It is bewildering the entitlement of people who leave comments like “I didn’t come here for your politics.” Like they genuinely expect you to give a shit.
Well, you know, newbies... Personally my political view is not aligned with Steve´s (I´m not American either and I live in EU), so I don´t entirely agree with everything he says, but I can live with it... Peace.
they do expect you to give a shit. in their minds, theyre a customer and steve is a service provider, they think its his job to cater to their every whim. £the customer is always right" and all that bullshit.
Not being satisfied with attempting to destroy the constitution & bill of rights, and empowering a bigoted, treasonous, tiny handed cheeto, they want to destroy "dem libs" on youtube too. Brainiacs that they are...
Exactly, they could attempt to be grown and just take in the star trek info and if not why bitch? They have actual places and channels for debates. Also, you shouldnt feel the need to hide the like and dislike bar Steve you're a fair guy.
The funny thing with what they are saying, I don't know if they realize they are supporting it by watching the video and contributing to engagement on the video. I can remember one time hearing about comments contributing to "engagement" in youtube videos helps the video because the algorithm promotes videos with high engagement. I don't know if this is still true or ever was though.
You hit the nail on the head. Those are the people who think that DS9 sucked until the Dominion was revealed and really kicked off when millions were dying and Betazed was invaded. Or as Steve would say: Voyager fans. Sorry, I couldn't help myself. I just do not like Voyager anywhere near as much as DS9 or TNG.
@@SiriusMined The flakiest of the fucking flakiest. Like amoeba on fleas on rats. That's how little value they have in my life, and I'm being generous.
But those same hypocrits are the first to rise for the national anthem or the jets flying overhead at a baseball game or a Nascar race. Right wing nuts are illogical idiots.
I hate that they make it seem like theres more of them than there are of us. We see what they do, we see what they believe. We arent going to put up with it much longer.
What gets me about people complaining about Steve's politics... He. Has. Numerous. Political. Videos. If you think he's not comfortable talking about his politics in ANY of his videos, you missed a big flag on the way in. To which I say, thanks, Steve; a lot of people will drain their politics out of their "friendly content" in the vein of getting more views simply by being neutral. I always appreciate that you don't go that route.
I wouldn't be surprised if at least some of those complainers don't yet know about his other videos. I know I certainly didn't when I first started watching how ever many months ago that was. TH-cam recommended me here by way of his Star Trek videos and I probably watched at least a dozen of those before going directly to Steve's main channel page to discover his larger body of work. Only difference is I liked what I found. I came here for the Star Trek, but I stayed for the sociopolitical commentary.
It's like the politician who, during a speech, said that he liked Rage Against the Machine until they started to get political. WTF? Look at the name! Geez. Do they even have a non-political song?
@@amsmith53954 I can see that. I think this show is a chance to have a cross politics discussion, there are common interests that give opportunity for unity rather than further division. How else do we grow towards the Star Trek optimistic vision?
Lmao at "i didn't come here for politic. i want a NON POLITICAL discussion of *checks notes* themes of terrorism portrayed in media and whether it can be justified etc. Non. Political. Terrorism. Please. >:( "
@Matt the lecture Quark gives the Vulcan critising their failure of logic and breaking it down to the difference between the price of Peace and the price of War is genius.
For me it was the reverse. Though I probably am a skosh more to the right than Steve is, I can appreciate hearing his side of things, even in Star Trek videos. Plus we, I think, would largely agree on a lot of the basics anyway.
Taking the Dominion War example, it's pretty obvious that Starfleet really doesn't' have a principled approach to terrorism; it's used when it's expedient, it's condemned when it isn't. The reason the Maquis were condemned wasn't for ethical issues; it was for strategic ones. The US does the same in Libya, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. When China brutally cracks down on dissent, they're tyrants. When Israel does it, it's fighting terrorism. The dictatorship in Iraq was tolerable until it threatened US interests. The Vietnamese , South korean, Guatemalan, Chilean dictatorships etc were tolerable, the Cuban and Colombian and North Koreans aren't. Superpowers since Rome and Persia have used ethical framing for purely strategic issues as propaganda.
Really respect how you stick to your principles and say what you want to say, not to appease some idiot who thinks they are entitled to dictate your content.
Conservatives are now trying to say that all science fiction has always been just simple, basic entertainment and has never had any deeper meaning. Talk about self-delusional!
Let's be fair and say the far right, or the vocal right. I know some conservatives who are still decent people and hate what that particular group has been turned into
The Voyager episode that breaks my heart is the one with the goo ship. There was an earlier episode where Voyager had landed on some planet, and for some technobabble reason I don't remember, the planet had made a copy of the ship and everything on it. So we get to the episode, and Voyager is trying to get home, and stuff starts malfunctioning, and we find out its really the copy of the ship and a copy of the crew, and it's starting to fall apart into goo. The ship could find a planet where it could land and that would stop happening, but goo Janeway is like, "No, we're Starfleet, and we have to get home." And as the trip goes on, stuff is just getting worse and worse, and the ship is falling apart, and the only one left is Harry Kim and finally the last thing they do is just send a message out saying basically, "We existed, and we tried, damn it.". The real Voyager picks up the distress call, and goes to their location, but all they find is a bunch of goo, and Janeway is like, "Huh, guess we'll never know what happened." and then Voyager just leaves. It breaks me up a little bit.
Am I too late to leave a 'oh dem feels' comment? TNG; Yesterday's Enterprise ...yeah, yeah, it's an amazing episode that ranks in everyone's top 5 for a variety of reasons, but my favorite part? - the very end: *Guinan checks in with Picard, then sits down with Geordi* "Geordi, tell me about ...'Tasha Yar." *Geordi tilts head* *roll credits* You feel for Geordi having to recount his late colleague, you feel for Guinan for never knowing her, you feels for missing her yourself ...not to mention, future-you knows her alternate sad ending, and all them feelings. Gets me every time...
For the younger members of the audience, a double album was this thing printed on vinyl records. Now, a record is kind of like a CD, but has bumps and grooves that would play music on a turntable.
Listening to Steve talk about Duet reminded me why I don’t like Discovery; because it isn’t political. [sorry, this ended up longer than intended - kept thinking about the missed opportunities] Yes, there were alt-right tantrums about the casting and characters, and the in-universe identities are diverse (but given it’s a web-series - not primetime - and given the 20+ years of increasing diversity in prestige TV since the last trek, it’s catch-up rather than trend-setting), but that’s not political in the same way as your Duets, Drumheads, The Outcast etc. The show runners can say the Klingons in S1 were “trump supporters”, but on-screen they were just generic evil space empire. Political would have been the Empire going to war due to the machinations of a deceptive leader; maybe that’s how the Empire ended up as the rotten nest of palace intrigue we see in TNG/DS9? Or, take Saru, who has a particular view of his past, and it turns out his people are the genocidal scumbags. How absolutely Star Trek would it have been to watch a beloved character deal with the fact his people’s real history is at odds with his angelic head-canon? Super important issue, especially in the USA (and here in Britain). But nope, not even a ‘so we were the bad guys’ pause. And the less said about how non-political it is that Emperor Georgiou went from a combination of Space-Hitler, Space-Genghis Khan and regular-Palpatine, to the side-kick character where the joke is all her suggestions are ‘a bit dark’. I get she was a hit character, but still… For me Discovery hasn’t demonstrated the political or moral philosophy I associate with Star Trek; it’s just been a bunch of stuff that happens so things can explode . I guess we'll see what Season 3 brings.
I've just watched a video with steve and jessie gender talking about how new trek deconstructs star trek to build it back up stronger... now i agree entirely with them that new trek is a deconstruction of star trek.. and that's encapsulated why i don't enjoy watching discovery... if i want to watch a deconstruction of star trek i'll watch something like Farscape... not star trek.. now i guess we can look back in say 10 years and see if they did build it back up stronger and have a discussion then.... until then i'll probably just keep re watching tng ds9 and voy... or other shows...
@@Ma55ey I'll have to track that down. I'm not sure how Discovery is deconstructing Star Trek, unless by "deconstruction" they means "making a generic sub-Expanse space show". Without watching the episode you mentioned, I personally can't see anything particularly clever in terms of the script, direction or in-universe narrative.
Hey there man, I'll admit that the Klingons in season 1 are admittedly a bit bare bones as far as motivation and stuff goes but they are united under T'Kuvmas banner so his motivations are theirs. The Klingons aren't just trump supporters but more specifically white nationalists and supremacists (I think the Klingons are more nationalists and the Terrans are the supremacists). The warning that T'kuvma gives is that the Federation wants to absorb them and erase their culture to replace it with theirs. So he wants them to Remain Klingon and refuse integration because he sees the federation 'coming in peace' as a lie meant to destroy who they are in the long term. That is arguement for defending their culture (which by saying "remain klingon" also ties that culture directly to race) and one for essentially a Klingon Ethnostate. I wont disagree that the Klingons motivations become irrelevant quickly but they are there, not as something the cast or producers said but right in the show itself
I hate to say this but trek has ALWAYS been playing catch up, in 1966 nothing they did was particularly new or enlightening other than it somewhat more mainstream than its predecessors. Scifi literature had long since tackled race relations gender rights and the politics of post imperial imperialism. Star trek came along just as these things were gathering momentum as popular culture elements and rode that popularity and acceptance to some degree of success. As for politics in DSC, THE klingons were not generic bad guys. Not by a long shot. Their would be leader and martyr truly believed that the federation was a threat and in fact they were. At this point they were well on their way to homogenizing their member races and all indicators showed that if they expanded further they would eventually do the same to the Klingons. Its a very relevant take on modern-day cultural expansionism and the diluting of many cultures in the service of the dominant western based culture. "Give us all your meme worthy culture but the rest will submit to our personal standards or be wiped out" is a standard sentiment today even among the young and otherwise woke demographics. Someone is going to have the ships of it some day. It was sadly undone to an extent by the seemingly rushed ending, I think they were expecting a longer season then had to wrap it up in a few episodes after the mirror verse episodes.
