The Hubble Space Telescope

Disclaimer

In these posts, we discuss a non-“Free as in Freedom” popular culture franchise property, including occasional references to part of that franchise behind a paywall. My discussion and conclusions carry a Free Culture license, but nothing about the discussion or conclusions should imply any attack on the ownership of the properties. All the big names are trademarks of the owners, and so forth, and everything here relies on sitting squarely within the bounds of Fair Use, as criticism that uses tiny parts of each show to extrapolate the world that the characters live in.

Previously…

I initially outlined the project in this post, for those falling into this from somewhere else. In short, we attempt to use the details presented in Star Trek to assemble a view of what life looks like in the Federation. This “phase” of the project changes from previous posts, however. The Next Generation takes place long after the original series, so we shouldn’t expect similar politics and socialization. Maybe more importantly, I enjoy the series less.

Put simply, you shouldn’t read this expecting a recap or review of an episode. Those have both been done to death over nearly sixty years. You will find a catalog of information that we learn from each episode, though, so expect everything to be a potential “spoiler,” if that’s an irrational fear that you might have.

Rather than list every post in the series here, you can easily find them all on the startrek tag page.

Next Generation Season 4 Summary

I don’t think that I have anything particularly interesting to say about this season—I’ve already written about the season’s obsession with treating the franchise like a family drama—so let’s jump right in…

Conclusions

As I did with the original cast seasons, unlike the discussions of individual episodes, I’ll skip the judgment calls and instead break everything down by field of practice.

Before we get moving, as usual, I feel it worth a reminder that Star Trek doesn’t show our future. We see deviations in the timeline, especially when the writers try to predict their futures. I won’t collect them—many people have picked apart the franchise timeline and decided how to resolve the contradictions, including the studio itself—but I wanted to make that point clear early.

Training and Professionalism

When engaging an enemy, the crew doesn’t seem to have any interest in what that enemy might know about their plans, even when they know about a security breach1.

Nobody seems to log changes in orders, instead deflecting blame when problems arise2. They similarly seem to have no interest in investigating peculiar situations that they encounter3.

When students conduct reckless experiments with clear dangers, their instructors wait until they have inflicted damage before reining it in4. Similarly, guards attempt to stop escapees by mildly raising their voices5.

People still find it reasonable to play games3 6 or drink alcohol7, even during tense moments in a mission6. But they don’t bother to read up on their upcoming missions5 8 6 9 or even plan their personal lives6, and then feel shocked when foreseen consequences ensue8 9. They also continue to have their “locker room talk” on the job, in front of their colleagues10. And yet, they feel overworked11.

They can, however, almost always find time to praise their boss for the most mundane achievements12 9, and seem terrified of offending that person13 9. We also continue to see double-standards based on authority, criticizing the less-powerful for attributes deemed praiseworthy in the more-powerful14. In some cases, they consider murder an acceptable preemptive punishment for the potential to defy orders at some future time14.

While most leadership portrayed takes a top-down, authoritarian stance, at least some young leaders try to emotionally support their workers.15. However, we also see leaders fail to confront problematic workers, instead making passive-aggressive statements in private14.

At least on ships, people don’t secure known poisons in areas accessible by children2. People get no warnings when leaders agree to surrender terms to alien groups, and so can’t prepare, no matter the costs11. People don’t pay attention to their colleagues16, nor do they follow up when they discover a massive and potentially deadly manufacturing defect16. They also test suspicious weapons in work areas near important equipment17.

It has begun to dawn on at least certain people that they have behaved poorly in the past16.

Many people get highly defensive when reading their records back to them, treating them as cynical attacks to undermine16 17.

Nobody seems to respect anybody else’s time, scheduling meetings to deliver information in the most inefficient verbal ways possible, instead of sending reports18. Related, they see two hours as a reasonable block of time for such activities, even if the report would take much less time18.

