Star Trek: 10 Times The Federation Was The Bad Guy
The Federation usually plays the hero, but there are times it failed to practise what it preached.
The Federation likes to think of itself as the good guy. And most of the time, we'd agree. But for an organisation that gets so much right, they sure do a good impression of the bad guy now and then...
Una Chin-Riley recently reminded us in A Case of Chiaroscuro that Starfleet isn't always right. And after centuries of adventures, that claim has some receipts. In fact, it's fair to say that on occasion, both Starfleet and the Federation get it very, very wrong indeed.
Considering the tome of directives, rules and protocols they have, it's remarkable how often we're left staring open-mouthed at the screen, wondering how many get-out-of-jail-free cards they have. Their slip-ups are even more baffling when you consider just how often Star Trek has tried to convince us that humanity has finally got its act together.
To be clear, this isn't a list of misguided solo campaigns. No, these are the decisions where Starfleet and the Federation as a whole really should have known better. From shady experiments to outright discrimination, these are ten times the Federation should have taken a long, hard look at itself in the mirror.
Are you ready to count how often it was all for the 'greater good'?
10. Abandoning Colonies To The Cardassians
We thought we'd start with an entirely non-controversial entry...and then went with this instead.
The path to the Dominion War gets a little muddy, but it has roots as far back as The Next Generation. In Journey's End, negotiations with the Cardassians results in colonies from both sides ending up in each other's territory. Seemingly, the fact that everyone lost something made it a satisfactory solution...?
Picard is tasked with evacuating a colony of Native Americans who had searched far and wide for the right home to preserve their cultural identity. Admiral Nechayev doesn't seem thrilled at the prospect, but dutifully rattles off the usual disturbing dehumanising rhetoric; it's a reasonable price to pay, concessions had to be made, and it's for the greater good.
And it was just the start.
Enter the Maquis; reckless rebels or valiant resistance fighters (depending on your viewpoint). They joined together to defend the worlds abandoned by the Federation when colonists who wouldn't (or couldn't) evacuate were left at the mercy of the Cardassians. And as we learnt from Ro and Kira, the Cardassians could be a brutal occupying force.
Despite imploring the Federation to rethink its stance given the harm it was causing, it remained adamant that sacrifices were necessary to keep the peace. And while we do see some Starfleet officers question the decisions made, it's a wonder more didn't protest the obvious appeasement of an unacceptable regime. A position that didn't age well, given Cardassia's eventual alliance with the Dominion.
The Federation's actions not only have echoes of the forced displacement of Native Americans, but also the failed policies of appeasement towards militaristic powers throughout history. It seems the Federation failed to heed the warning from history, especially about what happens when people's lives and homes are reduced to numbers.