Star Trek: The Rebel Generation

[jimmyjimjam]

Originally Posted by Captain-Captain

And parallels SPECIFICALLY negated that previous episode how?

Arguing about contradictions in Trek seems pointless. They so many, they are beyond counting.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by dataweaver

As for the genetic engineering thing, don't forget that a major cast member of DS9 was in fact the product of human genetic engineering, geared toward producing a superior human. Mind you, his family got into big trouble when word of this leaked out; OTOH, there did not seem to be any further repercussions to the character in question.

He was protected by already being a member of Starfleet. I'm assuming, however that was what brought him to the attention of Section 31.

[dataweaver]

Originally Posted by jimmyjimjam

Arguing about contradictions in Trek seems pointless. They so many, they are beyond counting.

So why invent new ones?

[Anders]

Originally Posted by dataweaver

This brings up the question: You say that the society respects civil rights; but what if said civil rights are contingent on the person in question being "Homo Servus", as you put it? True, that would make said rights a sham; but since most Federation citizens are properly indoctrinated, who'd notice?

Many present-day dictatorships have an extensive bill of rights with an "except when we want to"-clause at the end... the Soviet Union had an extensive bill of rights - but all rights could be nullified if someone decided that it was in "the interest of the people" to nullify them. Since all security officers got to decide what was "in the interest of the people," the bill of rights was essentially worthless.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by Asta Kask

Many present-day dictatorships have an extensive bill of rights with an "except when we want to"-clause at the end...

That's dangerously close to derailing this thread into politics.
Remember this is the gurps forum.

Star Trek characters could reduce the net cost of cool advantages with a secret: genetically modified.

[Anders]

Rebuke accepted, Flyndaran.

A possible Federation Dark Secret is that most "normal" humans (and other species) are bred to conform to the "Helot" template from Bio-Tech. An exception would be the Klingons, which would explain their comparatively war-like nature... (they don't actually seem all that belligerent to me - but I'll readily accept that I'm not an authority...)

[David Johnston2]

Yes, I was thinking one of the reasons for the ban on bioengineering is because it would make it harder to both retain those Servus features intact and would spread the knowledge of them. In any case

4. Communications and Media: Of course there are no longer newspapers or television news. In developed systems every computer is hooked into the FTL system-wide wireless net (unless it's communication has been physically disabled) which gives them access to public information feeds as well as the output of bloggers. However a blogger who spreads dissent is only advertising his psychological problems and thereby invites visits from social counselling personnel. Most of the time this is considered a symptom of minor psychological illness, but of course attempting to publish classified government information is another matter. Bloggers have no official standing as "press" and Federation politicians and officials never experience "scrums" of journalists shouting questions at them.

It is impossible to encrypt communications effectively. Universal Translator technology works just as well as on a cipher as it does on a language and the government can access any unused capacity on people's computers over the entire system if it needs more number-crunching oomph. Codes on the other hand are harder nuts to crack.

[maximara]

Originally Posted by Bandii

They could also just dig up the old Neural Neutralizer technology and turn all criminals into happy, shiny empty people.

-Mike

Hopefully not operated by crazy Dr. Dr. Tristan Adams types. Ever noticed how aside from Spock's parents that every important Federation person Kirk and company met as either 1) totally crazy (Corby, Dr Adams, and Garth of Izar) 2) well on their way to becoming totally crazy (Dr Daystrom and Capt Tracy), or 3) total idiots (John Gill)?

[maximara]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

It is impossible to encrypt communications effectively. Universal Translator technology works just as well as on a cipher as it does on a language and the government can access any unused capacity on people's computers over the entire system if it needs more number-crunching oomph. Codes on the other hand are harder nuts to crack.

That doesn't make sense. A code would be more along the lines of a language than a cipher would be making it more subject to the Universal Translator than a cipher would be.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by maximara

That doesn't make sense. A code would be more along the lines of a language than a cipher would be making it more subject to the Universal Translator than a cipher would be.

Shaka when the walls fell?