Star Trek: 10 Times The Federation Was The Bad Guy
3. The Hunt For The Fountain Of Youth
When Data's ethical programming makes him go completely berserk at the start of Star Trek: Insurrection, it's clear that someone, somewhere, has messed up big time.
The Federation Council knowingly approved the forced relocation of the Ba'ku, just so their shady new partners, the Son'a, can harvest metaphasic particles to create the health supplement of all health supplements.
That's about it. It's that simple. That shameful. That dishonourable.
Let's look at that again, shall we? They spied on the peaceful Ba'ku and roped Data into their studies, who inevitably stumbled onto the truth. Data was shot in an attempt to protect the conspiracy, triggering his ethical programming to take over and expose the whole rotten lot of them. They intended to wait until the Ba'ku were asleep, abduct them, and dump them on another planet without their knowledge or consent.
And even after the Ba'ku become aware of the plans to force them from their homes, and Picard promises to help them with their plight, Team Son'ation chases them into the mountains to hunt every last villager down...and sends ships after the Enterprise for good measure.
What were they thinking? Did they learn nothing from the Maquis? No matter the benefits of the metaphasic particles, and no matter how small the Ba'ku population is, it doesn't justify ripping a community away from their home without consent. The ends do not justify the means.
The only good thing to come from their plan is one of Picard's very best speeches:
How many people does it take, Admiral, before it becomes wrong? A thousand? Fifty thousand? A million? How many people does it take, Admiral?