From: s892024@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au (Richard A. Muirden [GA])
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current
Subject: Re: Fascist State
Date: 22 Jul 92 00:27:01 GMT
Organization: RMIT Computer Centre, Melbourne Australia.

gbrach@galaxy.gov.bc.ca writes:

>In article <1992Jul20.174736.8929@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au>, s892024@minyos.xx.rmit.oz.au (Richard A. Muirden [GA]) writes:

>The name is Maddox, Commander Maddox. B->

ok, thanks.. couldn't remember exactly off hand ;-)


>> Good point, but I think they didn't (ie: Manix) was because he, by the
>> Again I agree, *but* remember Starfleet had cut orders for Data to
>> report the next day at 9am or something (ie: the transfer of
>> command order). I think it was handled there and then because perhaps
>> they *couldn't* hold things up because if no action was taken there and
>> then Data would have been forced to submit to Manix's experiments...
>> As no rule had been made as to if he was property or person, there were
>> no grounds to decide if he could undertake formal legal proceedings
>> (my opinion is that now, after the rulings in "Measure of a Man" Data
>> could hold up such orders to go to the Federation court, or whatever)...

>Yeah, this is the best explanation I've come up with, too.  My feeling is that
>humans have developed their ideas on multi-racial/special government and the
>military, and the relationships between them to the point where a self-policing
>military is not the threatening power that such an organization would be today.

>The part that I thought was a stretch was asking a ship-mate and commanding
>officer to act as prosecutor.  Still it doesn't affect my overall rating of
>this episodes as one of the ten best TNG episodes (IMHO B-))!!

Yes, why not that admiral fellow we see at the start? He was higher rank
than them all... I suppose the excuse is that he shipped out, but I
find that hard to believe.. what about the starbase commander and/or
exec/first officer ? Surely *they* would be impartial enough to
do the job.

The only saving grace is that they (picard in his log entry) and
the JAG Capt. says the place is brand new ("I've no staff except
this terrified little ensign..." or similar), so perhaps the place
was so new there was no-one else of suitable rank/ability around
(ability perhaps being goverened that if you get to command rank
ie: commander/captain you should be ok in the legal dept, which
I think is pretty stupid... I can see Gen. Patton's answer to a
stint in court ;-) )...

Of course perhaps using Picard and Riker was deliberate (apart for
plot and character conflicts). Picard brought the whole matter up
on Data's behalf, so he should defend. Riker, knowing Data but being
under Starfleet rules to do his duty made a very good prosecutor...
but then they could have used the ensign for that, but then again for
such a big issue as Data's rights... hmm...

I give up ;-)


>-- 
>Gabor Brach.        "There's Klingons on the starboard bow,
>Victoria, B. C.      starboard bow, starboard bow,
>(Lotus-land)         There's Klingons on the starboard bow, sir."
>                                 _Star Trekking_
>                                  The Firm

-richard

-- 
Richard Muirden,                       | Also final year Computer Science
Systems Administrator (unpaid - gasp!) | Student, RMIT. Shostakovich Freak!!
mail: s892024@minyos.xx.rmit.OZ.AU     - ram@lionet.wesley.OZ.AU
     My opinions are my own, not even Spock could work them out!!
Newsgroups: rec.arts.startrek.current