Cowboy Diplomacy: A Star Trek Podcast

On the Prime Directive

The Prime Directive. It is a core principle for the entirety of the federation, and has been both a guide and a hinderance to many a star trek captain. But what is it? Why is it important? And why is this value of non-interference the foundation for a society that actively seeks out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no-one has gone before? Aren't those two actively opposing priorities?  These are a few questions addressed in this episode where we attempt to scratch the surface of such a fundamental and often complicated directive. We'll reference episodes from Enterprise and Next Generation, with some brief mentions of Voyager and the Original Series.

On Mechanical Gods

What is the purpose of a society? What even is a society - let alone one worth living in? What is needed to make it function?  In this episode, we discuss the varities of robotic "gods" scattered throughout Star Trek and the societies they dictate: if they're worth creating, and what that creation entails. We also explore how the Original Series has a unique approach to different societies compared with other Star Trek shows. Cowboy Diplomacy indeed. Spoilers for the Original Series.

On The Measure of a Man

How do you measure consciousness? How do you prove it? What is death in the setting of a story?  This episode we talk about Data, Tasha, and the idea of consciousness, while trying to slip in The Psalm of the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers here and there.  Spoilers for Next Gen

On Isolation and Identity

Who are we? What are we in a collective? What does it mean to have an identity seperate from a collective we once called our own?  In this episode, we talk about about the few individuals who have left the Borg and forged their own identity, specifically through the lens of Jean-Paul Sartre's scattered essays.  Spoliers for Next Gen and Voyager

On The Borg

What are the Borg? What is knowledge? What does it even mean to "know" something?  These are just a few of the questions explored in this episode which is primarily focused on the Borg and the Federation - two vastly different organizations that explore the universe very differently and with very different intentions. Why? And how does that reflect our understanding of things we believe we "know"? There are spoilers, primarily referencing Next Generation and Voyager.