I was rewatching Star Trek. I grew up with the Next Generation. I thought of Starfleet and the Federation as a paragon of morality (I still think of Picard's speech to Wesley, "the first duty of every Starfleet Officer is to the truth, be that scientific truth, historical truth, or personal truth".)
But I realised, in many ways, the Federation is not perfect, or even good! When Worf is accused of a war crime by shooting at a ship that decloaked directly in front of him in the middle of a shooting battle, not only did the clear tactical necessity not stand as a defense, but Starfleet offered up it's own to the Klingons. It should have said, we will investigate, you may observe, but our officers are subject to our jurisdiction, it ceeded this authority. In fact, this is a common occurrence. Being a Starfleet officer doesn't entitle you to any protections from the organisation it seems. And more so, if you look at the response to the changing "invasion" of earthin DS9, the Federation is an organisation that is ready and willing to clamp down on all personal freedoms, at a moments notice.
Some of these issues are explored in the show, but others, (particularly the ceeding of authority) are not examined at all, nor even pointed out as potentially morally suspect decisions.
But I digress. You are correct, any democracy that allows undemocratic members will eventually turn into a mockery of itself. The UN is an embarrassment and has no moral standing, which is a real shame.
👏👏👏 A brilliant article, Daniel! RIP Sir Patrick Stewart! May his memory be a blessing! 🇬🇧❤️🌸🌺💐🕊️🕯️🔭🪐☄️🛸🛰️🚀 One of the greatest actors to ever live has left us! The United Federation of Planets is a model for what the United Nations and the European Union need to become. The UN and EU are floundering right now because their membership criteria is too liberal. If you’re a nation-state that exists come on in! But it is precisely because they let nations come in merely for existing they have the problems they do. The UN is run by dictatorships and terrorists. It’s a farce that countries with abominable human rights records like Russia and China are on the UN Security Council and that countries like Iran, North Korea, Turkey, Syria, Cuba, the Congo, Myanmar, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, Belarus, and the Palestinian Territories get to be members. It is also completely ridiculous that the only democracy in the Middle East gets a billion resolutions passed against it but few to none are passed against any other nation. Russia can invade Ukraine, China can occupy Tibet for going on fifty-years, Iran can try to develop nuclear weapons and fund terrorist groups, North Korea can throw its own people in gulags, Syria can brutally repress democratic protests, Myanmar can murder the Rohingya Muslims at will, Cuba can jail, torture and murder democratic activists, Saudi Arabia can starve the people of Yemen, Turkey can slaughter the Kurds, Sudan can massacre black ethnic groups, and Fatah and Hamas can wage jihad on Israel and the Jewish people, and the UN will say little to nothing and won’t take any action to stop it. As to the EU, Greece can be irresponsible with its finances, Hungary can openly flout democratic norms and Ireland can be ferociously antisemitic and all are still allowed to be EU members. You are right, both the UN and the EU must raise the bar for entry and be more exclusive. Only free, democratic, high-income nations can be members. Until such time as this happens, the UN’s rulings means absolutely nothing!
"Thanks Daniel,
That is truly sad news. Your essay was on the mark."
- @Eli Kavon
I was rewatching Star Trek. I grew up with the Next Generation. I thought of Starfleet and the Federation as a paragon of morality (I still think of Picard's speech to Wesley, "the first duty of every Starfleet Officer is to the truth, be that scientific truth, historical truth, or personal truth".)
But I realised, in many ways, the Federation is not perfect, or even good! When Worf is accused of a war crime by shooting at a ship that decloaked directly in front of him in the middle of a shooting battle, not only did the clear tactical necessity not stand as a defense, but Starfleet offered up it's own to the Klingons. It should have said, we will investigate, you may observe, but our officers are subject to our jurisdiction, it ceeded this authority. In fact, this is a common occurrence. Being a Starfleet officer doesn't entitle you to any protections from the organisation it seems. And more so, if you look at the response to the changing "invasion" of earthin DS9, the Federation is an organisation that is ready and willing to clamp down on all personal freedoms, at a moments notice.
Some of these issues are explored in the show, but others, (particularly the ceeding of authority) are not examined at all, nor even pointed out as potentially morally suspect decisions.
But I digress. You are correct, any democracy that allows undemocratic members will eventually turn into a mockery of itself. The UN is an embarrassment and has no moral standing, which is a real shame.
👏👏👏 A brilliant article, Daniel! RIP Sir Patrick Stewart! May his memory be a blessing! 🇬🇧❤️🌸🌺💐🕊️🕯️🔭🪐☄️🛸🛰️🚀 One of the greatest actors to ever live has left us! The United Federation of Planets is a model for what the United Nations and the European Union need to become. The UN and EU are floundering right now because their membership criteria is too liberal. If you’re a nation-state that exists come on in! But it is precisely because they let nations come in merely for existing they have the problems they do. The UN is run by dictatorships and terrorists. It’s a farce that countries with abominable human rights records like Russia and China are on the UN Security Council and that countries like Iran, North Korea, Turkey, Syria, Cuba, the Congo, Myanmar, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon, Belarus, and the Palestinian Territories get to be members. It is also completely ridiculous that the only democracy in the Middle East gets a billion resolutions passed against it but few to none are passed against any other nation. Russia can invade Ukraine, China can occupy Tibet for going on fifty-years, Iran can try to develop nuclear weapons and fund terrorist groups, North Korea can throw its own people in gulags, Syria can brutally repress democratic protests, Myanmar can murder the Rohingya Muslims at will, Cuba can jail, torture and murder democratic activists, Saudi Arabia can starve the people of Yemen, Turkey can slaughter the Kurds, Sudan can massacre black ethnic groups, and Fatah and Hamas can wage jihad on Israel and the Jewish people, and the UN will say little to nothing and won’t take any action to stop it. As to the EU, Greece can be irresponsible with its finances, Hungary can openly flout democratic norms and Ireland can be ferociously antisemitic and all are still allowed to be EU members. You are right, both the UN and the EU must raise the bar for entry and be more exclusive. Only free, democratic, high-income nations can be members. Until such time as this happens, the UN’s rulings means absolutely nothing!
Take away all monies from the U.N., kick the U.N. and the members of the U.N. out of the U.S. and do not give them any more money.