesn't this violate the PD? Somewhere you
must draw the line between interference and friendship.

	To me, this is on of the major questions that WE are going to face
when we finally start venturing beyond our solar system.

-- 
Edward C. Bennett

UUCP: ihnp4!cbosgd!ukma!ukecc!edward

/* A charter member of the Scooter bunch */

"Goodnight M.A."


Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com