Villain or Hero; Defense of The Cardassian People

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Marritza Nador
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Villain or Hero; Defense of The Cardassian People

Postby Marritza Nador » Fri May 05, 2017 12:41 pm

Today I speak before those who are accused by our neighbors as a violent and immoral species. I will be discussing various aspects which attribute to these slanderous accusations and to compare our actions with those same neighbors to point out our similarities which dilute the accusations made against the Cardassian people.

I shall begin with morals; The accusation that the Cardassian people are immoral. Our neighbors use evidence that we are an aggressive race and build our society through invasions. They claim our scientific research is performed on unwilling individuals, and that we prey upon weaker civilizations.

In regards to morals, I should ask our accusers which moral standard is being used to judge the Cardassian people. Klingon culture is based on combat with the strongest leaders rising to the head of households and seats of government. Klingons have never lived in peace longer than ten years at any given time. The Federation has become the largest faction through covert expansionist practices, and Romulans not only have a similar government to our but also practice similar actions without such charges.

We are labeled as an invasion force enslaving weaker governments, yet the only species 'subjugated' are the Bajorans, a species that is always seeking entitlements. Look at each planet within the Cardassian Union and you will see Cardassians, Human colonists, and imprisoned Bajoran criminals. Following the Dominion War we can also include the Alpha Jem Hadar which has not been cloned to survive in the Gamma Quadrant.

In contrast let us look at the Federation, a collection of 150 different species yet its military Star Fleet are only manned by two dozen. That is 24 out of the 150 species, these governments give up their sovereignty, their defense, and their borders. Now, did the Federation mostly humans invade these sovereign governments with ships and phasers? No, they invaded these borders through co-vert operation based on civilian relocation which they call colonization.

The Federation's colonization works by relocating colonists onto planets surrounding the borders of a sovereign government thus strangling said government, coerce, and extort those governments. Imagine a merchant that is not associated with the Federation trying to complete a transaction to Betazed, before even reaching Betazed's borders that merchant must travel through Federation space, it is impossible to reach Betazed otherwise. Making it easier for the Federation to control everything entering or exiting that sovereign government.

This same practice was installed against the Cardassian Union close to a century ago, this explains why there are so many human colonies within Cardassian space. This leads to the next charge, subjugating and enslaving weaker species.


(To be continued)

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Shada Dukal
Sheer Evil
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Re: Villain or Hero; Defense of The Cardassian People

Postby Shada Dukal » Sat May 06, 2017 6:10 am

That is beautiful, so neatly and precisely put in. I have always wanted to say all these things to the Cardassian haters and derogators. Cardassians are much misunderstood and vilified species and all accusations come from highly partial and discredited sources. Since when do Bajoran terrorists and malcontents or members of adversarial military organizations feel entitled to judge Cardassian ethics?

Please, continue!
I am the Lizard King, I can do anything!
Jim Morrison

Marritza Nador
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Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2017 1:12 pm

Re: Villain or Hero; Defense of The Cardassian People

Postby Marritza Nador » Sat May 06, 2017 2:57 pm

I am humbled by your praise my friend Shada. Thank You.

Returning to the`charges; There is a human term, I believe it goes "The pot calling the kettle black" it refers to two items exactly the same, but being judged upon the slightest differences. On this note, I begin the defense to the charges of barbaric acts performed by Cardassian medical and scientific researchers.

I am confident that our society acknowledges that less than preferable treatment and painful tests have taken place within the Union. This acknowledgment though stops with Cardassia, as our accusers deny or minimize their actions. Is it not true that Vulcans practice mind control and brainwashing techniques to enforce emotional suppression? How is emotion and mental manipulation less barbaric than physical body manipulation? Once again we look at humankind as it's history has been well documented within our records. How can a species who has created most of the torture and interrogation techniques used within this quadrant not culpable of the torment in which their practices have influenced? Humanity threw thousands of their own people in radioactively contaminated areas, human studies that led to knowledge of many diseases and circumstances. Useful information was kept and continued resulting in the eradication of many of their diseases. Every species has similar practices throughout their history yet only our species is condemned by these violators.

(Not finished, will be back later to complete this

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Shada Dukal
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Re: Villain or Hero; Defense of The Cardassian People

Postby Shada Dukal » Sat May 06, 2017 9:11 pm

Well, I really like the topic. I have been planning to post such a thread for ages but most members are basically readers or have their current artistic projects (fanfics, RPGs, graphic design) and the Cardassians are not their priority right now. In fact, I have included a similar trial in my fanfics, where one of my Cardassian characters has to discuss these issues at an interstellar tribunal presided by Starfleet Admirals and Bajoran judges. So I was hoping to have a dialogue with likeminded people.