I've come to accept that watching Steve includes his politics even if I don't agree. Everything is ideology at the end of the day and sometimes I'll even throw in my two cents.
As you can see even by my youtube name "Trulytrekkie", I'm a big "Star Trek" fan. I only recently found your videos and have been consuming them on a regular basis. I am also a writer and a teacher who teaches classes in story telling, fictional writing, and direction, and I just wanted to say you are killing it on every level. Your acting skills are fun and the Ensign's Log is very funny. Your writing is sharp. Your insights into the story, structure, and meaning of episodes are just really well done. So great job. Keep it up. A few "Star Trek" moments that are so powerful for me as in "Second Skin" when the Order has finally broken Kira and she breaks down crying. Her supposed Cardassian father apologizes to her saying that he's a selfish old man and that he will help get her off Cardassia. I think that episodes where people make noble sacrifices tend to be the most moving. It's one of the reasons that "The Visitor" is so moving. Jake, now an old man, sacrifices himself for his father and "for the boy I once was". Or another moment when Bashir tells Kira that he isn't going to replace Beriel's brain and Kira has to say goodbye. Or when Rom threatens Quark telling him if Quark ever interferes in Nog's career again, he will burn down the bar. Or when Admiral Jarak explains to Picard his reasons for defecting in the "The Defector" just so many great moments.
"We condemn people who blow up buildings in this country as terrorists." No we don't. Not anymore. Don't get me wrong, Steve, I agree with the point you're driving at in this part of the video. But One of my growing frustrations has been our seeming reluctance as a society to call a spade a spade when it comes to domestic terrorism. People show up with rifles to state capitals to "protest" masks and we call them Karens or Anti-Maskers, when they're really terrorists. People drive their cars through protests, no hint of the T-word. Dylan Roof shoots up a church and they talk more about mental illness (only deepening the unfair stigma of mental illness) before anyone even hints that it was an act of terrorism. This teenager in Kenosha, who went out premeditated and looking for a fight, brought a gun, sought out protesters, and shot them. All acts of terrorism, at least as I understand it. But we focus on their mental illness, or how they're a troubled, or just a joke (ie "Karens) But if someone loots a Target during a protest or if you happen to wear a turban, THEN it gets labelled terrorism. I can't figure out what the difference is there.... It's a real stumper. Anyway, I'm going to go rewatch Let This Be Your Last Battlefield, which I'm sure in no way relates to the phenomenon I'm talking about here ;)
@@jedimaster4355 Nah, he was trying to murder protesters. I'm gonna channel Steve here and let you know you're on the wrong youtube channel, get outta here.
Just recently, several terrorists-to-be were arrested for plotting to kidnap the Governor of Michigan (which was likely directly incited by Trump's tirades against her governorship and his cries to "LIBERATE MICHIGAN"). Many news articles are bending over backwards to avoid calling them terrorists (which they are, or at least planned to be), instead most frequently referring to them as "members of a militia." It's disgusting.
I always felt Picard would have made an amazing Q. Bringing his humanity to omnipotence and absolute power. And watching a superior human succumb to the pitfalls and madness of omnipotence and absolute power.
"It's too much to ask for people to sit and watch me responding to comments for an hour and a half." Steve, honestly, I'd sit and listen for 2 hours an episode a few days in a row. The comments response videos are *excellent* for bingeable content put on in the background when doing boring, monotonous stuff. These videos are just stellar for doing video game grinding sessions, or getting cleaning done around the home, or whatever else needs doing but is preferable to not *think* about doing while doing it. Sitting and listening to you talk about something you're passionate about (Star Trek, in this instance) is a godsend, and I know there's at least a tiny portion of your audience that would love long-form content like that to just binge whenever convenient.
You just completely reformed my view of Star Trek III. That Kirk wasn’t rescuing Spock, he threw it all away just to put Spock to rest.... man. Thank you.
What I love to remind people is that Dr. Seuss has a political agenda. A pretty strong naturalist, creative thinking, and lite socialism agenda. Everything has a political agenda
Must everything be political? Sometimes I wonder. I tried avoiding politics all my life but sometimes life just forces you to take a stand on something. I just wish the human race wasnt destined to destroy itself over petty bullshit.
@@MLBlue30 it shouldn't be. If we limited politics to things like economics or civics or whatever, it wouldn't be. Most political issues are limited enough in scope that you can tell a story that easily side-steps political issues. But the problem is that one side's politics are "you don't have a right to exist". The only way to side-step those "political" issues are to make all the characters cis/het white men. To pretend people unlike them don't exist. That means that including any diversity at all is "political".
@@MLBlue30 It's impossible to avoid being political. Politics directly impacts everyday life. So anyone who actively avoids politics is effectively saying they just don't care how the actions of others in their society affect them.
Very Good video. "Duet", "The Inner Light", "Lower Decks and "The Quality of Life" sometimes still gets me. As for that one issue, I use the TOS bridge officers as an example often. Kirk, Spock, Chekov, Sulu, McCoy, Scotty, Uhura, they are all very different people. They all have very different backgrounds and sometimes different opinions but they are all crucial to get through the challenges. They all have varied skills and more often combining all of that is the only way out. That, was one of if not Roddenberry's main message, it's a shame still not everybody notices that.
The comments about the little moments that get ya made me go find the final scene of The Offspring so I could get the quote right: Data: She is here. Her presence so enriched my life that I could not allow her to pass into oblivion. So I incorporated her programs back into my own. I have transferred her memories to me. And then the episode ends on Data's face, sitting at his post, looking forward, impassive.
When talking about "I'll never listen to you again" complaints, a host of a radio show I used to listen to would say, "Your radio has two knobs. One changes the channel, and the other turns it off. The next time you hear something you don't like, use one of them."
In the TNG episode Ethics, before Worf goes into surgery, he asks a startled Counselor Troi to take care of Alexander if he dies, because of his deep respect for her. Worf was mostly frustration and anger throughout the episode, but that moment, his humility, and the look on Marina Sirtis’ face as Troi accepts, turns me into a puddle of mush.
Duet is what got me on board with DS9. As a millennial I came to love Star Trek after after it was done airing. I watched TNG reruns with my dad and after living on my own started watching other trek on Netflix. Casually watching DS9 through most of season 1. And then duet starts and sit down and shut up, edge of my seat at the end...it will always be one of my examples for how great Star Trek is.
I absolutely loved the first comment response. "You don't run your channel the way >I< like!!" Steve: "Simon says, go fuck yourself!" A man after my own rage
I'll take it a step further by saying that people that expect no political agenda in their sci-fi are barking up the wrong tree. Trek and sci-fi in general have been doing their own brand of political commentary since the civil rights era. They always use examples like the last Ghostbusters movie or the latest star wars, but their flaws are exclusively based on bad writing, not just some vague "woke" agenda. I'm really getting tired of the same cringe buzzwords and blaming the left for the downfall of hollywood. Just the same when the writing is on point, all is forgiven and political themes ignored... It's pure hypocrisy!
I bawl every single time I see The Visitor. It's probably one of the finest hours of television, imho, but I can't watch it too much because I know I'm going to be crying and exhausted by the end. Sisko is the best dad ever; the idea of losing him the way Jake does is so heartbreaking. Duet is my favorite Star Trek episode. It still amazes me how good DS9 was so early on.
Yikes... I recently started re-watching DS9, but to hear you reiterate how _The Visitor_ breaks your heart scares me a little bit. Because for almost two years I've been living that sense of loss you describe, trying to move on even as I know I may never get over her... and yes, yearning for that fantasy of getting her back.
The inner light is my absolute favourite episode. Star trek, to me, is a show exploring themes and ideas but mostly answering its own questions on a not that deep level. But "the inner light" episode asks questions that it just leaves us with and I was not prepared for that! Wow. (tbf. i have only seen TNG, DS9, some Discovery + movies)
It beggars belief that so many so called Trek websites have more than a passing resemblance to a Nuremburg rally with the politics their creators. Keep fighting the Good fight Steve.
Steve I recommend your channel because of how politically honest you are. You owe nothing to the people actively working against you in the world. Your ability to weave sensible viewpoints into these discussions is really balanced. Look forward to more thoughts from you, just don't burn out like the Romulan sun.
Thanks for replying to my comment, Steve. And I definitely agree with your comments on 'The Visitor'. That episode is still a gut punch of emotions (but in a good way) to this day. Keep up your great Trek videos and don't let the haters get you down.
