ENT - Terra Prime

[PerrySimm]

A nuanced political drama perfectly befitting this era of future history. It doesn't fumble around in the dark like "All Good Things...", it doesn't type the degreelessness cheatcode into the console like "Endgame". In many respects it's even more satisfying than "What You Leave Behind," because the result of "Demons/Terra Prime" is a victory achieved through heroism, rather than relying at least in part on some all-powerful alien force.

[FaxModem1]

Incidentally, as a big fan and dare I say it follower of George Orwell, I liked the implication that certain words ''are not in the Universal Translator''. Are they just talking about swear words or does it censor anything that does not fit with the liberal/progressive views of the burgeoning Federation? We have seen just how much of an informed attribute the Federation's tolerance is in other episodes. Some examples include: the fact that just talking to a former Maquis member gets Kim an electronic tag in ''Non Sequitur'', the fact that Voyager monitors your brain waves all the time for no reason, Janeway's swoon at the diversity of a 20th century beach in Future's End. And that is before we get into all of Picard and Riker's speeches from season 1 and 2 of TNG where nationalism, hunting, capitalism and some forms of recreation are greatly frowned upon.

I am currently imagining something akin to the Sylvester Stallone film ''Demolition Man'' where you get a pink slip for doing something non-PC. Only here it is ''just'' a language filter.

I'm just posing ideas here but it does make you think about just how much the Federation must be reliant on those UTs to keep itself together. If one were to find a way to hack them then you would be able to throw the whole lot of them into turmoil. I am not sure they even know each other's written languages as am I the only ones that has noticed that the Federation marks the buttons on its displays with numbers instead of letters? Obviously some kind of universal mathematically based language they use in place of forcing everyone to learn written English.

More likely, words that just don't have an equivalent. Doppelganger is a German word that has been largely adopted by English speakers because it's a term that is conveyed in one word, but would require an entire sentence to convey in English.

It's also not that insane that Kim was being monitored for affiliating with the Maquis in Non Sequitur. They're a terrorist organization. Federal police are similarly worried I'd someone affiliates with ISIS or Al Qaeda.

I think Terra Prime just kind of comes out of nowhere. What we needed was something akin to Babylon 5's Nightwatch where TP just kind of in the background throughout the series. A symbol here, a whisper there. Simple stuff. And remember that in the Klingon episode they are back on Earth, we could have had some good set up there.

We got some. In the episode 'Home', a group of people want to beat up Phlox just for being there. I do agree that there should have been a slight bit more of it from day one.

It also could have set up Trip being sympathetic to Terra Prime given what the Xindi did to his sister and his breakdown in season 3. As things stand, he has no reason to be tempted by TP because they are clearly Bond villains from the off. But a Nightwatch model that subtlety puts those thoughts into his head? It could have made for great drama.

Nightwatch was more of a government organization. Terra Prime is a NGO, like Babylon 5's Free Mars or Home Guard, or like the real life Ku Klux Klan.

[Antiboyscout]

Thought the accompanying video was as chilling as it was brilliant. As someone in the UK, I can't help but see a near perfect replication of the techniques Chuck talked about, in being used to dupe so many people here to vote for Brexit, and so many of those same people still double-down on it over 3 years on. Even when facts state so many of their prime arguments to Brexit have been found to be factually incorrect.

And when I present facts that the EU is going to collapse in on itself within 10 years I am not repudiated, I am accused of wanting, or somehow, trying to cause the EU to collapse.

[Mecha82]

Well some one missed point that chuck made in order to make this about himself.

[JL_Stinger]

Perfect role for Peter Weller.

[Antiboyscout]

Well some one missed point that chuck made in order to make this about himself.

I know, why would Enterprising bring up Brexit like that?

[JL_Stinger]

The idea of humans thinking Vulcans knowingly let World War III happen and devastate humanity for Vulcan advantage is quite believable because it's exactly the kind of thing humans have done.

Just one example: during the American Civil War, some British and French wanted the Confederacy to win, not because they were pro-slavery or otherwise cared about any ideals/goals the Confederates were supposedly fighting for but because an American divided in two would be weaker than a united America. For example, the US opposed French meddling in Mexico, but would not really be in a position to do anything about it if they lost the war. (Ultimately, the French wouldn't act without British support and the British were too divided on the issue, and couldn't openly support the Confederacy after slavery officially became a war issue. The British and French armed both sides though.)

Similarly, there's that excellent exchange from the admittedly fictional movie Lord of War:
"You sold weapons to both sides of the Iran-Iraq War."
"Did it ever occur to you I wanted both sides to lose?"

Furthermore, it seems like exactly the kind of thing the Romulans would do if they were in that position for exactly that reason. Ditto the Cardassians. Probably the Klingons too, albeit more out of indifference than malice. The Ferengi would sell weapons to both sides then aid supplies to the survivors - anything for a profit.

It's difficult to prove that the Vulcans didn't know of humanity's existence until it was too late, but there is also essentially no evidence that they are lying. It's unbelievable mostly just because of the character of the Vulcans. I daresay they are one of the few races that wouldn't knowingly allow the humans to devastate themselves, and if they did it would because of some high-minded Prime Directive-esk ideal not any malicious reason.

[Enterprising]

And when I present facts that the EU is going to collapse in on itself within 10 years I am not repudiated, I am accused of wanting, or somehow, trying to cause the EU to collapse.

Saying in 10 years time it will be 2029 is a fact, saying <insert institution of choice here> will collapse in 10 years is merely one’s personal speculation. Trying to present that as fact is probably why such an accusation would be received, particularly when it’s an “out there” one like that, might as well be guessing Apple will be bust in 10 years.

[Antiboyscout]

And when I present facts that the EU is going to collapse in on itself within 10 years I am not repudiated, I am accused of wanting, or somehow, trying to cause the EU to collapse.

Saying in 10 years time it will be 2029 is a fact, saying <insert institution of choice here> will collapse in 10 years is merely one’s personal speculation. Trying to present that as fact is probably why such an accusation would be received, particularly when it’s an “out there” one like that, might as well be guessing Apple will be bust in 10 years.

Oh, they won't go bust, but Apple has the most to lose when China goes into lockdown. 10 years is also a good rough estimate for that.

[CrypticMirror]

Thought the accompanying video was as chilling as it was brilliant. As someone in the UK, I can't help but see a near perfect replication of the techniques Chuck talked about, in being used to dupe so many people here to vote for Brexit, and so many of those same people still double-down on it over 3 years on. Even when facts state so many of their prime arguments to Brexit have been found to be factually incorrect.

And when I present facts that the EU is going to collapse in on itself within 10 years I am not repudiated, I am accused of wanting, or somehow, trying to cause the EU to collapse.

The people bankrolling Brexit have been thirsty for years for the EU to collapse, Bojo the Bozo got his start writing anti-EU articles like the EU was banning bent cucumbers or planning an invasion of Dover, and other such inanity. I don't know you, but if you are part of the Brexit bunch, then I am quite comfortable saying that you flat out want the EU to collapse and are cheerfully a tool of those deliberately trying to make it happen.

10 years is also a good rough estimate for that.

10 years is a nebulous figure that is far enough in the future to not have to be provable, but close enough to the now to seem scary.