“How does the Federation reconcile our support of ongoing Terraforming projects on Qo’noS while the Klingons have resumed conquering entire sectors?”
A good question, and one that I think persists into the TNG era. The Federation and the Klingons (mostly) make nice, and canon/the Federation mostly ignores the fact that the Klingons are still imperialistic and, at the very least, have no interest in relinquishing their claim to the worlds they have subjugated.
“You would think that,” Glal countered, “but I wonder how much of that is a grand social pretense? Is there really any glory when a Klingon soldier in the bowels of an engine room is atomized when his ship explodes? Does his or her family mourn their absence any less, regardless of how many songs are sung about the honor of it?”
Another astute insight. I also like the conversation immediately after this. I've always been interested in Klingons who don't want to be warriors. As you say, the scientists and the doctors and the writers. I think they could fit into the Klingon paradigm (doctors fight sickness, scientists fight ignorance, writers fight themselves to make words happen *g*), but it would require a society willing to expand the paradigm to accommodate them.
It's a complicated, messy relationship, both here and in the later TNG era, with the UFP having to stomach a lot of bad behavior on the Empire's part.
At this time the Federation still doesn't understand the Klingons well, aside from a few outliers like Ambassador Dax. Trujillo's a Kronophile, but has a lot to learn about them yet.
Comment on An Idiot's Guide to Gunboat Diplomacy
sixbeforelunch on Chapter 6 Thu 05 Oct 2023 12:14AM UTC
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Gibraltar on Chapter 6 Thu 05 Oct 2023 02:45AM UTC
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