Star Trek Day is actually my birthday (I was born exactly 20 years after ST premiered, which I think is a neat coincidence), so I'm actually *one* person who cares that you didn't release the video yesterday =D
8:34 I would argue there's a difference between terrorism and guerrilla warfare. Kira's Cardassian cell didn't target civilians, as a matter of fact Cardassian civilians rallied behind Kira and Damar's cause. If anything the Dominion employed terrorist tactics when they killed Damar's family.
I think the Inner Light would have been more effective if we didn't see the Enterprise scenes at all until right at the end. Just have Picard wake up in the past and spend 30 solid minutes there, then realise the twist at the end that only 5 minutes have passed.
Sir, I greatly appreciate how tolerant and gracious you are to social justice issues. That said, I love it when you shit on those people who somehow think politics and ideals aren't involved in Trek.
Any Right wing looney who says that Sci-Fi is just "pew, pew" entertainment has never watched Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica (2004), Star Wars and is probably totally incapable of reading Dune.
Is anyone capable of reading Dune? That stuff is an incredible slog. I have no idea how I managed to acquire several of those books, but then I just lost any interest in reading them. Very boring. (Also, some very questionable politics, and often very unclear if we were supposed to like or abhor it.) I think my reaction can be summed up as "bad writing".
Kai Henningsen I personally loved Dune. I think the books have really good atmosphere. I literally could not put it down, I walked into a wall because of it. It was so immersive. But I get why someone wouldn’t like it.
@@KaiHenningsen It definitely has some questionable aspects like a white saviour syndrome of the european royalty coded Paul Atreides learning the ways of the natives, becoming their messiah and rallying them into battle, and a lot of the most interesting parts of the world are more lore than critical to the story we're told, but it's also a decent analogue for the imperialist meddling in Egypt and Afghanistan at the time, both during the world wars and the cold war (and fairly relevant to the post-9/11 era as well). I think Frank Herbert tries to criticize those imperialist politics, but definitely can't get away from invoking a few imperialist and somewhat racist ideas of the time as well, which I guess is also analogous to Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" (and Apocalypse Now), which also tries to criticize the colonial powers in Congo, but falls into a lot of racist and exotifying ideas of "the dark continent". Anyway, I think Dune is a great series of books and reading them has been valuable to me, but there's definitely problemetic shit in there.
Hearing about Spock and Tuvix in the same conversation makes me wonder. Sure, Spock's body is the same after regeneration so I suppose technically/legally, it still belongs to Spock, it's just younger. But since Spock died (all natural functions ceased as probably diagnosed by Bones) isn't the body that turns up living on the Genesis world not a new person? Sure the kid may not have had any nurturing or even speech, but isn't he still a new person that gets overwritten/killed with Spocks katra?
"They're completely oblivious to the richness and the complexity and the depth and the beauty of so much of art... and also I wish they'd stop fucking up the internet" -- ALL OF THIS
His breakdown at the end: "That's ancient knowledge; you cannot destroy an idea!" I read the Avery Brooks took some time to come out of that scene. I wept like a baby.
Re: Dax and Sisko and episodes that break our heart: Have we talked about The Ship? Because the death of Enrique Muniz was super impactful--even though we'd literally seen him only once before!--and the epilogues with Sisko/Dax and Worf/O'Brien were so powerful.
IF DS9 didn't have such a strong pilot Duet would be its measure of a man it that it would be the first sign of greatness and your right all because of this guest star.
Here here, Steve. I like your Star Trek content AND your politics. On both subjects you seem to offer very well thought out opinions. Keep up the great work. Stay safe... Live Long and Prosper
I also didn't come here for your politics, but for Star Trek. But when I found you, I didn't know about your politics. I only saw a random (and pretty early) Trek actually video. Now I enjoy watching the politics videos, even though I don't *always* share your opinions, and am always looking forward to your next Star Trek video, as a brilliant highlight :-) . Seeing you released a new video, politics or not, brightens my day. Thanks
I feel like the reason no one has anything kind to say to Tuvix when they’re killing him is because they all know what they’re doing is wrong and there is NOTHING they can say to even relatively make it ok.
@@SteveShives Nice. Ever since I was a small child it has always been a tradition for me to watch the Fleischer Superman cartoons whenever I get sick. It started when I got appendicitis when I was seven living in a family shelter. The TV room have a Superman VHS. I have the official authorized DVD Warner Brothers did from the original masters. I'm at home with the Covid and haven't watched it yet, so thanks for reminding me.
Apropos the war/terrorist distinction, I think it’s worth emphasizing that “terrorism” doesn’t just mean violence perpetrated by non-state actors. A small guerilla group can in principle carry out violent acts without engaging in “terrorism” if they’re hitting military rather than civilian targets. (I say “in principle”, of course, because it is often infeasible feasible for such groups to hit hardened military targets, which is one reason they resort to terrorism.) The rhetorical question “is there any difference from the perspective of the victims?” assumes the “victims” are the same or substantially similar people in each case, but if we’re thinking of “war” as constrained by something resembling our laws of war, which is a big “if,” then there OUGHT at least to be the difference that some types of targets are out of bounds for war, but not for terrorism.
For what it's worth, I came for the Star Trek (your video on Captain Jellico specifically) and initially was turned off by the political bent. I stuck around though, and now I'm here for Trek and Politics. You brought me around on it.
Interesting that the opening topic of your video is the terrorism subject. I was giving thought to this this morning. “All is fair in love and war”... yet, we have these “rules of war”. We have “atrocities” and “acceptable actions” or rather “regrettable, but necessary actions”... This reminded me of “a taste of Armageddon”. I won’t remind you of the overall plot, 1 because I’m sure you are familiar, and two: I’ve had a taste of wine (several). But the point is the line Kirk delivers near the end: “death, destruction, disease horror. That’s what make war something to be avoided....I’ve given your back the horrors of war” The rules of war protect the continuation of war more than the combatants. They protect those with actual vested interest in the end game, but not the pawns. “It is well that war is so terrible, or we would grow too fond of it.” I’ll revisit this when the radiation surge has passed....
I'll throw in a more rare example of episode that'll make you... feel things TOS season 3 "The Empath". It completely drops the usual TOS goofiness and delivers a story of absolute desperation for basically everyone Yes, I just called TOS goofy, and yes, I praised an episode from its third season. I'll go crucify myself now :P
I'm a moderate, and I refuse to be drawn into the fray. In 2020, I didn't vote for either candidate. I wrote in Tulsi Gabbard. That being said, I still enjoy these videos...politics and all.
The Xindi arc didn't just show characters in a 'how far would you go' situations, but it put them into a position where they are compelled to go 'that' far. The entire season is a trolley problem writ large.
Ah, The Visitor. One of my favorites of DS9 too. I have to throw in a caviat though and say it would not be an episode I would recommend as a selling point to anyone that had not watched any Trek before. You have to know Sisko and Jake, and have seen the goos father-son dynamic the series has. So it would not really have worked, as well anyway, as a season one episode. It is good because you KNOW the characters now and understand WHY Jake does what he does now. Agree? :-)
I'd always be extremely-careful about treating war and terrorism as the same thing, because it ignores a simple factor of war that there are escalating factors from regulated, limited wars up to full-on destructive total wars (i.e. Spanish-American War versus WWII). Terrorism is similar to warfare except that it is a tactic employable either as criminal/revolutionary behavior (aka trying to force change without being able to implement or enforce it, either as individuals or as groups) as opposed to insurgent behavior/guerilla warfare (i.e. rebellions or resistance movements, where military operations are occurring but not in open battlefields). Terrorism also can arguably be applied to open warfare, as certain tactics clearly fit the definition of trying to intimidate a populace into supporting political change (i.e. ending a war or overthrowing their government), such as carpet bombing, assassinations, or targeting non-military targets. The problem of conflating terrorism and war as identical is that war has rules (not always followed, but again there are levels of escalation of force), while terrorism is quite specifically violating those rules (the whole point is targeting or intimidating civilians, which tends to be universally against rules of war). Basically imagine someone saying that all police shootings are the same, and you might understand how I might take profound offense to that and also just see it as a bit dumb. Police shootings, like military tactics, have wide-ranging levels of justification from totally unjustified (no threatening movements or provocation prior to shooting) to debatable (reaching into a glove compartment when ordered to stop moving) to entirely justified (actively holding a weapon up). Similarly, punishments for criminal behavior have wide-ranging levels of justification from humane punishments intending to rehabilitate to cruel ones that focus on discouraging further criminal behavior (i.e. death penalty, torture, disproportionate sentencing). While sometimes a group may not have the means of defeating their opposition through solely-targeting military elements, the fact remains that terrorism fundamentally changes the playing field between the terrorist group and the population of their nation, and risks either undermining the authority of the government (by encouraging further terrorism to achieve political change as an expedient method) or destroying the trust between the population and those employing terrorist methods (particularly if those end up in charge of government). Its the same as how in warfare, the tactics that might be deemed necessary in a total war like WWII (i.e. carpet bombing, bombing accuracy within 5 miles of the target being acceptable) would be deemed entirely unjustified for a smaller war like Afghanistan. Similarly, sometimes the powerful group is encouraged to abandon rules when this logic of conflating war and terrorism is taken to its logical extreme, which ends up with the flip opposite of what is suggested happening (where the powerful abandon the rules holding them back, such as Germany ignoring the Geneva convention for Soviet prisoners on account of the USSR never signing the Geneva Convention). The fact is, even Germany in WWII was known for letting crews get on lifeboats before sinking merchant ships, while the USA following this logic of "war is hell so anything goes" never did the same in the Pacific; just because war is hell doesn't mean it needs to be hell in every theater, all the time. Tl;dr: never conflate the most extreme aspects of warfare or insurgency (aka terrorism) as being equally-valid as ANY form of warfare or insurgency, because you're risking undermining what little humanity can be maintained in something that is already horrible. Remember that just because a nation or group may be willing to kill to achieve political aims doesn't mean they should be willing to kill ANYONE for those aims. Sorry for text wall.
