Are the Maquis doing the right thing?

Thanks for the lively discussion all! My take is that the sci fi elements mean you can’t cut and paste their experiences onto our morality exactly, but it makes the feeling of conflict relatable, at least emotionally.

  • ValueSubtracted@startrek.websiteMEnglish
    1·
    17 days ago

    if they have specific details they hammered out with these descendants of native americans, I don’t thing was specified in the episode.

    There was an agreement made with Gul Evek - as you said, for them to be under Cardassian jurisdiction, if not full citizens:

    PICARD: Anthwara, I want to make absolutely sure that you understand the implications of this agreement. By giving up your status as Federation citizens, any future request you or your people make to Starfleet will go unanswered. You will be on your own and under Cardassian jurisdiction.

    ANTHWARA: I understand, Captain. And we are prepared to take that risk. Will the Cardassian government honour your agreement here?

    GUL EVEK: I believe I can convince them that this is an equitable solution. I cannot speak for every Cardassian you may encounter, but if you leave us alone I suspect that we will do the same. Will this be acceptable to the Starfleet Command?

    PICARD: It will not be easy, but with Admiral Necheyev’s support, I think they will go along with it in the end.

    However, that’s not the way things went down:

    HUDSON: I knew him. Bill Samuels was a farmer. He cultivated his land for twenty years. He raised two kids on that land. He made something out of that land and the Federation told him he had to give it all up to the Cardassians. Well, he just was not willing to do that.

    SISKO: And it was people like him who made both sides realise that some accommodation had to be made for the colonies so they could stay.

    HUDSON: The Cardassians have no intention of allowing these people to stay. They will either force them out or they will kill them. It’s already started. Not a day goes when there’s not some random act of violence against our people. Every Federation colonist knows you do not go out alone at night. Can you imagine living in that kind of fear?

    SISKO: If you’re saying the Cardassian authorities are not enforcing the laws, we can-

    HUDSON: Enforcing the laws? The Cardassian authorities were part of a mob that stoned two colonists on the streets of Ropal City three days ago.

    SISKO: That’s something the Federation can take up with the Cardassians at the highest level.

    HUDSON: Well, that will help a lot. The word is the Cardassian High Command is arming their colonists to the teeth.

    Those are the events that led to the Maquis as a resistance movement - before that, there were no Maquis, just colonists who stayed behind.