Welcome to Section 31's Persons-of-Interest list. :)

"I know you. I was like you once, but then I opened my eyes. Open your eyes, captain. Why is the Federation so obsessed with the Maquis? We've never harmed you. And yet we're constantly arrested and charged with terrorism. Starships chase us through the Badlands and our supporters are harassed and ridiculed. Why? Because we've left the Federation, and that's the one thing you can't accept. Nobody leaves paradise. Everyone should want to be in the Federation. Hell, you even want the Cardassians to join. You're only sending them replicators because one day they can take their 'rightful place' on the Federation Council. You know, in some ways you're even worse than the Borg. At least they tell you about their plans for assimilation. You're more insidious. You assimilate people and they don't even know it."

The Romulan Ale situation is basically the same as the USA’s Cuban Cigar situation.

Why not join the borg, you'll get connected, meet new races, share ideas, travel to far places using the transwarp conduits, face exiting challenges (caution, there challanges are potentially dangerous, such as the assimilation of Spaces 8472) and your voice will always be heard.

Don't get assigned to a Miranda-class ship, they're guaranteed to get blown up whenever there's a space battle! Especially if flying nearby ships with main characters on them.

I actually didn't think about that before, you're right. The Federation was in war with literally every major power in the galaxy. Damn.

I want you to try something for me. Take a sip of this. What is it? A human drink; it's called root beer. I dunno... Come on. Aren't you just a little bit curious? What do you think? It's vile! I know. It's so bubbly, cloying...and happy. Just like the Federation. And you know what's really frightening? If you drink enough of it, you begin to like it. It's insidious. Just like the Federation.

"Flexible when it suits them" describes the federation perfectly

2:49 You used my version of the Orion Syndicate logo! Glad to see it's getting some use around the Internet!

You will like the UFP. It is the greatest power in the quadrant and is the center of all love peace and prosperity. It takes care of you, and looks after you, it is your religion and your ruler. UFP is life, UFP is love. *please don't kill me section 31, I did what you asked for...

Some of those enemies would be enemies regardless. For example, the Borg.

90% of Starfleet is human because of ST production reasons ^^ .. and story telling.. and stuff

Which species would you choose? The borg chooses you.

I'm voting for #Federexit...

Honestly, I think I wouldn't want my race joining for two reasons. 1. The ban on cloaking research. 2. The ban on genetic research. Both have proven to be tremendously powerful shown many times as the Romulans use their cloak 100% of the time and the fact that a single genetically modified human has easily taken over thousand person ships (Klingon and Human) multiple times.

Join the Pakled, we search for things to make us go. Simple easy lifestyle.

"We don't respect other cultures! We CONQUER them!!!" - General Martok, KDF

I just rewatched the TNG episode "legacy" and the fact Turkana IV even exist is a blemish on the Federation. It is a huge humanitarian crisis the Federation willingly allowed to happen. Even though Turkana IV was unaffiliated, the Federation still would have been obligated to resecure the settlement in order to safeguard citizens that were likely trapped in the chaos at no fault of their own. The Federation had the "military" means to do so, and refusing to is one of the Feds most cold-hearted and cruel actions of all Trek.

To be fair, we only get hints and glimpses into how the United Federation of Planets works - most of our focus is on Starfleet, who carry out all the leg work...

Many of the flaws in the Federation can be traced back to a failure in writing during the TNG era's later years. Many times some writers directly contradict what had come before just to tell their story. Some of them didn't want to see the Federation as an idealistic society, so they purposefully wrote in ways to make it seem distasteful, and everything thereafter was forced to maintain these precedents because "canon". The whole purpose of the Federation in Star Trek was to be a brighter future we would hope to one day achieve, as if as a platform for saying "the world seems like a horrible place today, but a brighter future can come if we all work toward it". Yet, down the road, writers wanted things to be "more realistic" to today's problems, which completely invalidates the whole reason for the Federation and Star Trek's existence. Rick Berman may be the principal culprit to blame for that

I remember one episode where a Federation Explorer found a primitive alien planet with two species, one of which was dying out because of a disease. Despite being able to cure it easily, the explorer refused to on the basis that the dying species was "a genetic dead end". In other words he consigned all those aliens to die painfully, and to watch their children die. The Federation liked this decision so much they declared it the basis of the Prime Directive. Isaac Arthur makes a good point on why the Prime Directive is both cruel (allowing suffering you could easily fix) and impractical (all it takes is one person who disagrees with it and owns a ship to break it).

