ST:TNG Up the Long Ladder
Oct. 11th, 2010 02:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beccaelizabethThis one is gross and creepy.
Not the clones. Riker's response to them. Two casual murders he's never prosecuted for.
I know this question was revisited within Trek. Riker feeling he'd be less special if there's more of him comes back to bite him. Clone murder on Deep Space Nine is prosecuted just like any other murder. And Enterprise had the duplicate Trip as a short essay in how a short lived copy can still be a fine person.
But I just watched Riker kill two people and the story seems to think I should be on his side about it.
*shudders*
As to Polaski's contention that they can't just give them more gene donors because it would only last 15 generations... For goodness sake, I don't know my genes are going to last +1 generation, what's wrong with 15 gens? Five more people, out of about 2000 on that ship, having a different opinion about cloning, would sustain that colony and its truly unique culture for another three hundred years. There's really such unanimity of opinion that can't happen? That's pretty damn creepy too. I mean, it's entirely possible there's other aspects of the society that are a big problem, for instance having supressed sex completely, but if the only thing is that they use cloning, sign me up. Simple, quick, no fuss. So why does nobody on Enterprise think that? When did that possibility disappear out of the minds of Terrans?
It also remains weird that 'clone' in Trek means a full grown copy, often with identical memories to the gene donor. 'Clone' should just mean your much younger twin brother. And that's a whole different set of Issues, as seen in CJCherryh and Lois McMaster Bujold among others. One of the big weird gaps in Trek is the lack of impact of new reproductive technologies. Four hundred years in the future and everyone's still m+f=body birth? Weirdness.
I almost forgot to mention the weird and ugly stereotyping in the 'Irish' colony. It's so obvious I'd just *facepalm* it away in my head. But no, wierd ugly stereotyping needs to be pointed at, so WTF was up with that? Who thought that was a good idea? And are they really proud of their clever and humourous (*eeew*) work? Comedy Irish: Never a good idea.
Not the clones. Riker's response to them. Two casual murders he's never prosecuted for.
I know this question was revisited within Trek. Riker feeling he'd be less special if there's more of him comes back to bite him. Clone murder on Deep Space Nine is prosecuted just like any other murder. And Enterprise had the duplicate Trip as a short essay in how a short lived copy can still be a fine person.
But I just watched Riker kill two people and the story seems to think I should be on his side about it.
*shudders*
As to Polaski's contention that they can't just give them more gene donors because it would only last 15 generations... For goodness sake, I don't know my genes are going to last +1 generation, what's wrong with 15 gens? Five more people, out of about 2000 on that ship, having a different opinion about cloning, would sustain that colony and its truly unique culture for another three hundred years. There's really such unanimity of opinion that can't happen? That's pretty damn creepy too. I mean, it's entirely possible there's other aspects of the society that are a big problem, for instance having supressed sex completely, but if the only thing is that they use cloning, sign me up. Simple, quick, no fuss. So why does nobody on Enterprise think that? When did that possibility disappear out of the minds of Terrans?
It also remains weird that 'clone' in Trek means a full grown copy, often with identical memories to the gene donor. 'Clone' should just mean your much younger twin brother. And that's a whole different set of Issues, as seen in CJCherryh and Lois McMaster Bujold among others. One of the big weird gaps in Trek is the lack of impact of new reproductive technologies. Four hundred years in the future and everyone's still m+f=body birth? Weirdness.
I almost forgot to mention the weird and ugly stereotyping in the 'Irish' colony. It's so obvious I'd just *facepalm* it away in my head. But no, wierd ugly stereotyping needs to be pointed at, so WTF was up with that? Who thought that was a good idea? And are they really proud of their clever and humourous (*eeew*) work? Comedy Irish: Never a good idea.