It never really occurred to me until listening to this video that the end of The Inner Light is really about death, specifically, Picard/Kamin's death. At the end he is revisited by all of the people he loved in life, and who explain the meaning of Kamin's experiences. The Picard/Kamin ceases to exist and he moves on to another reality. Kind of obvious now that I think about it. Huh.
Steve isn't a news organisation he isn't supposed to be impartial and keep any of his personal feeling to himself..... this is his you tube channel... we're all here to listen to his opinions surly... now we're not always going to agree with them... but you don't get to tell someone to keep their views out of their own videos surly?? I'm really getting sick of hearing TH-camrs having to justify, defend or aploagise for expressing there views on anything...
I think what you're trying to say is, "What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?" - Gandhi (allegedly)
By the way, I enjoy hearing your opinions including political ones. Agree or disagree are both okay. Can’t understand it when people always want to be surrounded by like (hive) minded folks. I think I mostly agree with you but, if not, so what because I am here for the Star Trek! 😃
Not sure if you covered it yet, or if you’re waiting till the end of the season, but what do you think of lower decks? I think it’s a good departure from traditional trek focusing on the senior officers to something different.
The truly sad thing about Tuvix, is that surely they could have replicated the Will/Thomas Riker accident to create two Tuvixes (Tuvixen?), one could then have been split back into Tuvok and Neelix, leaving the other Tuvix to continue living
"The Visitor" is more moving for me than "The Inner Light" because it's about Jake, as a teen, losing his dad who has been a pillar in his life, especially since his mother died. If I were in Jake's shoes, I'd have been devastated too. I don't think I could have totally moved on.
I'm glad you're not tired to answer about the "I'm not here for your politics", but I don't get why you still get them. Surrely they are not from frequent viewers most of the time, because I don't understand how they could miss your politics if they watch you often. Keep up the god work!
With the new Discovery trailer out, I had a weird thought - unless Tilly gets promoted before the time jump, she'll be the only living member of Star Fleet to be an ensign longer than Harry Kim.
30:59 (paraphrased) 'But I think a lot of people just don't experience art on that level. They don't get the metaphors, the messages, and they don't experience the beauty of the medium.' (Hopefully an acceptable paraphrasing, I tried to capture the meaning but cut it down for ease of transcription. I am cutting out the 'I wish they'd stop fucking up the internet' though, because I don't think that's relevant to me specifically.) *waves hand* I'm one of those people. I've been diagnosed with Non-Verbal Learning Disorder (NVLD) and am on the autism spectrum, among other disorders I've been diagnosed with. I'm not sure which of my various diagnoses *specifically* contributes to me not picking up on subtext (both socially and in media), but the end result is that I'm basically oblivious to the subtext of a work (or a conversation, but that's not relevant to this comment train) unless it's blatantly spelled out and/or extremely ham-fisted. Honestly, the biggest difficulty in being a person who doesn't 'get' that deeper meaning is in getting through schooling that focuses on finding the hidden meaning in literary analysis. Once I finished taking English/literary analysis courses and moved on to adult life where it didn't become the basis of my job, I can say that I honestly don't really notice the difference between myself (a person who doesn't pick up on the subtext) vs someone like you (who clearly does) in terms of my enjoyment of media. If anything, I'd say that it allows me to enjoy media *more* because I can still enjoy works that have disagreeable (to me) messages I just don't pick up on. As a probably poor example, take the Ender series by Orson Scott Card. I feel that OSC is a despicable human being, and I have absolutely no doubt that his deep-seated racism and homophobia is probably present within his books. However, as someone who doesn't *get* that hidden meaning, the Ender series is just a set of enjoyable scifi adventures for me. [Note: I don't support him monetarily since finding out about his to-me despicable views, but I *can* still enjoy the works I had previously owned because the subtext just doesn't *exist* to my brain and I can separate the author from the work pretty seamlessly.] My experiences are only my own and not meant to be representative of a larger whole, but at least in my case, I honestly don't think you need to 'feel sad' for me or anything along those lines. I'm still perfectly able to enjoy Star Trek even if I miss out on a lot of deeper meaning, and the great thing about the internet is that it enables people to create content like you do that allows me to get that subtext secondhand. I'm not missing out on anything because I can enjoy just about any piece of media without finding distressing messages deep within it (not in Star Trek because Star Trek's messages tend to align pretty well with my ideology in general), but I can still find out about those messages through media analysis channels on youtube. It really is the best of both worlds, and at least in the case of consuming media, I'm actually grateful for my ability to consume media without picking up on the subtext. (Missing out on social cues/subtext is less useful, but that's an entirely different topic of discussion.)
I’m definitely interested in your take on “Real Life.” That one brings me to tears. Mainly due to the ending, because I’ve sat there in a hospital, daughter with a brain injury, and the doctors saying she’s not going to make it. Thankfully, my story has a happy ending, but that scene brings me back there, and I have a really hard time keeping my emotions in check. I might cover this episode on my channel as well.
Thanks for reminding me not to watch that episode! I've been there too, only with my mother, and though she survived, it's been with profound brain damage, which is horribly painful in its own way. Which series is it in?
i really love the not actually videos, sometimes a more relaxed "low effort" conversational piece is fun, hits the spot. 2:15 -4:00 damn right. when you talk politics you talk a hell of a lot more sense than anyone on my ballot. notice how these people are only bothered by political talk if it doesnt align with their views? 7:55 theres no one standard definition of terrorism. its very hard to pin down. in uni i had to write an 8,000 word essay on this and lets just say i didnt finish with a solid answer. 10:20 wish id had that quote when i was writing my essay. would have been the perfect conclusion. 16:05 to paraphrase, in a struggle against absolute evil, any means can be justified as absolute good. the inherent danger of moral absolutism is it becomes very easy to lose yourself when ever issue is black and white.
It is bewildering the entitlement of people who leave comments like “I didn’t come here for your politics.”
Like they genuinely expect you to give a shit.
I guess? You can leave a comment expecting the creator not to care about your opinion. Sometimes you just want to plant your flag.
Well, you know, newbies...
Personally my political view is not aligned with Steve´s (I´m not American either and I live in EU), so I don´t entirely agree with everything he says, but I can live with it... Peace.
It's the same sort of thinking that leads people to announce "You just lost a customer!" to a multi-million dollar corporation.
they do expect you to give a shit. in their minds, theyre a customer and steve is a service provider, they think its his job to cater to their every whim. £the customer is always right" and all that bullshit.
@@specialnewb9821 but, can you really expect that? This is an interactive medium (mostly).
What they mean is I didn't come here to listen to politics....that aren't mine.
Yeah, how dare Steve discuss his own politics on his channel he started to discuss politics, and sometimes Star Trek
I don't get these people.
Not being satisfied with attempting to destroy the constitution & bill of rights, and empowering a bigoted, treasonous, tiny handed cheeto, they want to destroy "dem libs" on youtube too. Brainiacs that they are...
Exactly, they could attempt to be grown and just take in the star trek info and if not why bitch? They have actual places and channels for debates. Also, you shouldnt feel the need to hide the like and dislike bar Steve you're a fair guy.
The funny thing with what they are saying, I don't know if they realize they are supporting it by watching the video and contributing to engagement on the video. I can remember one time hearing about comments contributing to "engagement" in youtube videos helps the video because the algorithm promotes videos with high engagement. I don't know if this is still true or ever was though.
You hit the nail on the head. Those are the people who think that DS9 sucked until the Dominion was revealed and really kicked off when millions were dying and Betazed was invaded. Or as Steve would say: Voyager fans.
Sorry, I couldn't help myself. I just do not like Voyager anywhere near as much as DS9 or TNG.
I love your politics. I love that you're reclaiming this territory from the Fascists who simply never got it.
The Right Wing: "The Left are such Snowflakes"
Also the Right Wing: "HOW DARE YOU BRING POLITICS INTO YOUR VIDEO" Blah blah blah
Exactly. They are the flakiest of snowflakes.
@@SiriusMined The flakiest of the fucking flakiest. Like amoeba on fleas on rats. That's how little value they have in my life, and I'm being generous.
@@Sly88Frye Absolutely, have you noticed how they just love calling everyone that doesn't live up their idea of masculinity a "cuck"
But those same hypocrits are the first to rise for the national anthem or the jets flying overhead at a baseball game or a Nascar race.
Right wing nuts are illogical idiots.