I have always wondered why the Federation expansionism should be seen as something positive and admirable. This is geopolitics after all, each big power pursues its agenda and invents a suitable propaganda to justify it. The Federation slogan is “humanism” but it is imposed by means of photon torpedoes and diplomatic coercion laced with the usual platitudes about partnership, cooperation, and defense. The weaker side can’t say, “No, thanks.” They just have to play along because remaining unaffiliated is not an option for a small world.

In this sense, the Cardassians are just as entitled to take care of their sphere of influence and expand it as anybody else. The Cardassian Union expanded quite modestly and slowly compared to the remaining interstellar powers. Bajor is only 5 light years away from Cardassia Prime so I believe it falls within the Cardassian sphere of influence so the Federation should not have mingled with the relations between Cardassia and its affiliated worlds, it is a matter of sovereignty. What is more, the Border Wars were caused by the Federation intentions to stint the Cardassian colonial projects along the border. Well, they used low-priority Federation citizens as decoys to justify their intervention. However, the back-to-nature wackoes on Dorvan V settled on their own volition and at their own risk, they were warned that this was a disputed planet.

The Starfleet doctrine is called “humanistic militarism” – a caste of Guardians (in Plato’s sense) without families and private life who don’t experience any materialistic temptations and defend a Paradise comprising politically disenfranchised replicator leeches. The term was coined by John Shelton Lawrence and Robert Jewett in “The Myth of the American Superhero.” Chapter 11 is dedicated to Star Trek and its philosophy, it is really thought-provoking but the average Trekkie would get apoplectic if they read it.

In real geopolitics, this is called “military humanism” – each intervention and coup d’état can be justified with humanitarian reasons but in fact it is just a pretext for seizing more influence and instilling a local administration that supports the interests of the “liberators.”

Vulcans are the founding members of the UFP so they can get away with their manipulative techniques. They never lie, they only selectively withhold certain facts when it benefits them. In fact, they are mental wreckages with their suppressed emotions and badly-handled pon-farrs manifested as anal-retentive logic. So much wasted potential but it is entirely their problem.

Still, the only Cardassian medic accused of any malpractices was Crell Moset. He was an isolated case, was not even affiliated with a Cardassian university when he was stationed on Bajor. He was an unaccounted free-lance researcher carrying out experiments by using the fallout of the forced-labor facilities under the loose auspices of the Bajoran institute of Science. Needless to say, Bajor was not a dream destination exactly so any Cardassian scientist on Bajor was welcome. The forced-labor facilities were not manned by ordinary Bajorans but dissenters, terrorists and criminals who were not supposed to be released and remain alive in the first place. I don’t think that one medic with too much academic freedom working in a conflict zone plagued by backwardness and insurgencies typifies the Cardassian science.

In real life, doctors gain experience by making mistakes. They don’t do it deliberately, but each good doctor has cases he/she would never discuss because he/she was too young then, the patient was too ill, there were additional complications, he/she misinterpreted or forgot some tests. Surgeons in my country often joke that you don’t become a good surgeon until you kill several patients while learning the tricks of the trade. Ironically, the greatest breakthroughs in contemporary emergency medicine were achieved during the WWII when there was plenty of human material to operate on.

Cardassians and the other species are judged by different standards all the time. Was Rura Penthe a ski resort? Was Kirk there to enjoy the glaciers and the snow?

What about the Remans – let me guess – they were on a voluntary speleological expedition on Remus for about two centuries and they loved digging dillitium for the Romulan Star Empire.

Basically, each species is the zero-sum of their unique historic and civilization development so accusing aliens of not being compatible with the 24th century human standards is an absurd. Humans have their share of barbarism and conquests just like any other interstellar power but unlike other species they refuse to acknowledge it and sweep their not so finest hours under the carpet. Still, history is written by the victors and since the Cardassians lost the Dominion war they have to tolerate such an attitude.

My ramblings are getting too long. I hope you will find time to continue your train of thought.
I am the Lizard King, I can do anything!
Jim Morrison

Marritza Nador
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Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2017 1:12 pm

Re: Villain or Hero; Defense of The Cardassian People

Postby Marritza Nador » Sat May 06, 2017 11:25 pm

I'm glad there is someone that understands my thoughts without much confusion.

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Gazomg
Evil but still Redeemable
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Re: Villain or Hero; Defense of The Cardassian People

Postby Gazomg » Thu May 11, 2017 3:34 am

I simplify things

There is no such thing as all good or all bad.
The thing you use to see in movies like the good guy and the bad guy, for me both can be bad, or good.


Good people do bad things, bad people can do good things.
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