Joining the UFP is optional. Joining the Romulans, Klingons, Cardassian, Dominion, Borg is compulsory - join or be wiped out.

You struggled... because you see the reality of each species independently, and are not distracted by the forced perspective of each of the alternate species, through Federation eyes. No nation, real or in ST lore, is as noble as it thinks it is. I'm a huge Star Trek fan and you did an awesome and commendable job on this project.

I choose... Imperium of Mankind! For the Emperor!

"If you seek peace, plan for war" Roman phrase, this also applied to the Federation, and is the reason for the many wars., the others (great Powers) have the same Idea as well ;)

Aside from a clear disdain towards humans in TOS, I've never really seen the Klingons be racist. It is my impression that they respect strength and honour alone. If you are strong and honourable, I think you can make it within the Empire, regardless of your race...

Excellent job on this video, can't wait till the next installment Rick, Appreciate it! 👍👍💯

I always wonder what would happen to an emergent species that popped up on the Federations doorstep there must be a whole bunch of them - who are not happy about being territoriality surrounded and having their ships searched all the time. I guess he Cardassians were close to being that. But what if in the space of a century some planet decided it wanted to be a big cheese and it's territory was inside the federations sphere of influence. Could get awkward - the Federation would either have to oppress them harass them or even exterminate their ability to travel in space and quarantine them. It's possible they could even set off a subspace sink hole device and leave them stranded with no way out short of sleeper ships.

Reason to join: Possibility of meeting Jadzia Dax

frankly, I don't think that the Prime Directive and the non-intervention ideas are any specific laws. I think they are more...outlines

All under the guise of friendship, science and progress! Those sneaky bastards!

1. Didn't the Klingons nearly drive themselves to extinction with the destruction of Praxis because they lacked resources, and ran to the Federation for help? 2. Weren't the Maquis completely wiped out?

Be like Norway in the EU. Stay out, but associated with it.

I still cant reconcile the concept of trade in a universe with replicators.

A very interesting video and a side of Star Trek and the Federation one doesn't often have spotlighted. Good job!

Great job and excellent work on putting star trek online clips into ur video

Been waiting for this one the moment "WHY join the federation" ended!

The Federation sounds like the European Union.

Nicely done video man.

I really enjoyed this. Thankyou. A "mathematical" suggestion that was fanbloodytastic. And yay, a whole new channel for me to, somewhat, go it alone. Amidst a whole cray cray of politiloco (invents a phrase) youConduit..... Rad Vid Bro!

Which other organization would I want to be a part of, if the Federation does not exist or is not an option? Why, the Citadel Council/Alliance, of course! ;P Seriously though, The Klingons, Romulans, Cardassians, and Bajorans are, for all intents and purposes, non-options unless you are already at least as powerful as they are, or more so; if you're not, well... The Bajorans are usually seen as targets by other species, so if you are not a strong power already, allying with Bajor unfortunately just makes you both bigger targets. The Cardassians or Romulans will "ally" with you, but unless you're at least as strong as they are, their arrogance and superiority complex will compel them to always view you as a subservient race, never as equals (and "subservient" might be too mild a term, they would most likely think of you as slaves or pets). And the Klingons would scornfully view you as either prey or just not worthy of allying with, since their great pride is in self sufficiency and domineering strength, the ultimate examples of "Might Makes Right". Honestly, your best bet in the non-Federation universe would probably be The Dominion; from what has been said, as long as you pledge your allegiance to the Founders and "pay your dues" they are fairly "hands-off" and "do-as-you-please" when it comes to the races under them.

