Why the Prime Directive Might Actually Be a Terrible Rule

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[tekoneiric]

I prefer Futurama's god rule. “When you do things right, people won’t be sure you’ve done anything at all.”

[alduintheanti-dragonborn]

"What about the Vulcans guiding the development of Earth following first contact?"
"That's not canon yet!"
XD

[GeneralAtomics]

Spock: " That violates the Prime Directive."
Kirk: "Prime what?"

[christopherpetit]

So it sounds like the problem with the "Prime Directive" is the very one Picard cites as reason to save Wesley ("Justice is never as simple as a rule book.") when Wesley crushes some flowers on a planet where the only punishment is execution for ANY rule infraction. No law should ever be interpreted in an absolute black-and-white. The INTENT is good, to avoid Starfleet empire building, but it needs more shades of grey and exceptions for special cases ("Yes, you can intervene to save an entire civilization, but keep the exposure as minimal as possible." and "Yes, you can intervene to ease planet wide suffering, but again keep the exposure as minimal as possible.") Even our laws for murder have shades of grey for self-defense and degrees of severity (involuntary manslaughter versus intentional murder versus pre-planned murder)

[NullRageGaming]

The prime directive is a law, made by law makers. It is exactly what it needs to be: a way for Star Fleet to disavow the actions of a captain (or any member of Star Fleet really) should anything go wrong. And should things turn out fine then they just don't mention it.

[ZackofSpades]

"To ignore the plight of those one might conceivably save is not wisdom. It is indolence."- Big Louie

[RBdreams]

Good one! Picard said it best in "Justice" when he said no law should be absolute. That includes the Prime Directive.

[Dumb-Comment]

"Jean-Luc that's a waffle"
We might forget about pancakes as well

[loCol]

“That’s not cannon yet!!” - that was always my fav line from Picard in the Symbiosis Episode

[tzisorey]

I would argue the Prime Directive is like Asimov's Three Laws Of Robotics - interesting not in how it's upheld, but rather in how it's broken.

[NimhLabs]

I always assumed the rule was created to stop Captains from pulling a Kirk and having thousands of children through out the galaxy.

[PassportBrosBusinessClass]

The Nibiru weren't just "pre warp"

They were PRE STEAM ENGINE.

[robertjones]

“Jean-Luc that’s a waffle” I almost died 🤣

[lizardlegend]

5:40 TNG is actually probably the only show where if nothing bad happens and everything goes to plan, it's still really entertaining. One of my favourite episodes is S4 Ep2, Family, where after dealing with the Borg, the enterprise docks at Earth and Piccard visits his family and settles his differences with his brother.

[JohnSmith-skcg]

While I generally agree with your arguments, I think drawing the line at warp drive isn't arbitrary. The invention of warp drive is the point when a species can start interfering with other civilizations. They are no longer living in isolation and can impact the galactic community.

[costelo_]

"The only thing evil needs to go on is the passiveness of good people."

[Oonagh]

“Jean-Luc…that’s a waffle. “ Dead. Pan. 😂

[TomBagwell]

I think they lost the meaning of the Prime Directive after TOS. Kirk had the best feel for how it was to be interpreted. It applied to developing societies, allowing the saving of endangered civilizations or ones that had stopped developing. Contrary to TNG guidelines, Starfleet actually sent the Enterprise to prevent the destruction of a primitive society in The Paradise Syndrome.

[rasheedqe]

Don't interfere with the development of other species that are not warp capable unless there lives are in immanent mortal danger or danger of extinction. That would fix about 90 percent of the problems with the prime directive. Although you would think the prime directive would be don't piss of an hostile alien empire.

[ryanrobot]

With the alien addict episode I always just think the ferengi pulled up after they left and cut themselves in on the action