An exception to the rule
Mar. 20th, 2004 09:46 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cmdr_zoomI shouldn't be up this early on a Saturday, but gas woke me up. Ow.
Here's a cheerier observation for today, since the earlier matter seems to be resolved (or at least mending):
In classic Trek, interfering with a computer-managed society is never ever against the Prime Directive, despite all evidence to the contrary.
Here's a cheerier observation for today, since the earlier matter seems to be resolved (or at least mending):
In classic Trek, interfering with a computer-managed society is never ever against the Prime Directive, despite all evidence to the contrary.
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Heh...
Date: 2004-03-20 10:18 am (UTC)... so what if the society is ALL computers? :)
(Hmm. The Federation VS The Culture.)
Re: Heh...
Date: 2004-03-20 11:21 am (UTC)If it's Roddenberry, the Culture is dismantled after Kirk makes an impassioned speech about human achievement and the need for opportunity and, yes, struggle.
If it's Banks, the Culture pats the Federation on the head and gives it a lolly.
Re: Heh...
Date: 2004-03-21 05:46 am (UTC)In Banks' universe, you are correct.
In a neutral universe (in which both get their regular abilities) it gets very ugly, because on paper the Culture should mop the floor with the Feddies, but the Feddies have MagicTech(TM) and Plot Device Manufacturing(TM) which could put Doc Smith and JWC and even Fanthorpe to shame.
Re: Heh...
Date: 2004-03-22 02:39 pm (UTC)It's there in TOS, trust me. Kirk does plenty of speechifying about human this and that in episodes where computers are in charge, or threaten to become so. Do you really want a list?
Kirking planets
Date: 2004-03-23 06:06 am (UTC)Speeches were for human beings. Evil computers controlling people (and if the computers are in charge, they are of necessity evil, right?) were for cheap logic problems or for someone setting them up the bomb. Kirk would blow up/cause to short-circuit the Culture Minds, and THEN he would make an uplifting Speech to all the humans who Are Now Free Of The Evil Stultifying Power of the Minds.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-03-20 12:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-03-20 04:13 pm (UTC)Second, all TOS computers are like that (or even earlier - try late 60s). And by the definitions of that series, computers cannot have real culture, or a healthy society, or... They're just machines, after all.