it seemed more like the fact that they don't make an effort to rebel against the Founders, but instead accept their place in the system
But that's a behavior coded as feminine, right? Because it's "weak."
And good point about genetic engineering, although I do think the Federation's attitude is ridiculously un-nuanced. Almost any technology can be used in ways that are harmful/oppressive, and generally speaking the sensible response is not to ban the technology. Okay, the Federation does allow engineering in the case of "serious birth defects," but that's ultimately a social and cultural judgment that the Federation seems to be treating instead as a clear, hard-and-fast rule. From what we heard of little Jules, he would've been severely handicapped by his learning problems, but the Federation chooses not to see this as a serious birth defect. They've got a bad case of slippery slope mentality. (But to return to your point, it wouldn't surprise me at all if the war with the Founders resulted in a further hardening of Federation attitudes about genetic engineering.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2010-07-23 03:20 am (UTC)But that's a behavior coded as feminine, right? Because it's "weak."
And good point about genetic engineering, although I do think the Federation's attitude is ridiculously un-nuanced. Almost any technology can be used in ways that are harmful/oppressive, and generally speaking the sensible response is not to ban the technology. Okay, the Federation does allow engineering in the case of "serious birth defects," but that's ultimately a social and cultural judgment that the Federation seems to be treating instead as a clear, hard-and-fast rule. From what we heard of little Jules, he would've been severely handicapped by his learning problems, but the Federation chooses not to see this as a serious birth defect. They've got a bad case of slippery slope mentality. (But to return to your point, it wouldn't surprise me at all if the war with the Founders resulted in a further hardening of Federation attitudes about genetic engineering.