What ever happened to the prime directive?

[Neo]

In "Errand of Mercy", Kirk and Spock are all too willing to offer exactly the kind of technological help that is prohibited under the prime directive. Is it me or did the directive really only come into force during season 2? Any thoughts?

 

[little star]

hmmmm...

would probably have to rewatch TOS episodes in order to properly answer the question...always assumed the prime directive was emphasized right from the beginning, in theory if not in practice...

of course, we can all think of like, a million times Starfleet captains ignored the directive, can't we?
:rolly2: :evil:



little star :star:

 

[Neo]

Yer just look in Janeway's direction.... LOL

 

[little star]

LOL

what happens to starfleet captains who ignore the prime directive? they become admirals...

 

[Neo]

Says it all....... LOL

 

[Maria8475]

will you two (esp Neo) stop being so mean to Captain/Admiral Janeway!!

Then again Kirk broke the prime directive more than a few times and he ends up an admiral too......interesting!

 

[little star]

heehee

maria, don't worry i am definitely a supporter of janeway---i am glad star trek finally had a series set around a female captain! i'm all for girl power being female myself!! I definitely included Kirk in the 'what happens to...' remark.

hey, janeway may have violated the prime directive, but at least she didn't try to have a relationship with every alien she ran across, like Kirk. Can you imagine her saying....'hmmm...that Vidiian is hot!!!??? The way his flesh just falls off his face...' ???

LOL!


little star :star:

 

[Dave]

Kirk was certainly the biggest Prime Directive breaker of all time.

That's how the 'Cowboy Diplomacy' thing comes about. He seems to honour it more in the breach than in upholding it. He sees it as a suggestion to be left up to his discretion, but it is definately an order -- General Order Number One. There are numerous examples of him breaking it, which I put in another thread.

Archer will have no such problem, as Starfleet had not yet instituted the prime directive until after at least 2168 (the time that the Starship Horizon visited planet Sigma Iotia II (Piece of the Action)

Picard was the strictist in upholding the Prime Directive. He even goes as far (Symbiosis) as refusing to reveal the truth to a population, enslaved by another by addicting them to a drug.

In Ensign Ro the Federation is accused of hiding behind the Prime Directive. By not "getting involved" in civil wars, they can claim the moral ground, even when there is a clear right and wrong.

Janeway talks a lot about the Prime Directive, but has often broken it too if it suited her. She has been much more complex in her attitude to it.

I think that distance from the centre of the Federation, and superior officers has a lot to do with it. Kirk was on the edge of the final frontier, Janeway is in the Delta Quadrant, whereas Picard is in daily contact with Starfleet Command.

I really like your idea of Prime Directive breakers getting faster promotion though. That does seem to be the way to get ahead.

 

[little star]

I definitely agree tat Picard adhered most closely to the Prime Directive.

Janeway's situation (and even Kirk's, being an earlir time in space exploration) was different than Picard's. I don't at all think Janeway was unprincipled, but I think she adhered more to her own views of wrong & right rather than the Prime Directive. Nothing necessarily wrong with that!

I think Janeway always carried around the guilt of her crew getting stranded. It put a slant on things. She made a decision in 'Caretaker' which resulted in the crew having no way to get home. Subsequently, it affected a lot of her later decisions. Could she afford to stick to Starfleet's high principles if it meant her crew would never see home again? Her responsibility was torn between caring for her crew and upholding the Prime Directive. Who could blame her if her decisions were sometimes somewhat unorthodox?



little star :star:

 

[Dave]

Sorry, if it sounded like I said Janeway was unprincipled. I think that she stuck to her own principles, but that her situation was very complicated and harder than other captains would be put in.

 

[Qwxy]

talking about janeway; you know she broke more than just the prime directive she also broke the temporal prime directive!!!!! including when voyager was seen in 1996 and in endgame so maybe she will become president of earth or somming!!!!

 

[Dave]

I just watched TOS 'Bread and Circuses' and it provides a complete definition of the Prime Directive. I think that is the first time that the it is. Of course it confirms that Kirk has already broken the directive several times already.

No identification of self or mission. No interference with the social development of said planet. No reference to space or the fact that there are other worlds or civilisations.

If they really followed this directive, they would always use 'duck blinds' and 'invisibility suits' such as in TNG 'Who watches the watchers' and ST:IX 'Insurrection'. Kirk would never take Spock on an away mission, since he is always seen as an anachronism wheverever they go. The same would apply to Worf and Data.

In 'Bread and Circuses' the Pro Consul says that it is part of a Captains oath to Star Fleet to die rather than break the Prime Directive. Spock replies "Quite so!" much to McCoys annoyance. We definitely haven't seen many Captains doing that. When Janeway stranded Voyager in the Delta Quadrant (which wasn't quite a death sentence) there was outrage amongst some of the crew.

 

[little star]

no identification of self or mission

Well, they all break this one straight away, don't they?

It would make for rather dull series if they adhered to this one---as Dave mentioned, they'd have to use something like the 'invisible suits' all the time----there'd be no interaction with aliens!


little star :star:

 

[little star]

BTW

Originally posted by Dave
Sorry, if it sounded like I said Janeway was unprincipled. I think that she stuck to her own principles, but that her situation was very complicated and harder than other captains would be put in.

I agree, & I didnt think you made her sound unprincipled. :rolly2:


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