Why NOT to Join the Federation

There are just as many reasons to say no when looking at the Federation of Planets what with their extensive list of rules and regulations that it enforces. Many see it as a human-centric arrogant organisation that spouts its ideals to all who will listen.

...i mean, at times... they're not wrong.

This is Part Four of a Federation series I'm working on exploring the different aspects of the UFP.

Cultural Index Series:

Orion Syndicate Emblem by Paul Mahler:

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

Star Trek Online developed by Cryptic Studios and Perfect World.
Star Trek, Star Trek First Contact and Star Trek
Enterprise/Voyager/Deep Space Nine and The Next Generation are all owned by Paramount Pictures and distributed by CBS.
This Video is for educational purposes with com

[Psiros]

Welcome to Section 31's Persons-of-Interest list. :)

[LAHFaust]

"I know you. I was like you once, but then I opened my eyes. Open your eyes, captain. Why is the Federation so obsessed with the Maquis? We've never harmed you. And yet we're constantly arrested and charged with terrorism. Starships chase us through the Badlands and our supporters are harassed and ridiculed. Why? Because we've left the Federation, and that's the one thing you can't accept. Nobody leaves paradise. Everyone should want to be in the Federation. Hell, you even want the Cardassians to join. You're only sending them replicators because one day they can take their 'rightful place' on the Federation Council. You know, in some ways you're even worse than the Borg. At least they tell you about their plans for assimilation. You're more insidious. You assimilate people and they don't even know it."

[CulturePhilter]

The Romulan Ale situation is basically the same as the USA’s Cuban Cigar situation.

[Romirs]

I actually didn't think about that before, you're right. The Federation was in war with literally every major power in the galaxy. Damn.

[dio]

Why not join the borg, you'll get connected, meet new races, share ideas, travel to far places using the transwarp conduits, face exiting challenges (caution, there challanges are potentially dangerous, such as the assimilation of Spaces 8472) and your voice will always be heard.

[btly-wing]

Don't get assigned to a Miranda-class ship, they're guaranteed to get blown up whenever there's a space battle!

Especially if flying nearby ships with main characters on them.

[thenewpav]

I want you to try something for me. Take a sip of this.
What is it?
A human drink; it's called root beer.
I dunno...
Come on. Aren't you just a little bit curious? What do you think?
It's vile!
I know. It's so bubbly, cloying...and happy.
Just like the Federation.
And you know what's really frightening? If you drink enough of it, you begin to like it.
It's insidious.
Just like the Federation.

[Sensitiveskeptic]

"Flexible when it suits them" describes the federation perfectly

[haleffect]

You will like the UFP.
It is the greatest power in the quadrant and is the center of all love peace and prosperity.
It takes care of you, and looks after you, it is your religion and your ruler.
UFP is life, UFP is love.

*please don't kill me section 31, I did what you asked for...

[pmahler]

2:49 You used my version of the Orion Syndicate logo! Glad to see it's getting some use around the Internet!

[LZRFC]

Honestly, I think I wouldn't want my race joining for two reasons.

1. The ban on cloaking research.
2. The ban on genetic research.

Both have proven to be tremendously powerful shown many times as the Romulans use their cloak 100% of the time and the fact that a single genetically modified human has easily taken over thousand person ships (Klingon and Human) multiple times.

[gbthend]

"We don't respect other cultures! We CONQUER them!!!"
- General Martok, KDF

[danielskrivan]

Some of those enemies would be enemies regardless. For example, the Borg.

[Dan-ufvh]

90% of Starfleet is human because of ST production reasons ^^ .. and story telling.. and stuff

[theatheistpaladin]

Which species would you choose? The borg chooses you.

[kproductions]

Many of the flaws in the Federation can be traced back to a failure in writing during the TNG era's later years. Many times some writers directly contradict what had come before just to tell their story. Some of them didn't want to see the Federation as an idealistic society, so they purposefully wrote in ways to make it seem distasteful, and everything thereafter was forced to maintain these precedents because "canon".

The whole purpose of the Federation in Star Trek was to be a brighter future we would hope to one day achieve, as if as a platform for saying "the world seems like a horrible place today, but a brighter future can come if we all work toward it". Yet, down the road, writers wanted things to be "more realistic" to today's problems, which completely invalidates the whole reason for the Federation and Star Trek's existence. Rick Berman may be the principal culprit to blame for that

[bigl]

I just rewatched the TNG episode "legacy" and the fact Turkana IV even exist is a blemish on the Federation. It is a huge humanitarian crisis the Federation willingly allowed to happen. Even though Turkana IV was unaffiliated, the Federation still would have been obligated to resecure the settlement in order to safeguard citizens that were likely trapped in the chaos at no fault of their own. The Federation had the "military" means to do so, and refusing to is one of the Feds most cold-hearted and cruel actions of all Trek.

[sobemonster]

Join the Pakled, we search for things to make us go. Simple easy lifestyle.

[jamestown]

I remember one episode where a Federation Explorer found a primitive alien planet with two species, one of which was dying out because of a disease. Despite being able to cure it easily, the explorer refused to on the basis that the dying species was "a genetic dead end". In other words he consigned all those aliens to die painfully, and to watch their children die. The Federation liked this decision so much they declared it the basis of the Prime Directive.


Isaac Arthur makes a good point on why the Prime Directive is both cruel (allowing suffering you could easily fix) and impractical (all it takes is one person who disagrees with it and owns a ship to break it).

[MarkLewis...]

You struggled... because you see the reality of each species independently, and are not distracted by the forced perspective of each of the alternate species, through Federation eyes. No nation, real or in ST lore, is as noble as it thinks it is. I'm a huge Star Trek fan and you did an awesome and commendable job on this project.