Star Trek

[AikiDale]

In commeration of Star Trek's 40th Bday. September 8, 1966 was the first episode. Here is that famous Prime Directive.

As the right of each sentient species to live in accordance with its normal cultural evolution is considered sacred, no Star Fleet personnel may interfere with the healthy development of alien life and culture. Such interference includes the introduction of superior knowledge, strength, or technology to a world whose society is incapable of handling such advantages wisely. Star Fleet personnel may not violate this Prime Directive, even to save their lives and/or their ship unless they are acting to right an earlier violation or an accidental contamination of said culture. This directive takes precedence over any and all other considerations, and carries with it the highest moral obligation.

[Shawn Knight]

Kewl!

[cking]

Unless they have something we really want.

[Merlin Orr]

You can tell that oil is no longer a need in the future......

[Vlad]

You can tell that oil is no longer a need in the future......

Have you watched ST? They break the prime directive every other week. I'm not even sure the prime directive has ever made sense either.

[Bear23]

If it wasn't for the damned Humpbacks....None of US would be here.

Didn't they violate the PD on themselves???

[AikiDale]

The Prime Directive has never been practiced. Roddenberry came up with it, then had the Enterprise crew violate it, sometimes for good reason, sometimes because of greed or other human weakness. But the idea is a good one. Following it would have prevented a lot of wars. For example, what if Columbus had operated under the prime directive?

[Shawn Knight]

Some other idiot would have come to the "new" world and killed the "savages" to make way for spices!!

[IPSCDRL]

The Prime Directive is 40!

Cool! Just two less than the meaning of life.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/42_%28number%29

[SiG Lady]

What IPSCDRL said...!!!

[AikiDale]

Some other idiot would have come to the "new" world and killed the "savages" to make way for spices!!

Exactly! It's all about the savages.

[kellyn]

For example, what if Columbus had operated under the prime directive?

1) we would not have Columbus day;

2) you would not be emailing from Kentucky;

3) the Aztec Empire would have continued it's mass slaughter and conquest (The Aztecs did not have a PD either);

4) there would be a lot more buffalo, that is unless the natives wiped them out;

5) Star Trek would not exist;

6) Spain would not have become the superpower empire of its day;

7) we would not have Errol Flynn or Johnnie Depp pirate movies;

8) the constant wars between the natives would still be going on;

9) there would be a lot more cannibalism;

10) no Rio Salado sportsmans club.

My favorite "prime directive" episode is "patterns of force " where some college professor thought introducing Nazism to a planet was a good way to advance it. Huh? Only a college prof. could come up with that idea.

[Shawn Knight]

Oh come on star trek would still exist it might be called something different but someone somewhere would make it up instead.

[Topmaul]

Why do you think we ware human suits and try to fit in Roddenberry was one of us. Just trying to influence your civilization from the inside. Yeah it was kind of skirting the PD but it worked to some extent on this planet not as well as some would have liked but it was better than nothing. You have to remember the early 1960 earth was on the verge of total global thermal nuclear war, and some action had to be taken.

The smart money at the time said Earth would devistated before the end of the decade (1960s). A lot of beings lost a lot of credits on the fact that the earth people did not destroy themselves.

Edited September 9, 2006 by Topmaul

[Micah]

God bless Star Trek!