I wrote this on the other video before I saw this one, so why not repeat myself! The Federation is quite incompetent. -The Galaxy Class Starships are prone to viruses that can even destroy the entire ship (USS Yamato) Apparently there isn't a honeypot protocol to insulate the ship's core systems, and they are supposed to be the best ships ever built. -The Fire Suppression System almost never works -No one knows how the holodeck works, it doesn't have an easily accessed off switch and artificial hologram people are actually capable of controlling or damaging the ship and the "outside" world. -The Ships are so poorly designed that they can be hijacked or crippled with a very small crew, (the Binars) or even one (Rogue Data) -Medical Technology does not seem to be very good as diseases seemingly easily spread (the Naked Now), and some medical personnel seem confounded by simple emergency procedures like using a splint to set a limb. Even one of the top surgeons was clueless as to how to fix Picard's heart...something that could be replaced in the 20th century. -Star Fleet Command was easily infiltrated by visually detectable brain bugs, almost bringing the Command to collapse -The Federation restricts trade, such as Romulan Ale -Simple animals such as Tribbles can endanger an entire ship -The Federation keeps children and non-Federation personnel on board their "science" vessels when those same vessels are frequently deployed to battle. -Communications are, apparently, a Federation monopoly -Earth doesn't seem to have advanced much as all, as homes can still catch fire and kill people -Replicator technology produces inferior foodstuffs, according to O'Brien who misses "real" food, Scotty, who laments the weakness of "Synthahol" and Troi being annoyed and bored at the "healthy" chocolate the replicator makes. -The Federation makes bad treaties, such as with the Cardassian, displacing the residents of several planets. Especially given that the Cardassians had repeatedly demonstrated they had no interest in peace. -They have no problem displacing many inhabitants of several worlds to satisfy a treaty with a hostile power, but can't properly negotiate a way to work with the few dozen Bakku in order to cultivate the life-preserving radiation that surrounds their planet. -Sponsored Scientists face little oversight and dangerous materials such as Proto-matter can be used without Starfleet supervision -"Mars Defense" is a pathetic joke. -The Federation has very little contact with the outside Galaxy as the Borg were a surprise when first encountered, despite Guinan and other refugees having known about them decades earlier. The Federation had little clue about the Ferengi until they bumped into each other. -Starfleet seems to gobble up resources as private vessels are rare, and almost always small, clunky, dirty and unreliable. -They can't decide on whether or not they actually use money -The prime directive is often abused, used inconsistently, and most worryingly, used as an excuse to allow entire civilizations to die. The excuse being that a non-aligned culture has the "right" to evolve on it's own, and yet if a civilization is facing impending doom, by definition it can't evolve any longer. Saving people who would be the only way to allow any further evolution, natural or not. I could go on and on.

An excellent series. Thank you.

@5:00 Your arguments on Bajor were covered in the first episode of DS9. Bajor had no treaty with the Federation, So the Feds did not help when the Cardasians invaded. After driving them out, then they signed a defense treaty with the Federation.

I've always thought that there was something incipiently totalitarian about the UFP.

Terran Empire seems much more reliable.

Yeah, well worth the wait Rik. Top job. Im away to have a think about who i would sign up with. Probably the tribbles.... Tribbles rock 👍🏻

For the greater good, I, Gue'vesa, serve the tau.

I need to study up on the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition.

Reminds me of an old African proverb: If you want to go fast go it alone but if you want to go far go together. I would think the Vulcan's are the species to have relations with.

Loved this !!

Another amazing video =D

I want to see a series that deals with a movement in the federation that would rebel against the prime directive which would lead to a civil war probably after a data dump about section 13.

I never really understood why star fleet only has the one academy I mean yes as SF forcers military or otherwise goes it's tiny as is the federation . Which last time I checked was less than 200 planets and member races large. But surely it would make since to have at least a small recruiting/training centres on worlds other than earth. What happens if say the federation sets up a permanent out posts in the delta or gamma quordaents the poor souls there have to go all the way to earth to get a bage and uniform. Even the imperium of man isn't that ineffective and it's the fucking imperium

Excellent points. Love arguements for and against the federation.

interesting analysis:) and very correct i think

It’s a pity one can’t join the Q Continuum...

