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Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 8:06 pm
by colmquinn
Cheers, I still think that the queen would've spotted the use of processing capacity and done something about it before it became terminal to the collective, then again maybe she would've gotten tied up in its pretty lines too
Posted: Tue Dec 11, 2007 11:19 pm
by Teaos
Why? It would be the equivalent of repatriating a captured enemy agent having supplyed him with false intelligence. In this case the effect would be to crash the Borg collective network, destroying the key to their coordination and intelligence-gathering. The destruction of the Borg as a result of systems failure is merely a side effect of that primary goal and, due to the nature of the Borg, its effect would be limited to their military (albeit because the Borg are nothing but a military).
No its not the same. When you send and enemy soilder back you dont infect them with Ebola first.
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 12:12 am
by Mikey
No its not the same. When you send and enemy soilder back you dont infect them with Ebola first.
But why would that be a bad idea?
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 12:16 am
by Teaos
Rules of war. We're humans not monkeys with guns.
You start treating prisoners like that you open a whole can of worms.
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 12:20 am
by Mikey
We're humans not monkeys with guns.
Some would beg to differ. However, that is not the point. We're not talking about modern Earth and the Geneva Convention; we're talking about how Starfleet could have combatted the single greatest current threat to the existence of the UFP. When those are the stakes, when you're facing an enemy as fearsome as the Borg were pre-Voyager, those dictates of social correctness go right out the window.
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 12:23 am
by Teaos
But they didnt. Picard choose to put morals before survival. He had a choice of doing what was easy or what was right. Him choosing the right is whats makes him great.
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 12:26 am
by Mikey
Any value judgement of that sort is inevitably colored by subsequent history. If he hadn't gotten so lucky, and the Borg went on to assimilate the Federation, his great moral character wouldn't have made him great; it would have made him an idiot and the greatest traitor ever known.
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 12:28 am
by Teaos
You cant sell out your morals everytime your at risk.
Why doesnt America turn the middle east into a nuclear waste land? It would sure solve a lot of their supposed problems?
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 12:31 am
by Mikey
There are some who want to do so. Why doesn't North Island invade South Island? However, you're again using a flawed analogy. Even if my own life were in danger from a threat out of the Middle East, there is no threat to the very existence of the USA. In addition, there are alternative ways of dealing with that situation. There were no alternative ways of dealing with the Borg. (Disregarding the idiotic treatment they received later, in Voyager.)
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 12:42 am
by Teaos
Iran could get neclear weapons which could wipe out a good majority of Americas population and totally destroy its power.
Terrorists could get their hands on vio weapons that could totally crew over the US population.
There are many ways they could totally crew you over yet you don't destroy them... why? Cause your moral humans who don't sell those morals out when threatened.
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 12:48 am
by Mikey
OK, let me re-state this:
I just wrote:In addition, there are alternative ways of dealing with that situation.
(emphasis added)
Iran (I won't attempt to spell its president's name) has in fact been shown to have dismantled its nuclear weapons program. But "alternative ways" doesn't mean the same thing as "alternative way." If the threat was that great, conventional war is an option. It would not be an option against TNG-type Borg.
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 12:52 am
by Teaos
In addition, there are alternative ways of dealing with that situation.
Didnt they manage to destroy a cube before this happened? Seems like an alternative to me.
Iran was very recently shown to have stopped it. But it had been a threat for a long time. Also there is evidence they may have restarted it after they stopped it.
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:21 am
by Captain Picard's Hair
Didnt they manage to destroy a cube before this happened? Seems like an alternative to me.
The Borg were stupid to send one cube at a time, and even then the Federation only just beat them off by the skin of their teeth. If the Borg ever got smart enough to send in five tactical cubes or something, the Federation wouldn't stand a chance.
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 3:11 am
by Mikey
And as I said, diplomatic/political/economic measures are one alternative. Conventional warfare is another. None of these would work against the Borg.
Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 4:35 am
by RK_Striker_JK_5
It was kill or be killed with the Borg. Stop them or face assimilation. No mercy, no reason.