Star Trek alien allegories

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

Cardassi = Nazi
Bajor = Jew
Klingon Classic = Russia; Klingon TNG = Viking Samurai; Klingon DIS = Cardassi
Romulan Classic = inscrutable China therefore
Vulcan Classic = inscrutable Japan; Vulcan ENT = Traitors
Angel One = Amazons
Outcast = it is verboten to express your feminine side = Vatican city State
Control DIS = Skynet

nice lol

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

Cardassian = Soviet/American settlers/Nazi
Bajor = Eastern Europe/Native Americans/Ethnic minorities

Fixed it for ya. And what do you mean traitors? The Vatican city-state idea is pretty good, though.

What I've seen, that might be entertaining to muse, is that Cardassians are a general occupational force that incorporates civility in their beatings. So, like Nazis sure, but not just them. I'm not really sure if they take the mantle of the Soviets as well, or at least there's probably better candidates in Trek, like maybe the TOS klingons?


I personally think the Klingon transition, from being ruskies in TOS to samurai in TNG, is interesting.

[clearspira]

I've heard it said the Cardassians could be an allegory for the collapse of the British Empire. Rekindling lost glory for his diminished people is Dukat's primary motivation besides getting himself some Bajoran T, A and V after all.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

I've heard it said the Cardassians could be an allegory for the collapse of the British Empire. Rekindling lost glory for his diminished people is Dukat's primary motivation besides getting himself some Bajoran T, A and V after all.

That's actually pretty interesting as far as what I've seen of Dukat and post occupation of Bajor.

As a Brit (I believe?), how do you feel about it?

[Yukaphile]

My Socialist friend confirms the Soviets could be charming too, but in a "rough and tumble" way. So I do see that.

[Yukaphile]

And need I go on about how many settlers could be romantic, yet hold deplorable views?

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

I think Risa might be Hawaii.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

My Socialist friend confirms the Soviets could be charming too, but in a "rough and tumble" way. So I do see that.

Yes, like when they drink all the raktajino and start a bar fight.

[Simplicius]

I think the Cardassians resist allegory. For Nazis, they'd need to be far more xenophobic. They were generally awful in their conduct on Bajor but the central lie wasn't that they were containing a threat to themselves but that they were acting in the best interests of the Bajorans themselves.

That would pin them down as an old European Colonial Power more than anything but their governmental structure resembles something far more Eastern (or at least Eastern European). They have a democratic past but it is commonly associated with failure. Their commitment to the state feels very Russian in that sense; the Occupation then would take place during their Soviet phase (you could call Bajor their Afghanistan), followed by brief a flirtation with openness before Dukat becomes a Putin figure (a strong man with ties to a government that many are nostalgic for).

As I said, however, they resist allegory like all good sci-fi and fantasy does. They're Cardassian, they feel like a real race with individuals whose purposes/goals are unique to their life experiences.

[Yukaphile]

Well, the Klingons were charming in their way, eh? And never forget they were Soviet allegories.

And yeah, the reason I bring up the Soviets is their awful treatment towards the female populations of Eastern Europe when they conquered it, and how we treated the Native Americans when we conquered them. It's the same with all conquerors who justify their evil through good and noble causes, like resisting tyranny or exploring.