The problem with late comers is that much of the Quadrant has already been established. There is a LOT of star systems in the established space and if you are like first contact humans and just recently discovered FTL your options are a bit limited. If you are not already within the space of an existing empire then odds are you might have some room to expand but best make it quick. Also with the size of the federation and it having 180+ species it's easy to say "Oh look at these other species getting all this space to just themselves." but if we maintain a fairly even distribution of alien species that would mean that other empires with similar size territories have oppressed or enslaved around 180+ species themselves. Just as Bajor was probably a footnote when dealing with the Cardasians prior to their independence there are likely hundreds of similarly subjugated worlds throughout the alpha quadrant. Being top dog is tempting but the reality is very few get to be on top, which means the others don't really get a say. This is why a united ruling body made up of various representatives can be quite appealing as going it alone means your more likely to be underfoot rather than be the ones standing on top. Given what we have seen from the early days of Star Fleet this is most likely the primary reason for the formation of the Federation. Humans were at the time late comers to the galaxy, though by current calendar standards they were early. But at the time there were already several warp capable species which had been around for a long time. The Klingons and the Romulans have been around longer than the Federation and were well established due in part to them being among the first, after all it's easy to expand and crush other species when they don't have warp drives or large fleets. The early conflicts of Star Fleet, especial with the Romulans, help to reinforce just how out matched they potential were and given the similarly limited forces of the other early races it made sense to come together in common defense. In fact I suspect the Federation is a natural response to overly aggressive expansion of the other races pointed to in the video. Had the Klingons and Romulan empires not been around and of such a sizable threat it's possible the federation would have never formed and the alpha quadrant would look more like Europe with a bunch of small Nations, rather than being like the US with a bunch of states under a larger Federal Government. The Federation if far from perfect but for most species just joining the galactic stage it's likely the best option out of a lot of bad ones if you consider most of the concerns raised in the video as bad. As some things, like cultural contamination is going to happen with any contact regardless of if they join. It's why Romulans don't let people come and go freely out of their empire, as no contact means no contamination to their culture, along with the whole not wanting their secrets to get out.

Awesome conclusion to the first video.

2:02 In the expanded universe the reasoning was that the UFP settled disagreements peacefully over who would be able to claim or colonize the finite M-class planets which so many species rely on. Starfleet, in turn, would be the collective exploration service which discovered and claimed stakes on new worlds to settle.

This series is great! It’s so rare to find someone that posts analytical videos on Star Trek without descending into completely insane theories that aren’t supported by canon, twisting information, and outright lying in order to get edgy clickbait-y videos claiming that the Federation is actually an evil, fascist organization instead of a peaceful, post-scarcity federal republic. Although I do have issues with the map. I’ve seen it floating around online, but I’ve never seen it in any canon source. The production team seems to avoid making maps to make writing easier. Plus, any map of the space would have to be 3D and not 2D. Since you could have a border that stretches along any plane. Also, the other races may have more than one species inside their borders but they may not be considered citizens given the nature of their societies… if they’re still alive that is. Wouldn’t put it past the Romulan, Klingon, or Cardassian governments to wipe out entire species. And the extinction thing is a bit more… grey. The most famous instance, TNG’s Homeward, was only an issue because a) the disaster that destroyed the planet’s atmosphere progressed too fast for the _Enterprise_ to arrive in time to reverse it and b) there were only a handful of survivors that only lived because the researcher on the ground had repeatedly violated the prime directive. Even going so far as to become romantically involved. And while it isn’t stated, there’s another issue with trying to save them at that point. Inbreeding. Quite simply, there’s not enough of a population to be sustainable. They’re already doomed. It's just going to take a generation or two instead of minutes now and it will be incredibly painful for them. As for which organization to run with if the Federation isn't an option? There's really no good options that we of. Most of the other major governments are too isolationist and xenophobic for my tastes or have vastly screwed priorities. Are any of the now defunct governments that formed the UFP an option?

Honestly I would side with the Klingons. I mean yeah they are ruthless and warlike. But at least you can count on the Klingons to act like Klingons. They will "mostly" never stab you in the back, they will stab you in the face. Also I would rather have the "Imperial Defence Force" on my side than "Starfleet". Just sayin'. :)

We appreciate this We were considering joining this "federation" But watching your excellent video-blog,we thought it best go the path of the Andorians, since they are so damn cool

Great video.

