Jean-Luc Picard was surely one of the wisest men in the history of Star Trek. Remarkably, that’s likely because he was more true to the ideals of the Federation than the Federation itself, even within his own lifetime. As Picard showed, Jean-Luc’s belief in the Federation ultimately led to his retreating from the galaxy in disappointment, only to find himself drawn back in by circumstances, his idealism restored.
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Starfleet Academy has pushed further on into the Star Trek timeline than we’ve ever gone before. The 60th anniversary show is set in the aftermath of a galactic catastrophe known as the Burn, and it features a very different version of the Federation to the one Picard would have recognized. The Federation of this time lacks the boldness and idealism of Picard’s era, with an actual War College sitting alongside Starfleet Academy – something Jean-Luc would have considered unthinkable. And yet, even now, it’s becoming clear Picard still has so many lessons to teach the Federation.
Jean-Luc Picard’s Wisdom Defined His Life
Back in 1992, Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 6 continued the adventures of Picard’s Enterprise. In the episode “Man Of The People,” Picard and his crew struggled to deal with a diplomatic crisis as an ambassador attempted to end a civil war – and it all led to one of Picard’s wisest statements. “You cannot explain away a wantonly immoral act because you think that it is connected to some higher purpose,” Picard insisted.
It’s basically a long-winded way of saying “the ends do not justify the means.” It’s a principle Picard lived his life by, because he consistently refused to compromise his morals for short-term gains. This is a man who had the opportunity to destroy the Borg with a virus that would have killed the Collective, and who objected to the idea of sacrificing Data so his technology could be replicated. Picard clung to his principles, even when it meant conflict with the Federation itself.
The Federation Has Forgotten What It Stands For
The problem, though, is that the Federation of the late 32nd century has clearly forgotten its morality. Starfleet Academy has introduced a new doomsday weapon, Omega 47, a weaponized version of a molecule seen in Voyager. In a post-Burn galaxy, this is essentially the Star Trek version of the atom bomb; it can be detonated to tear subspace apart in a region, making warp travel impossible. It’s a shocking way of isolating any worlds or empires the Federation finds troublesome.
This new superweapon is all the more shocking given the galaxy has only just regained the ability to reliably use warp travel. Entire civilizations collapsed, galactic empires fell, and now the Federation seek to weaponize that same idea against their enemies. The War College alone would have given Picard pause, but he’d have been absolutely horrified at this idea. No doubt strategists would argue there’s a short-term benefit to isolating hostile forces, but doing so also prevents the possibility of peace.
It’s surely no surprise, of course, that the Federation has already lost control of Omega 47. It’s been stolen by Nus Braka, a pirate leader, who’s used it to box the Federation itself in – a fitting reversal of the Federation’s own plan. But, in truth, Omega 47 was never going to be a reliable weapon. The moment it was used, other would-be galactic powers would have begun working to duplicate it. We’d have wound up with an unstable truce between galactic powers, all aware triggering Omega 47 mines would mean mutually assured destruction.
How Far Has The Federation Fallen?
The truly disturbing thing, though, is that none of Starfleet Academy‘s characters seem particularly surprised to learn about Omega 47. It’s reasonable to assume Admiral Vance didn’t know about the experiments with Omega 47, because he surely wouldn’t have risked this superweapon – even to save Starfleet Academy lives. But when he’s learned the truth, Vance gives a briefing to Chancellor Ake. Tellingly, she simply accepts the Federation superweapon without a second thought, barely reacting to this betrayal of everything Starfleet is supposed to stand for.
The Federation has clearly lost its way, so much so that even the idealists of the galaxy are not surprised by superweapon development. It’s clear Starfleet and the Federation need to take the words and wisdom of Jean-Luc Picard on board once again; “You cannot explain away a wantonly immoral act because you think that it is connected to some higher purpose.”
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