Economics

We finally discover that the man who insisted that money has no meaning anymore actually comes from a family with ancestral wealth and a large business19, and thinks of squash as an accessible way to work off stress20 or horseback riding as an accessible hobby21. He imagines that only fear could prevent people from joining him21. He—along with Wesley—doesn’t seem to understand the idea of limited cargo space8.

People of lower social classes can expect insults and other emotional abuse from people who consider themselves superior8 22.

Likewise, wealthy and high-status people get special treatment, such as organizations asking them to take a prominent position in professional societies where their hobbies overlap9.

The Federation apparently resolves certain inequalities by abandoning failed colonies and the people who live there3.

Even with a greatly diminished fleet, Starfleet still ferries passengers around the galaxy4.

At least some people seem to envision staying in the same position at the same job for decades23. However, they don’t seem to expect long voyages to return, only looking for lost ships if they happen to stumble across evidence while on other business15.

Many people see productivity as their highest virtue, something to prioritize even over health21 22, and jobs expect people two show up to work the moment that any time off ends, no matter how much effort that takes17.

At least certain people have access to replicators for civilian items6, and at least some civilians have access to them for food production12 10, though they consider it of lower quality than human-prepared food12. As a result, many people have lost practice cooking10.

The Federation will overlook a variety of social ills in a trading partner, if they find that relationship valuable22.

People see raising children as requiring significant sacrifice22.

Colonization

The Federation appears to celebrate its settler colonial past19.

In some cases, the Federation abandons colonies and ceases to consider the colonists citizens3.

Science and Technology

Starfleet doesn’t appear to have standardized on any specific set of units of measurement21 24 14, and doesn’t seem to care about the design processes that create their tools24.

We seem to still have a concern about technology, whether the food replicators12 or the transporters18. Despite that, and other presumed problems, some planets use global-scale weather control systems17.

Design

Computer security continues to fail, often using voice recognition fooled by recordings2 and decent passwords considered too complicated to deal with2 5.

Similarly, when computers track a person’s location, they require special instruction to explain if that person has left the monitored area5 25. The computers must, however, notify users of the security consequences of their actions, giving them a chance to stop before reporting an offense6. However, computers also have the capability to erase all evidence of a crime from its memory17.

Computers don’t appear to log recent activities25.

Day-and-night cycles happen based on explicit commands delivered by ranking members of the crew, rather than a clock6.

Health Care

People in general, or at least Starfleet, maintains a narrow view of psychiatric health, conflating care with casual advice with no boundaries19, often leaving people to avoid reacting to traumatic events3 15 14. They appear to resolve this by accepting that patients will sometimes have breakdowns when the stress overwhelms them19 15, including shaming people who want to mourn death21, even though they do occasionally admit that expressing grief has benefits21 15. Most people consider sleep wasted time and a sign of weakness, unless it causes psychiatric problems15. It especially doesn’t seem to have any interest in treating children2.

Nobody respects the counselor’s job, apparently including the counselor, with some believing that the work can only happen with psychic abilities21, and will assign one counselor for a population of a thousand trauma-prone people21.

Medicine in general also seems lax, ignoring a patient’s dizziness2 or asserting that nobody will die2.

We get more mentions of the marginalization and pity that people with disabilities encounter21. We also see the myth (called out as such) that people with disabilities gain additional abilities to compensate21.

The Federation continues its moral panic over illicit drugs15. However, people carry around their own pharmaceuticals, even if they go to a doctor to have them administered16. The majority of Federation drugs still appear to have brand names18.

People appear to leave known poisons in locations accessible by children2 and don’t appear to know where to find their nearest protected shelter areas15.

Academia

We continue to see a strong anti-intellectual trend, with people insisting on simplifying even non-complex ideas before bothering to listen4 21 14.

Similarly, people who “have read some papers” on a subject wonder if they have the same insight into the field as dedicated experts9.

People may not understand their technology, whether they need search results or recharging portable devices17.

Many people find it difficult to alphabetize short lists of words17.