Klingons in the Star Trek Online game are very inclusive towards other species and not so demanding of them as the Feds.

Which species would you choose? The Romulan's, my favorite species of the Star Trek Universe due to there ships not government wise.

I think it's worth mentioning all the asinine and probably unsustainable research bans, too. I'd love to see an episode or movie where some scientists want to research, say, genetic engineering, for which the Federation seeks to arrest them per its research ban. Therefore, they flee to the nearest foreign power (let's say Romulus) that doesn't mind them conducting whatever research they like, so long as they're willing to be open with their results - will the Enterprise fire on a shuttle of fleeing scientists? What about the diplomatic crisis that ensues when Romulus grants the scientists honorary citizenship and declares the Federation stopping the shuttle would be an act of war?

First! I've really enjoyed this series and was waiting with baited breath Rick!

All of the other empires would have to have other species not only in their empire but integrated into it in order to maintain such an empire. Yet we never see any.

I think you are missing a key point in your assessment. For most worlds it is not a choice to NOT join. There are only three choices; join the Federation in some capacity, go it alone, or be absorbed by a less benevolent empire like the Klingons or even some lesser power like the Nausicans. The Alpha Quadrant is not kind to single systems going it alone - see Bajor. The problem with understanding why some join and some do not cannot be made from a human personification as other cultures do not place the same values - if they do it all - on the same aspects of union. Some simply want to be left alone - Sheliak - regardless of any external threat. Some desire membership because they live in a really bad neighborhood - Bajor. Some try to have their cake and eat it too with the Federation - Ba'ku. Some have the luxury of waiting for a time to prepare their people for the state of the galaxy in which they live - Malcor. But, for most of them, it is about being practical. The Federation hands rest very lightly on a member world. Star Fleet does not station troops, Federation law only governs how world's interact with one another with some exceptions such as slavery, certain types of technology - subspace weapons. Then again some races only join one or more of the lesser aspects of the Federation such the Interspecies Medical Exchange. There are many ways to join the Federation and not be a member and even once a member it is a custom fit, not a one size fits all. Thinking of this in terms to the United States. Guam is a US territory but Kansas is a US state, while both are American, they are very different. Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia and Illinois, again all three are very different, but all are American. Ecuador and El Salvador are not America but both us the US Dollar as their primary currency. Neither Costa Rico or Panama field a military relying solely on the US military for protection, yet neither are America. Rodenberry modeled the Federation on the United States, members could get in as far as they liked without having to go all the way and being tied to such a large community allows those smallest members to retain more sovereignty then they would have otherwise.

Good presentation

great video

Fantastic in-depth analysis! It reflects my feelings I have watching TNG. The hierarchical, non-individual structures onboard the ship contradict the idea of exploration and this versatility, postulated by Picard, as well as the conflicts he had with his superiors and the idealized reputation of the Starfleet Academy, which appears very military in nature. I really wonder, and this is a point you have mentioned, how do all the alien races, their traditions, and possibly non-humanoid psychological makeup fit within the rules and regulations of the federation? It really appears very human-centric and by extension hypocritical.

Nice One :-)

Very good 👌

The difference between pre federation and federation times seems to be star fleet coming in and taking over your jobs and forcing you to have a peace treaty with a local species. It’s basically the difference between USA being a collection of countries, each with its own military/currency, occasionally working together (the original version) and the current version of a collection of states sending representatives to meetings to decide what the rules are for one country with one military/currency.

They never should have disbanded the M.A.COs and maintained a clearly defined military doctrine. Every Starfleet vessel should be as heavily armed as is technically possible and all possible effort should be put into stay on the cutting edge.

Totally worth waiting for the rewrite.... If I had to choose another race to align with, I would probably say the Romulans, if nothing else at all: they're strong and they're consistent. Better to keep your friends close and enemies closer...

I’ll go for Terran Empire from the Pocket TNG novel “Dark Mirror” that was published before DS9’s episode “Crossover”. In it, the Empire holds all of Saggitarius Arm within its grasp and has defeated both the Romulans and the Klingons.

Klingons (strong protectors and relatively easy to understand/keep happy) or the Ferengi.

