7. The Cardassians
Ah, what do you do with neighbors that think they are the natural rulers of the entire Alpha Quadrant? Neighbors that you have already went to war with only to have it end in a ceasefire? You try to give them what they want! There is another name for that appeasement. Deep Space Nine shows the long history of appeasement towards the Cardassians starting with Star Trek: The Next Generation. The Federation gave them border colonies that were once under Federation rule, creating the Maquis, colonist who fought the Cardassians for their homes and way of life. The Federation also turned a blind eye for fifty years to the occupation of Bajor. But no good deed (questionably) goes unpunished the Cardassians entered the war on the Dominion side. Should the Federation have dealt with the Dominion when they had the chance before the inclusion of the Dominion? Does appeasement ever work? Or does it make the appeased want more, more power, more territory?