Food and Drink

Civilians have some access to replicators for food production12, though they consider it of lower quality than human-prepared food12. Others see the manual preparation of food as an uncivilized practice12 and/or have lost the practice of cooking in their households10.

Many people have little experience with foods from outside the traditions of their dominant ethnic heritage12.

Crime

Violence still seems routine as a technique for solving problems19 3. Probably related, they seem to believe that humans naturally have a mean streak that predisposes them to violence and callousness21.

Starfleet appears to subscribe to a theory of “bad apples,” when dealing with war crimes, removing the leader and ignoring everyone else12 16.

They seem to find the idea of confidence games charming13, and don’t think that regulations should apply to them unless convenient24.

Government, Law, and Corrections

At least Earth, and possibly the entire Federation, appears to allow massive environmental changes by private organizations, such as manipulating tectonic plates19.

Until the Federation abandons them to leave them to their own devices, some failing colonies live under the rule of violent gangs or in a state of armed civil war with minefields laid in populated areas3.

The Prime Directive appears to stem from some theory of the “natural” advancement of cultures, and an assumption that helping people actually harms them7. It no longer appears to apply to civilians22. Sometimes, they believe that the Prime Directive prevents them from associating with allied powers26.

The Federation recognizes a presumption of innocence in a court of law, and a related right against self-incrimination16. However, advocates can apparently lie to suspects in hearings and trials16.

Ethics

Officials think nothing of accepting gifts from foreign officials who want something3.

While they mourn the accidental death of a new form of life, they quickly prepare to deliberately kill more when they seem like an inconvenience24, or condemn an entire species to extinction25.

Similarly, it doesn’t take much evidence, if any, to abandon someone to a presumed-unpleasant fate25 18. They also regret rescuing people who become inconveniences to them9.

People seem split on Picard returning to Starfleet with no consequences for his role in the deaths of thousands of his peers, and the degree of responsibility that he bears for his collaboration16.

Volunteers to save the life of a parasitic form of intelligent life seem rare18.

While they quickly realize what they sound like in saying it, people seem to believe that sharing facts would violate the Federation’s core principles26.

Religion

They seem to shame people who want to mourn death21, even though they do occasionally admit that expressing grief has benefits21 15.

We see some occasional expressions suggesting an Abrahamic religious background for at least some human characters8. Some subset of that appears to believe in the Devil as a literal creature dressed as portrayed in children’s media13.

Family

In circles with significant status, they consider the preservation of their family name highly important20.

We continue to see that parents and almost universally pressure their children to live up to their specific definitions of success, where they see supportive parents as shocking19, and many young people build their lives around trying to win the approval of the adults in their lives8. Many families pride themselves on the members who died involved in military actions20.

Affectionate touching often seems off-limits, the absence highlighted by rare hugs19. They appear to find the idea of men emotionally supporting each other—with or without hugs—a laughable one21, though some extreme circumstances do call for it18.

In disputes, child custody can apparently only ever have one of two outcomes, and they generally decide which based on emotional considerations instead of the health of the child20. Many young people feel directionless8.

Some parents view child-rearing as a transactional training of their future caregivers22.

Romantic relationships continue to include violent jealousy that it doesn’t warrant mention when people see it15 9. Romantic partners also seem to actively avoid communicating directly, preferring to air grievance lists as entertainment10, and many see romance as a transactional and often abusive way to force emotional bonding10.

Families don’t seem to maintain contact19 18.

Aging

As people age, they seem to either become invisible or ridiculous to others22.

Gender Roles

Sexism continues to exist19 4 11 18, including the expectation that women present themselves as charming and considerate of people’s feelings6 24 9 16 18 or the use of the word “hysteria”13. In addition, expressing anger quickly destroys a woman’s authority16.

Men apparently sometimes offer to help women with their careers, in return for marrying them19, and people seem to think of manipulating women as fair24 25. Many such women appear to give up their full names, taking on an identity as their husband’s wife23.

