Star Trek: 15 Most Culturally Significant Episodes

This early Star Trek episode depicted the utter futility of endless war, with two civilizations digitally bombing each other - keeping structures and countries safe, but condemning the people of those locations to death.

The entire society and, by extension, the peace they enjoy is based on adherence to this rule - if you are caught within the designated blast zone of an attack, you must report to an execution chamber immediately. You have already died, now you must take care of the remains.

Endless. Pointless. Merciless.

Though this cold way of conducting war continues to destroy the populations, it has robbed both of their freedoms. Without any shots being fired, both civilizations remain in stalemate under the guise of peace.

The computer tallies of the dead were created as an allusion to the daily death tolls reported from the Vietnam War in 1967. There are also many actions conducted by the crew that seem to jar with the peaceful nature of the Federation. They involve themselves in the affairs of another society, which is at odds with the Prime Directive. Although we are supposed to sympathise with Kirk and co, how often in the real world has this led to strife?

They actively sabotage the planet's computer system as well. Again, we are to sympathise with Starfleet, yet it is a comment on when it becomes acceptable to interfere with the internal systems of government with other states.