No case needs to be made. Turn on the nature channel. Violence is the base, default solution. It is the ability to rise above it that sets apart higher-order creatures. We are living in the most privileged age to ever exist if violence feels like some not-yet-tried solution.

TNG = traps not guns

Great list. And OOP, if you’re not yet in the mood for diplomacy saving the day, another show staple is the use of strategy to outwit those who would use violence. Some examples are A Matter of Honor, Peak Performance, and The Ensigns of Command.

And one of my all-time favorites, Who Watches the Watchers showcases a humanoid who transcends outdated motives of violence through the acquisition of higher knowledge.

Funny. I was a child when it was on air but I come from a conservative family that discounted the show as liberal nonsense (but still enjoyed it anyways… go figure). With my current perspective, TNG helps me cultivate optimism and belief in a better future in which diplomacy trumps violence.

But hey, maybe starships were a metaphor for nuclear weapons and you have to talk things out when every group of people has access to a doomsday weapon. Remember: peace… through superior firepower.

Pls write in ruuster13 on your ballot this November thank u. And let’s all agree to forget Kyrsten Sinema happened.

Theory:

I think you’re feeling pessimistic, which is valid. But diplomacy works. And when it cannot work… the show also depicts xenocide.

I’m a social worker. I have yet to find another in my field who does this, but I’m always searching. When I find them, I’ll form a joint practice with them. With our powers combined we will take over the world.

I’m a fan of the inverted feaux