I hate that they make it seem like theres more of them than there are of us. We see what they do, we see what they believe. We arent going to put up with it much longer.
What gets me about people complaining about Steve's politics...
He. Has. Numerous. Political. Videos. If you think he's not comfortable talking about his politics in ANY of his videos, you missed a big flag on the way in. To which I say, thanks, Steve; a lot of people will drain their politics out of their "friendly content" in the vein of getting more views simply by being neutral. I always appreciate that you don't go that route.
I wouldn't be surprised if at least some of those complainers don't yet know about his other videos. I know I certainly didn't when I first started watching how ever many months ago that was. TH-cam recommended me here by way of his Star Trek videos and I probably watched at least a dozen of those before going directly to Steve's main channel page to discover his larger body of work.
Only difference is I liked what I found. I came here for the Star Trek, but I stayed for the sociopolitical commentary.
Totally agree that is why I keep coming back
@Matt I don't mind the politics but I do get a little tired of the absolute vilification he tends to have for those that disagree.
It's like the politician who, during a speech, said that he liked Rage Against the Machine until they started to get political. WTF? Look at the name! Geez. Do they even have a non-political song?
@@amsmith53954 I can see that. I think this show is a chance to have a cross politics discussion, there are common interests that give opportunity for unity rather than further division. How else do we grow towards the Star Trek optimistic vision?
Lmao at "i didn't come here for politic. i want a NON POLITICAL discussion of *checks notes* themes of terrorism portrayed in media and whether it can be justified etc. Non. Political. Terrorism. Please. >:( "
Steve going against the anti-political commentors: "The line must be drawn HERE! This far no further!"
@Matt the lecture Quark gives the Vulcan critising their failure of logic and breaking it down to the difference between the price of Peace and the price of War is genius.
Damn it, Steve, just blow up the damn channel! Couldn't resist.
@@benholman8860 Steve smashes a Riker figure "NOOOO!" Lol
@Matt Quark always has a point. The guy literally convinced THE PROPHETS to turn back the Nagus.
I came here for your politics. Stayed for the enjoyable Trek content.
Same!
For me it was the reverse. Though I probably am a skosh more to the right than Steve is, I can appreciate hearing his side of things, even in Star Trek videos. Plus we, I think, would largely agree on a lot of the basics anyway.
"Star Trek isn't political!" This is the point where we throw our heads back and laugh. Ready?
Taking the Dominion War example, it's pretty obvious that Starfleet really doesn't' have a principled approach to terrorism; it's used when it's expedient, it's condemned when it isn't. The reason the Maquis were condemned wasn't for ethical issues; it was for strategic ones. The US does the same in Libya, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. When China brutally cracks down on dissent, they're tyrants. When Israel does it, it's fighting terrorism. The dictatorship in Iraq was tolerable until it threatened US interests. The Vietnamese , South korean, Guatemalan, Chilean dictatorships etc were tolerable, the Cuban and Colombian and North Koreans aren't. Superpowers since Rome and Persia have used ethical framing for purely strategic issues as propaganda.
SOLID George of the Jungle reference
Worf: HA HA HA... Impossible.
I didn't come for your politics either...but that's why I stayed! 😊
Really respect how you stick to your principles and say what you want to say, not to appease some idiot who thinks they are entitled to dictate your content.
Conservatives are now trying to say that all science fiction has always been just simple, basic entertainment and has never had any deeper meaning. Talk about self-delusional!
Delusion and revision of fact are their calling cards.
Let's be fair and say the far right, or the vocal right. I know some conservatives who are still decent people and hate what that particular group has been turned into
Seriously?! I believe you but do you have examples?
The Voyager episode that breaks my heart is the one with the goo ship. There was an earlier episode where Voyager had landed on some planet, and for some technobabble reason I don't remember, the planet had made a copy of the ship and everything on it. So we get to the episode, and Voyager is trying to get home, and stuff starts malfunctioning, and we find out its really the copy of the ship and a copy of the crew, and it's starting to fall apart into goo. The ship could find a planet where it could land and that would stop happening, but goo Janeway is like, "No, we're Starfleet, and we have to get home." And as the trip goes on, stuff is just getting worse and worse, and the ship is falling apart, and the only one left is Harry Kim and finally the last thing they do is just send a message out saying basically, "We existed, and we tried, damn it.". The real Voyager picks up the distress call, and goes to their location, but all they find is a bunch of goo, and Janeway is like, "Huh, guess we'll never know what happened." and then Voyager just leaves. It breaks me up a little bit.
Am I too late to leave a 'oh dem feels' comment?
TNG; Yesterday's Enterprise ...yeah, yeah, it's an amazing episode that ranks in everyone's top 5 for a variety of reasons, but my favorite part? - the very end:
*Guinan checks in with Picard, then sits down with Geordi*
"Geordi, tell me about ...'Tasha Yar."
*Geordi tilts head*
*roll credits*
You feel for Geordi having to recount his late colleague, you feel for Guinan for never knowing her, you feels for missing her yourself ...not to mention, future-you knows her alternate sad ending, and all them feelings. Gets me every time...
For the younger members of the audience, a double album was this thing printed on vinyl records. Now, a record is kind of like a CD, but has bumps and grooves that would play music on a turntable.
This is a great video and a great channel
Ps: i come for politics
Listening to Steve talk about Duet reminded me why I don’t like Discovery; because it isn’t political.
[sorry, this ended up longer than intended - kept thinking about the missed opportunities]
Yes, there were alt-right tantrums about the casting and characters, and the in-universe identities are diverse (but given it’s a web-series - not primetime - and given the 20+ years of increasing diversity in prestige TV since the last trek, it’s catch-up rather than trend-setting), but that’s not political in the same way as your Duets, Drumheads, The Outcast etc.
The show runners can say the Klingons in S1 were “trump supporters”, but on-screen they were just generic evil space empire. Political would have been the Empire going to war due to the machinations of a deceptive leader; maybe that’s how the Empire ended up as the rotten nest of palace intrigue we see in TNG/DS9?
Or, take Saru, who has a particular view of his past, and it turns out his people are the genocidal scumbags. How absolutely Star Trek would it have been to watch a beloved character deal with the fact his people’s real history is at odds with his angelic head-canon? Super important issue, especially in the USA (and here in Britain). But nope, not even a ‘so we were the bad guys’ pause.
And the less said about how non-political it is that Emperor Georgiou went from a combination of Space-Hitler, Space-Genghis Khan and regular-Palpatine, to the side-kick character where the joke is all her suggestions are ‘a bit dark’. I get she was a hit character, but still…
For me Discovery hasn’t demonstrated the political or moral philosophy I associate with Star Trek; it’s just been a bunch of stuff that happens so things can explode
. I guess we'll see what Season 3 brings.
I've just watched a video with steve and jessie gender talking about how new trek deconstructs star trek to build it back up stronger... now i agree entirely with them that new trek is a deconstruction of star trek.. and that's encapsulated why i don't enjoy watching discovery... if i want to watch a deconstruction of star trek i'll watch something like Farscape... not star trek.. now i guess we can look back in say 10 years and see if they did build it back up stronger and have a discussion then.... until then i'll probably just keep re watching tng ds9 and voy... or other shows...
@@Ma55ey I'll have to track that down. I'm not sure how Discovery is deconstructing Star Trek, unless by "deconstruction" they means "making a generic sub-Expanse space show".
Without watching the episode you mentioned, I personally can't see anything particularly clever in terms of the script, direction or in-universe narrative.
Hey there man, I'll admit that the Klingons in season 1 are admittedly a bit bare bones as far as motivation and stuff goes but they are united under T'Kuvmas banner so his motivations are theirs. The Klingons aren't just trump supporters but more specifically white nationalists and supremacists (I think the Klingons are more nationalists and the Terrans are the supremacists). The warning that T'kuvma gives is that the Federation wants to absorb them and erase their culture to replace it with theirs. So he wants them to Remain Klingon and refuse integration because he sees the federation 'coming in peace' as a lie meant to destroy who they are in the long term.
That is arguement for defending their culture (which by saying "remain klingon" also ties that culture directly to race) and one for essentially a Klingon Ethnostate.
I wont disagree that the Klingons motivations become irrelevant quickly but they are there, not as something the cast or producers said but right in the show itself
I hate to say this but trek has ALWAYS been playing catch up, in 1966 nothing they did was particularly new or enlightening other than it somewhat more mainstream than its predecessors.
Scifi literature had long since tackled race relations gender rights and the politics of post imperial imperialism. Star trek came along just as these things were gathering momentum as popular culture elements and rode that popularity and acceptance to some degree of success.
As for politics in DSC, THE klingons were not generic bad guys. Not by a long shot. Their would be leader and martyr truly believed that the federation was a threat and in fact they were. At this point they were well on their way to homogenizing their member races and all indicators showed that if they expanded further they would eventually do the same to the Klingons.
Its a very relevant take on modern-day cultural expansionism and the diluting of many cultures in the service of the dominant western based culture. "Give us all your meme worthy culture but the rest will submit to our personal standards or be wiped out" is a standard sentiment today even among the young and otherwise woke demographics. Someone is going to have the ships of it some day.