These are the same sort of questions nations have or had to ask them selfs to join the European Union or in the past, states to join the United States of America. That's what Brexit all about. Or the discussion of secession of some States, like: Texas (when there is a Democratic federal administration) California (when there is a Republican / Trumpion federal administration) Star Trek, is a metaphor for 'starship' earth, has George Takei ones said.

I would join the maquis

An excellent video, and as for the query at tge end, if not the Federation id have to say the Dominion would be my next choice for joining. While oppressive, the Dominion does remain a sort of merely darker Federation and at least in theory some races can do quite well within their ranks and even be valued. Relations with the Dominion in fact seem somewhat contingent on how your government interacts with them. Also, if you haven't done so already, id love to see some videos crossing the universe gap, say showing how various trek factions and would get along with and view ones from Star Wars, perhaps the cultural exchanges tgat could take place or even how certain techs from both could change both galaxies (transporters, replicators, trek cloaking devices or things like the hyperdrive, etc.)

Wow, you made some powerful points on not joining the UFP. I would do a trade agreement with UFP but not membership. Also to answer your question I would make a agreement with Orion Syndicate.

yeah, the Federation has been a pain-in-the-ass for a LONG time... "LONG LIVE THE EMPIRE!?!" ;>)

The good thing about living under Klingon hegemony, is they more or less let you do whatever you want, while they do all the fighting. You just have to surrender resources to the war effort. So they're not going to take away your Romulan Ale or your Orion Slave Womenz.

Good points! I strive to have this level of critical thinking.

Bit late to this, but its almost like you were predicting the Star Trek story between End Game and the new Picard series - I'm thinking specifically about the section on forced humanitarian efforts, but there are other bits in there too, which I feel leads to things like the free state location, the rise of the Fenris rangers to make up for the lacking leadership of the federation

you mixed up The Federation and Starfleet a couple of times there.

The United Federation of Planets < The United Federation of Pancakes

that's a good and balanced video that puts things in perspective. If my small barely warp capable civilization entered in contact with the federation I would probably wish to keep away from it at least in the beginning: I like my cross contamination of cultures to be organic not forced by a bureaocracy but fostered by trade. Of course I would still be friendly with the federation, trade with it and even help with its humanitarian enterprisers, but I'd want to keep some distance just yet at the very least, and I see no reason not to make friends with other galactic powers too. To answer your question, both the Romulans and the Klingons seem more interested in demanding the danegeld than with actual friendship or alliance. The Dominion is pretty nice to its member races but for the same reason as the federation I'd rather keep a certain distance. From Cardassia and the Ferengi or the Breen you know what to expect and the fact that they are not as powerful as other galactic states is comforting and that opens the intriguing opportunity for instance of having cardassian officers training my military, buying Breen technology or setting up a trade relationship with the ferengi, while at the same time being friendly to another bigger power which obviously would intervene if treachery was afoot. Obviously the Maquis's cause is noble and If I was personally born in one of those systems I would join it,and perhaps defect Starfleet or "come back from retirement" if I was a current or former officer

It should be noted that starships are usually crewed by a single species predominant, it helps with day/night cycles, air temp, luminosity levels and lots of other little things that make a ship comfortable to work in. We only see the Human ships because it's easier on the filming budget. Federation ships crewed entirely by Vulcans and Andorians have been mentioned in the course of the shows.

The Maquis weren't forced to leave, they were offered other colony planets. They refused electing to stay in Cardassian space.

"Why NOT to Join the Federation" I've played enough Stellaris to know how cucked Federations are, it's basically the galactic version of the UN

I like how the video on why not to join is longer then the video on why to to join

“But without the Federation, who would serve our Raktajino in Quark’s?”

*☼ a fine entry* . good relations w/a hostile border enemy is oft better than alliance w/a gr8 power that will never really step in if it is costly, inconvenient and you dont offer enough. Taiwan & HK come to mind. among others.

i think that without plot armor the federation will fall after 200-500 years

Post Dominion wars Cardassia. Nice warm planet and of course duty first! How can you not love it.

Honestly, the ones with ideals I can admire would probably have been the Pre-Federation Vulcans, The Gorn (Actually not that bad according to the Beta Canon), or the Tellerites.