President Donald Trump, in his March 4 address to Congress, said the U.S. plans to “conquer the vast frontiers of science, and … lead humanity into space,” echoing the indomitable spirit of Star Trek and pleasing space nerds everywhere.
But he also talked about where Americans (and in particular American money) should not be going — like pushing harmful ideologies on developing countries. As it turns out, U.S. policy for helpful engagement at some point turned to harmful interference.
Ambition isn’t enough. Star Trek’s Prime Directive actually exemplifies this well. It is Starfleet’s highest rule and forbids officers from interfering with alien societies. Surely there is wisdom in caution, but instead of preventing the trampling of fragile societies, non-interference became a moral dogma in later Star Trek series. In some episodes, the Prime Directive appears to become an end in itself rather than a practice to serve higher ends and is used to end the conversation when characters make questionable decisions.
The Prime Directive’s insufficiency plays out across the Star Trek oeuvre. In the shows of the 1960s–90s, bold characters…
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