People advise mothers to put their personal issues aside to aid the men in their lives19 6. The working wives of important men also appear to have additional duties related to their husbands’ jobs23. People also frequently treat women as targets for seduction24 9, or dismiss what women have to say4 6 11 24, even condemning them as delusional before taking them seriously4 6 11. Women also take the blame for any poor treatment of them by men24 14 9, with most authority figures disinterested except for wanting to hear the details for entertainment value14.

Many seem to find it acceptable to monitor the locations of female colleagues in order to question their judgment about personal issues18.

People seem to find it especially objectionable for older women to feel attractive or have opinions22.

We do, however, see certain women push back against sexist ideas4 3 6. And while seemingly rare, friendships between people of different genders do appear to exist25.

Men, especially in positions of authority, believe that they need to appear invulnerable and emotionless at all times19 21 9.

Red roses continue to pervade images of love among humans18.

Though they can work towards overcoming it, the show tells us outright that humans have some inherent bias against romantic entanglements with (effectively) transgender people18.

Sex

People seem to think of sex as so rare that they want to get to know people who may have engaged in it6.

Something seems shameful about supportive romances between peers18.

While they know that they shouldn’t feel this way, people don’t have any actual problems with taking advantage of a vulnerable person to explore one’s sexuality with them10.

Race Relations and Nationalism

People continue to insist that androids don’t have emotions, even when they display emotions and people acknowledge them2 3 6 25, often using that as grounds to not care how that person will feel3, though we also see the opposite dynamic, using the alleged lack of emotions to not care how other people feel6. People also complain when androids provide too much information or tailor the information for the situation21, and instruct them in ways that allow the instructor to immediately criticize them when they follow those instructions14. And they still don’t appear to have any actual civil liberties, only privileges granted by superiors11.

We see similar biases against Vulcans6, Bajorans21 16 and Klingons16, asserting stereotypes as personalities. They also racialize routine social interactions with the belief that anybody who can see through transparent flattery must have psychic abilities9.

Entities that change bodies in some way seem to especially draw hatred and isolation18.

Humans believe that they have a special status and destiny apart from aliens20. However, even among humans, people still have trouble respecting each other’s traditions12, with people seemingly living in ethnic segregation12. Non-humans living in human communities have uncomfortable lives26. However, in certain cases, they do look to non-humans as role-models for the best of humanity26.

Starfleet and other parts of the workforce may have a ban on individuals of at least Romulan descent16.

Certain groups of people need to work much harder than others to prove that they have valid ideas and get people to listen to them4, often needing to prove themselves each time it comes up4.

The Federation appears to believe that roughly a dozen token people from other backgrounds in a group of over a thousand humans from Earth qualifies as strong diversity5. The idea of increasing that limited diversity in the future shocks at least some people23.

In addition, the Federation believes itself to achieved such a perfect society that its leaders justify nearly any action, no matter how extreme or severe, to protect that vision16.

International Relations

We continue to see that certain societies serve as permanent enemies. They constantly use the Romulans as targets of hate and disgust1. And when the Borg speak of improving the quality of life, nobody wants to hear what they mean1.

The Federation still has a terrible reputation outside its border20 12 18 17, even among allies17 26, including of trying to start wars12 17 and delaying the enforcement of treaty mandates12. This extends distrusting the presence of Starfleet officers at peace negotiations18.

In Starfleet, at least, people from some foreign powers don’t warrant the use of their official titles when addressing them20, even when the same courtesy gets extended to them. Even allied governments see this sort of disrespect5 26, as well as that of forcing them to work with people not recognized by their governments5. And we see sovereign governments mostly brushed aside13 7 26. First contact procedures seem indistinguishable from espionage and manipulation7, and have a fear of allowing uncontrollable cultures to enter interstellar space7.

People seem to believe that they need to respond to attacks by significantly weaker powers with complete eradication20. And we continue to see dominance over foreign cultures prioritized13 12 22 26, unless they can fight back12 26.