It was sadly undone to an extent by the seemingly rushed ending, I think they were expecting a longer season then had to wrap it up in a few episodes after the mirror verse episodes.
Three minutes in and I'm already compelled to show some love :)
Honestly, you're one of the few things keeping me sane atm :)
I've come to accept that watching Steve includes his politics even if I don't agree. Everything is ideology at the end of the day and sometimes I'll even throw in my two cents.
As you can see even by my youtube name "Trulytrekkie", I'm a big "Star Trek" fan. I only recently found your videos and have been consuming them on a regular basis. I am also a writer and a teacher who teaches classes in story telling, fictional writing, and direction, and I just wanted to say you are killing it on every level. Your acting skills are fun and the Ensign's Log is very funny. Your writing is sharp. Your insights into the story, structure, and meaning of episodes are just really well done. So great job. Keep it up. A few "Star Trek" moments that are so powerful for me as in "Second Skin" when the Order has finally broken Kira and she breaks down crying. Her supposed Cardassian father apologizes to her saying that he's a selfish old man and that he will help get her off Cardassia. I think that episodes where people make noble sacrifices tend to be the most moving. It's one of the reasons that "The Visitor" is so moving. Jake, now an old man, sacrifices himself for his father and "for the boy I once was". Or another moment when Bashir tells Kira that he isn't going to replace Beriel's brain and Kira has to say goodbye. Or when Rom threatens Quark telling him if Quark ever interferes in Nog's career again, he will burn down the bar. Or when Admiral Jarak explains to Picard his reasons for defecting in the "The Defector" just so many great moments.
"We condemn people who blow up buildings in this country as terrorists."
No we don't. Not anymore. Don't get me wrong, Steve, I agree with the point you're driving at in this part of the video. But One of my growing frustrations has been our seeming reluctance as a society to call a spade a spade when it comes to domestic terrorism. People show up with rifles to state capitals to "protest" masks and we call them Karens or Anti-Maskers, when they're really terrorists. People drive their cars through protests, no hint of the T-word. Dylan Roof shoots up a church and they talk more about mental illness (only deepening the unfair stigma of mental illness) before anyone even hints that it was an act of terrorism. This teenager in Kenosha, who went out premeditated and looking for a fight, brought a gun, sought out protesters, and shot them. All acts of terrorism, at least as I understand it. But we focus on their mental illness, or how they're a troubled, or just a joke (ie "Karens)
But if someone loots a Target during a protest or if you happen to wear a turban, THEN it gets labelled terrorism. I can't figure out what the difference is there.... It's a real stumper. Anyway, I'm going to go rewatch Let This Be Your Last Battlefield, which I'm sure in no way relates to the phenomenon I'm talking about here ;)
Perception fuels labels
Kyle Rittenhouse was protecting Black owned businesses.
@@jedimaster4355 Nah, he was trying to murder protesters. I'm gonna channel Steve here and let you know you're on the wrong youtube channel, get outta here.
@@Cthulhu4President I'm not just learning it now, but my frustration is reaching peak levels in the past couple of years.
Just recently, several terrorists-to-be were arrested for plotting to kidnap the Governor of Michigan (which was likely directly incited by Trump's tirades against her governorship and his cries to "LIBERATE MICHIGAN"). Many news articles are bending over backwards to avoid calling them terrorists (which they are, or at least planned to be), instead most frequently referring to them as "members of a militia." It's disgusting.
I came for the Trek, but greatly enjoy the politics. Also, it's kind of hard to separate the two.
I always felt Picard would have made an amazing Q.
Bringing his humanity to omnipotence and absolute power.
And watching a superior human succumb to the pitfalls and madness of omnipotence and absolute power.
"It's too much to ask for people to sit and watch me responding to comments for an hour and a half."
Steve, honestly, I'd sit and listen for 2 hours an episode a few days in a row. The comments response videos are *excellent* for bingeable content put on in the background when doing boring, monotonous stuff. These videos are just stellar for doing video game grinding sessions, or getting cleaning done around the home, or whatever else needs doing but is preferable to not *think* about doing while doing it. Sitting and listening to you talk about something you're passionate about (Star Trek, in this instance) is a godsend, and I know there's at least a tiny portion of your audience that would love long-form content like that to just binge whenever convenient.
You just completely reformed my view of Star Trek III. That Kirk wasn’t rescuing Spock, he threw it all away just to put Spock to rest.... man. Thank you.
What I love to remind people is that Dr. Seuss has a political agenda. A pretty strong naturalist, creative thinking, and lite socialism agenda. Everything has a political agenda
Must everything be political? Sometimes I wonder. I tried avoiding politics all my life but sometimes life just forces you to take a stand on something. I just wish the human race wasnt destined to destroy itself over petty bullshit.
@@MLBlue30 it shouldn't be. If we limited politics to things like economics or civics or whatever, it wouldn't be. Most political issues are limited enough in scope that you can tell a story that easily side-steps political issues.
But the problem is that one side's politics are "you don't have a right to exist". The only way to side-step those "political" issues are to make all the characters cis/het white men. To pretend people unlike them don't exist. That means that including any diversity at all is "political".
@@MLBlue30 It's impossible to avoid being political. Politics directly impacts everyday life. So anyone who actively avoids politics is effectively saying they just don't care how the actions of others in their society affect them.
Boy this aged well.
Very Good video. "Duet", "The Inner Light", "Lower Decks and "The Quality of Life" sometimes still gets me. As for that one issue, I use the TOS bridge officers as an example often. Kirk, Spock, Chekov, Sulu, McCoy, Scotty, Uhura, they are all very different people. They all have very different backgrounds and sometimes different opinions but they are all crucial to get through the challenges. They all have varied skills and more often combining all of that is the only way out. That, was one of if not Roddenberry's main message, it's a shame still not everybody notices that.
The comments about the little moments that get ya made me go find the final scene of The Offspring so I could get the quote right:
Data: She is here. Her presence so enriched my life that I could not allow her to pass into oblivion. So I incorporated her programs back into my own. I have transferred her memories to me.
And then the episode ends on Data's face, sitting at his post, looking forward, impassive.
When talking about "I'll never listen to you again" complaints, a host of a radio show I used to listen to would say, "Your radio has two knobs. One changes the channel, and the other turns it off. The next time you hear something you don't like, use one of them."
In the TNG episode Ethics, before Worf goes into surgery, he asks a startled Counselor Troi to take care of Alexander if he dies, because of his deep respect for her. Worf was mostly frustration and anger throughout the episode, but that moment, his humility, and the look on Marina Sirtis’ face as Troi accepts, turns me into a puddle of mush.
Duet is what got me on board with DS9. As a millennial I came to love Star Trek after after it was done airing. I watched TNG reruns with my dad and after living on my own started watching other trek on Netflix. Casually watching DS9 through most of season 1. And then duet starts and sit down and shut up, edge of my seat at the end...it will always be one of my examples for how great Star Trek is.
I absolutely loved the first comment response. "You don't run your channel the way >I< like!!" Steve: "Simon says, go fuck yourself!"
A man after my own rage
I'll take it a step further by saying that people that expect no political agenda in their sci-fi are barking up the wrong tree. Trek and sci-fi in general have been doing their own brand of political commentary since the civil rights era. They always use examples like the last Ghostbusters movie or the latest star wars, but their flaws are exclusively based on bad writing, not just some vague "woke" agenda. I'm really getting tired of the same cringe buzzwords and blaming the left for the downfall of hollywood. Just the same when the writing is on point, all is forgiven and political themes ignored... It's pure hypocrisy!
That moment in Pathfinder where you can literally see the tears in Janeway's eyes before she blinks them away gets to me, too.
I missed these! The comment response videos are really fun
Thanks for being you Steve.
I bawl every single time I see The Visitor. It's probably one of the finest hours of television, imho, but I can't watch it too much because I know I'm going to be crying and exhausted by the end. Sisko is the best dad ever; the idea of losing him the way Jake does is so heartbreaking.
Duet is my favorite Star Trek episode. It still amazes me how good DS9 was so early on.
Yikes... I recently started re-watching DS9, but to hear you reiterate how _The Visitor_ breaks your heart scares me a little bit. Because for almost two years I've been living that sense of loss you describe, trying to move on even as I know I may never get over her... and yes, yearning for that fantasy of getting her back.
I try to wait for the end of videos before commenting, but only made it 4 minutes before I had to comment....
Steve... You're awesome, man!
The inner light is my absolute favourite episode. Star trek, to me, is a show exploring themes and ideas but mostly answering its own questions on a not that deep level. But "the inner light" episode asks questions that it just leaves us with and I was not prepared for that! Wow.
(tbf. i have only seen TNG, DS9, some Discovery + movies)
It beggars belief that so many so called Trek websites have more than a passing resemblance to a Nuremburg rally with the politics their creators.
Keep fighting the Good fight Steve.
Steve I recommend your channel because of how politically honest you are. You owe nothing to the people actively working against you in the world. Your ability to weave sensible viewpoints into these discussions is really balanced. Look forward to more thoughts from you, just don't burn out like the Romulan sun.
Post-9/11, I think BSG did a better job of talking about terrorism than Star Trek.