They continue to use the Ferengi5 and Romulans5 23 6 16 17 26 as political punching bags, whether comparing people to them as an insult, or imagining their invisible machinations around every corner, or both. They seem to believe that Romulan equipment can only ever come directly from Romulan territory, as opposed to any number of intermediaries5. Many see the Romulans patrolling their border as an existential threat6, and see any sacrifice for peace as the responsibility of the Romulans6. Many see any connection to the Romulans as inherently suspicious16.

Beyond the Federation’s borders, the Ferengi seem to have better reputations23.

Despite a vicious war in the recent past, many in the Federation have at least tried to overcome their hatred of the Cardassians and atoning for their actions in the war12. However, the overt racism against Cardassians seems common enough that authority figures assign security and psychological profiling to protect them from human outrage12. Many humans even support the mass murder of Cardassian civilians, comparing it favorably with more mundane crimes, and presuming that doing so can avoid a war12.

Even among allies, many harbor ill-will or suspicions against Klingons16 26.

They seem to quickly forgive all transgressions, however, when the foreign power offers them an economic advantage14 22. Likewise, they can apparently only rescue ships in distress if it would gain the Federation a clear political advantage26.

The Federation doesn’t consider an ally’s civil war to have anything to do with them, unless it affects them personally5 26.

They do seem, however, to support starting a war over petty issues6 12 17, with Starfleet only actively opposing such actions if they believe that they would lose the resulting war12. And the Federation can fight a brutal, multi-year war, without even people in Starfleet mentioning it12. They also glorify fights against foreign influence, such as the attack on Starfleet headquarters that left many senior officers dead in the name of stopping aliens16.

Somehow, the Federation celebrates April Fools’ Day2 and birthdays23. Holidays from non-Western cultures, however, get described in broad terms when acknowledged6. They celebrate many holidays with fireworks10.

Wedding traditions don’t appear to have changed significantly from the twentieth century, and still rely on ethnic cultural traditions6.

The 1930s American experience appears to still dominate the popular culture6, though drama from earlier centuries still resonates14, as does opera10.

“Latin music” still exists as a nebulous genre that can mean almost anything17.

Socialization

People often seem to refer to each other by names that they find convenient to assign, rather than abiding by the preferences of the person who they address23. They also see vicious insults as an overture to friendship6 or even romance10, but only towards those of lower status6.

We also see a lot of nosiness19 18 17.

Fashion

The Federation hasn’t found ways to make clothing breathable, requiring under-layers for comfort10.

History

People appear to learn about Henry VIII as a dashing romantic figure10.

Next

Come back in a week, when we go back to the Klingon antics in Redemption, part 2.

Credits: The header image is Hubble Space Telescope by NASA Goddard, in the public domain by NASA policy.

Footnotes

  1. The Best of Both Worlds, part 2 ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  2. Brothers ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10

  3. Legacy ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11

  4. Remember Me ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9

  5. Reunion ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11

  6. Data’s Day ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16 ↩17 ↩18 ↩19 ↩20 ↩21 ↩22 ↩23 ↩24 ↩25

  7. First Contact ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  8. Final Mission ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  9. Qpid ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13

  10. In Theory ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12

  11. Clues ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  12. The Wounded ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16 ↩17 ↩18 ↩19 ↩20 ↩21 ↩22

  13. Devil’s Due ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  14. The Nth Degree ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11

  15. Night Terrors ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10

  16. The Drumhead ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16 ↩17 ↩18 ↩19

  17. The Mind’s Eye ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14

  18. The Host ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16 ↩17 ↩18

  19. Family ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14

  20. Suddenly Human ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8

  21. The Loss ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16 ↩17 ↩18

  22. Half a Life ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10

  23. Future Imperfect ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8

  24. Galaxy’s Child ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9

  25. Identity Crisis ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  26. Redemption, part 1 ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13