Thanks for replying to my comment, Steve. And I definitely agree with your comments on 'The Visitor'. That episode is still a gut punch of emotions (but in a good way) to this day. Keep up your great Trek videos and don't let the haters get you down.
Star Trek Day is actually my birthday (I was born exactly 20 years after ST premiered, which I think is a neat coincidence), so I'm actually *one* person who cares that you didn't release the video yesterday =D
8:34 I would argue there's a difference between terrorism and guerrilla warfare. Kira's Cardassian cell didn't target civilians, as a matter of fact Cardassian civilians rallied behind Kira and Damar's cause. If anything the Dominion employed terrorist tactics when they killed Damar's family.
Not sure how one can both claim to enjoy and understand StarTrek and simultaneously have positive views of the modern GOP.
Something doesn't compute.
"Modern GOP" is the key. The GOP I grew up with (I'm 52) has been hijacked by radical Trumpers. The GOP now is a cult of personality.
"Your optical implant is malfunctioning, Seven"
"Nope, it's working just fine" gets me every time
By the time Enterprise did their 9/11 allegory I was so damn sick of 9/11 allegories. Also it was very dumb from a story perspective.
I think the Inner Light would have been more effective if we didn't see the Enterprise scenes at all until right at the end. Just have Picard wake up in the past and spend 30 solid minutes there, then realise the twist at the end that only 5 minutes have passed.
Yeah, Errand of Mercy wasn't terrorism. That's called guerrilla warfare.
Love the Barthes joke!
Sir, I greatly appreciate how tolerant and gracious you are to social justice issues.
That said, I love it when you shit on those people who somehow think politics and ideals aren't involved in Trek.
Any Right wing looney who says that Sci-Fi is just "pew, pew" entertainment has never watched Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica (2004), Star Wars and is probably totally incapable of reading Dune.
Reported for murder.
Is anyone capable of reading Dune? That stuff is an incredible slog. I have no idea how I managed to acquire several of those books, but then I just lost any interest in reading them. Very boring. (Also, some very questionable politics, and often very unclear if we were supposed to like or abhor it.) I think my reaction can be summed up as "bad writing".
Kai Henningsen I personally loved Dune. I think the books have really good atmosphere. I literally could not put it down, I walked into a wall because of it. It was so immersive. But I get why someone wouldn’t like it.
@@KaiHenningsen It definitely has some questionable aspects like a white saviour syndrome of the european royalty coded Paul Atreides learning the ways of the natives, becoming their messiah and rallying them into battle, and a lot of the most interesting parts of the world are more lore than critical to the story we're told, but it's also a decent analogue for the imperialist meddling in Egypt and Afghanistan at the time, both during the world wars and the cold war (and fairly relevant to the post-9/11 era as well).
I think Frank Herbert tries to criticize those imperialist politics, but definitely can't get away from invoking a few imperialist and somewhat racist ideas of the time as well, which I guess is also analogous to Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" (and Apocalypse Now), which also tries to criticize the colonial powers in Congo, but falls into a lot of racist and exotifying ideas of "the dark continent".
Anyway, I think Dune is a great series of books and reading them has been valuable to me, but there's definitely problemetic shit in there.
Hearing about Spock and Tuvix in the same conversation makes me wonder. Sure, Spock's body is the same after regeneration so I suppose technically/legally, it still belongs to Spock, it's just younger. But since Spock died (all natural functions ceased as probably diagnosed by Bones) isn't the body that turns up living on the Genesis world not a new person? Sure the kid may not have had any nurturing or even speech, but isn't he still a new person that gets overwritten/killed with Spocks katra?
You're not supposed to notice that
"They're completely oblivious to the richness and the complexity and the depth and the beauty of so much of art... and also I wish they'd stop fucking up the internet" -- ALL OF THIS
"No one in the crew has a kind word for Tuvix." 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
I agree with you about The Visitor, but another one I think is Far Beyond the Stars, I think it’s the Benny episode.
His breakdown at the end: "That's ancient knowledge; you cannot destroy an idea!" I read the Avery Brooks took some time to come out of that scene. I wept like a baby.
Re: Dax and Sisko and episodes that break our heart: Have we talked about The Ship? Because the death of Enrique Muniz was super impactful--even though we'd literally seen him only once before!--and the epilogues with Sisko/Dax and Worf/O'Brien were so powerful.
IF DS9 didn't have such a strong pilot Duet would be its measure of a man it that it would be the first sign of greatness and your right all because of this guest star.
You're a good man, Steve. And you're good at this.
Here here, Steve. I like your Star Trek content AND your politics. On both subjects you seem to offer very well thought out opinions. Keep up the great work.
Stay safe...
Live Long and Prosper
I also didn't come here for your politics, but for Star Trek. But when I found you, I didn't know about your politics. I only saw a random (and pretty early) Trek actually video.
Now I enjoy watching the politics videos, even though I don't *always* share your opinions, and am always looking forward to your next Star Trek video, as a brilliant highlight :-) .
Seeing you released a new video, politics or not, brightens my day.
Thanks
I only agree with about 70% of your politics but this is hands down the best Star Trek channel on YT for my dollar. Thanks for what you create.
Steve,
I can't state enough how much I love you telling people who don't like politics in your videos to fuck off. It warms my heart.
I feel like the reason no one has anything kind to say to Tuvix when they’re killing him is because they all know what they’re doing is wrong and there is NOTHING they can say to even relatively make it ok.
The end of Skin of Evil brings tears to my eyes every time!
Is that a Max Fleischer "Superman" t-shirt!? I didn't get a good look at it, but the yellow border is pretty distinctive.
Yep! It's a Fleischer Supes shirt.
@@SteveShives Nice. Ever since I was a small child it has always been a tradition for me to watch the Fleischer Superman cartoons whenever I get sick. It started when I got appendicitis when I was seven living in a family shelter. The TV room have a Superman VHS. I have the official authorized DVD Warner Brothers did from the original masters. I'm at home with the Covid and haven't watched it yet, so thanks for reminding me.
Apropos the war/terrorist distinction, I think it’s worth emphasizing that “terrorism” doesn’t just mean violence perpetrated by non-state actors. A small guerilla group can in principle carry out violent acts without engaging in “terrorism” if they’re hitting military rather than civilian targets. (I say “in principle”, of course, because it is often infeasible feasible for such groups to hit hardened military targets, which is one reason they resort to terrorism.) The rhetorical question “is there any difference from the perspective of the victims?” assumes the “victims” are the same or substantially similar people in each case, but if we’re thinking of “war” as constrained by something resembling our laws of war, which is a big “if,” then there OUGHT at least to be the difference that some types of targets are out of bounds for war, but not for terrorism.
STEVE!! That first commenter...man. I swear he must have touched a nerve. Don't hold back tell him how you really feel sheesh
For what it's worth, I came for the Star Trek (your video on Captain Jellico specifically) and initially was turned off by the political bent. I stuck around though, and now I'm here for Trek and Politics. You brought me around on it.
Interesting that the opening topic of your video is the terrorism subject. I was giving thought to this this morning.
“All is fair in love and war”... yet, we have these “rules of war”. We have “atrocities” and “acceptable actions” or rather “regrettable, but necessary actions”...
This reminded me of “a taste of Armageddon”. I won’t remind you of the overall plot, 1 because I’m sure you are familiar, and two: I’ve had a taste of wine (several). But the point is the line Kirk delivers near the end: “death, destruction, disease horror. That’s what make war something to be avoided....I’ve given your back the horrors of war”
The rules of war protect the continuation of war more than the combatants. They protect those with actual vested interest in the end game, but not the pawns.
“It is well that war is so terrible, or we would grow too fond of it.”
I’ll revisit this when the radiation surge has passed....
Star trek commentary first thing in the morning. Thank you Lord Shives
I'll throw in a more rare example of episode that'll make you... feel things
TOS season 3 "The Empath". It completely drops the usual TOS goofiness and delivers a story of absolute desperation for basically everyone
Yes, I just called TOS goofy, and yes, I praised an episode from its third season. I'll go crucify myself now :P
No crucifixion required, this is a good call 👍🏽
I'm a moderate, and I refuse to be drawn into the fray. In 2020, I didn't vote for either candidate. I wrote in Tulsi Gabbard. That being said, I still enjoy these videos...politics and all.
Just your first response made me like this video. So true.
Right there with you with DS9 being the best. For many reasons.
The Xindi arc didn't just show characters in a 'how far would you go' situations, but it put them into a position where they are compelled to go 'that' far. The entire season is a trolley problem writ large.
Ah, The Visitor. One of my favorites of DS9 too. I have to throw in a caviat though and say it would not be an episode I would recommend as a selling point to anyone that had not watched any Trek before. You have to know Sisko and Jake, and have seen the goos father-son dynamic the series has. So it would not really have worked, as well anyway, as a season one episode. It is good because you KNOW the characters now and understand WHY Jake does what he does now. Agree? :-)
I'd always be extremely-careful about treating war and terrorism as the same thing, because it ignores a simple factor of war that there are escalating factors from regulated, limited wars up to full-on destructive total wars (i.e. Spanish-American War versus WWII). Terrorism is similar to warfare except that it is a tactic employable either as criminal/revolutionary behavior (aka trying to force change without being able to implement or enforce it, either as individuals or as groups) as opposed to insurgent behavior/guerilla warfare (i.e. rebellions or resistance movements, where military operations are occurring but not in open battlefields). Terrorism also can arguably be applied to open warfare, as certain tactics clearly fit the definition of trying to intimidate a populace into supporting political change (i.e. ending a war or overthrowing their government), such as carpet bombing, assassinations, or targeting non-military targets.
The problem of conflating terrorism and war as identical is that war has rules (not always followed, but again there are levels of escalation of force), while terrorism is quite specifically violating those rules (the whole point is targeting or intimidating civilians, which tends to be universally against rules of war). Basically imagine someone saying that all police shootings are the same, and you might understand how I might take profound offense to that and also just see it as a bit dumb. Police shootings, like military tactics, have wide-ranging levels of justification from totally unjustified (no threatening movements or provocation prior to shooting) to debatable (reaching into a glove compartment when ordered to stop moving) to entirely justified (actively holding a weapon up). Similarly, punishments for criminal behavior have wide-ranging levels of justification from humane punishments intending to rehabilitate to cruel ones that focus on discouraging further criminal behavior (i.e. death penalty, torture, disproportionate sentencing).
While sometimes a group may not have the means of defeating their opposition through solely-targeting military elements, the fact remains that terrorism fundamentally changes the playing field between the terrorist group and the population of their nation, and risks either undermining the authority of the government (by encouraging further terrorism to achieve political change as an expedient method) or destroying the trust between the population and those employing terrorist methods (particularly if those end up in charge of government). Its the same as how in warfare, the tactics that might be deemed necessary in a total war like WWII (i.e. carpet bombing, bombing accuracy within 5 miles of the target being acceptable) would be deemed entirely unjustified for a smaller war like Afghanistan. Similarly, sometimes the powerful group is encouraged to abandon rules when this logic of conflating war and terrorism is taken to its logical extreme, which ends up with the flip opposite of what is suggested happening (where the powerful abandon the rules holding them back, such as Germany ignoring the Geneva convention for Soviet prisoners on account of the USSR never signing the Geneva Convention). The fact is, even Germany in WWII was known for letting crews get on lifeboats before sinking merchant ships, while the USA following this logic of "war is hell so anything goes" never did the same in the Pacific; just because war is hell doesn't mean it needs to be hell in every theater, all the time.
Tl;dr: never conflate the most extreme aspects of warfare or insurgency (aka terrorism) as being equally-valid as ANY form of warfare or insurgency, because you're risking undermining what little humanity can be maintained in something that is already horrible. Remember that just because a nation or group may be willing to kill to achieve political aims doesn't mean they should be willing to kill ANYONE for those aims.
Sorry for text wall.
Hey Steve, I came here for your Star Trek commentary, not your politics. I stayed for your politics because they are 100% on point.
The last time I was this early, I still had some respect for William Shatner
The first 15 seconds of your video (and of course the remainder) 🙌👏 and of course 🖖
It never really occurred to me until listening to this video that the end of The Inner Light is really about death, specifically, Picard/Kamin's death. At the end he is revisited by all of the people he loved in life, and who explain the meaning of Kamin's experiences. The Picard/Kamin ceases to exist and he moves on to another reality. Kind of obvious now that I think about it. Huh.
Steve isn't a news organisation he isn't supposed to be impartial and keep any of his personal feeling to himself..... this is his you tube channel... we're all here to listen to his opinions surly... now we're not always going to agree with them... but you don't get to tell someone to keep their views out of their own videos surly?? I'm really getting sick of hearing TH-camrs having to justify, defend or aploagise for expressing there views on anything...
All art is political, hell everything is political at the end of the day.
I think what you're trying to say is, "What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?" - Gandhi (allegedly)
By the way, I enjoy hearing your opinions including political ones. Agree or disagree are both okay. Can’t understand it when people always want to be surrounded by like (hive) minded folks. I think I mostly agree with you but, if not, so what because I am here for the Star Trek! 😃
Not sure if you covered it yet, or if you’re waiting till the end of the season, but what do you think of lower decks? I think it’s a good departure from traditional trek focusing on the senior officers to something different.
The truly sad thing about Tuvix, is that surely they could have replicated the Will/Thomas Riker accident to create two Tuvixes (Tuvixen?), one could then have been split back into Tuvok and Neelix, leaving the other Tuvix to continue living
"The Visitor" is more moving for me than "The Inner Light" because it's about Jake, as a teen, losing his dad who has been a pillar in his life, especially since his mother died. If I were in Jake's shoes, I'd have been devastated too. I don't think I could have totally moved on.
I'm glad you're not tired to answer about the "I'm not here for your politics", but I don't get why you still get them. Surrely they are not from frequent viewers most of the time, because I don't understand how they could miss your politics if they watch you often. Keep up the god work!
*I meant good work, not god.
With the new Discovery trailer out, I had a weird thought - unless Tilly gets promoted before the time jump, she'll be the only living member of Star Fleet to be an ensign longer than Harry Kim.
30:59 (paraphrased) 'But I think a lot of people just don't experience art on that level. They don't get the metaphors, the messages, and they don't experience the beauty of the medium.' (Hopefully an acceptable paraphrasing, I tried to capture the meaning but cut it down for ease of transcription. I am cutting out the 'I wish they'd stop fucking up the internet' though, because I don't think that's relevant to me specifically.)
*waves hand* I'm one of those people. I've been diagnosed with Non-Verbal Learning Disorder (NVLD) and am on the autism spectrum, among other disorders I've been diagnosed with. I'm not sure which of my various diagnoses *specifically* contributes to me not picking up on subtext (both socially and in media), but the end result is that I'm basically oblivious to the subtext of a work (or a conversation, but that's not relevant to this comment train) unless it's blatantly spelled out and/or extremely ham-fisted.
Honestly, the biggest difficulty in being a person who doesn't 'get' that deeper meaning is in getting through schooling that focuses on finding the hidden meaning in literary analysis. Once I finished taking English/literary analysis courses and moved on to adult life where it didn't become the basis of my job, I can say that I honestly don't really notice the difference between myself (a person who doesn't pick up on the subtext) vs someone like you (who clearly does) in terms of my enjoyment of media. If anything, I'd say that it allows me to enjoy media *more* because I can still enjoy works that have disagreeable (to me) messages I just don't pick up on.
As a probably poor example, take the Ender series by Orson Scott Card. I feel that OSC is a despicable human being, and I have absolutely no doubt that his deep-seated racism and homophobia is probably present within his books. However, as someone who doesn't *get* that hidden meaning, the Ender series is just a set of enjoyable scifi adventures for me. [Note: I don't support him monetarily since finding out about his to-me despicable views, but I *can* still enjoy the works I had previously owned because the subtext just doesn't *exist* to my brain and I can separate the author from the work pretty seamlessly.]
My experiences are only my own and not meant to be representative of a larger whole, but at least in my case, I honestly don't think you need to 'feel sad' for me or anything along those lines. I'm still perfectly able to enjoy Star Trek even if I miss out on a lot of deeper meaning, and the great thing about the internet is that it enables people to create content like you do that allows me to get that subtext secondhand. I'm not missing out on anything because I can enjoy just about any piece of media without finding distressing messages deep within it (not in Star Trek because Star Trek's messages tend to align pretty well with my ideology in general), but I can still find out about those messages through media analysis channels on youtube. It really is the best of both worlds, and at least in the case of consuming media, I'm actually grateful for my ability to consume media without picking up on the subtext. (Missing out on social cues/subtext is less useful, but that's an entirely different topic of discussion.)
I’m definitely interested in your take on “Real Life.” That one brings me to tears. Mainly due to the ending, because I’ve sat there in a hospital, daughter with a brain injury, and the doctors saying she’s not going to make it. Thankfully, my story has a happy ending, but that scene brings me back there, and I have a really hard time keeping my emotions in check.
I might cover this episode on my channel as well.
Sir Will Absolutely. This is why Voyager, as a series, falls completely flat for me.
Thanks for reminding me not to watch that episode! I've been there too, only with my mother, and though she survived, it's been with profound brain damage, which is horribly painful in its own way. Which series is it in?
I just watched pathfinder last night. Such a good ep.
actually brings a tear to my eye when Barclay's talking about why _Voyager_ is so important to him.
Hey, Steve, pursuant to my question on your "Part II" (about where I can find it, to jog your memory)...
Obviously, I found it!
*smile*
i really love the not actually videos, sometimes a more relaxed "low effort" conversational piece is fun, hits the spot.
2:15 -4:00 damn right. when you talk politics you talk a hell of a lot more sense than anyone on my ballot. notice how these people are only bothered by political talk if it doesnt align with their views?
7:55 theres no one standard definition of terrorism. its very hard to pin down. in uni i had to write an 8,000 word essay on this and lets just say i didnt finish with a solid answer.
10:20 wish id had that quote when i was writing my essay. would have been the perfect conclusion.
16:05 to paraphrase, in a struggle against absolute evil, any means can be justified as absolute good. the inherent danger of moral absolutism is it becomes very easy to lose yourself when ever issue is black and white.
Are we confusing terrorism with guerrilla war or insurgency?
Yeeeeaaasss Tuvix episode upcoming. Love it. Looking forward to it.