Starfleet size

[Mikey]

Well, that's because after the Butlerian Jihad...

Wait, never mind.

[Deepcrush]

"Technology is bad!"

"Umm, you mean like the ship you're flying on?"

"Oh, well, no that's ok because we need it. Everything else is bad!"

"So we shouldn't make anymore loud speakers for you then huh?"

[Talos]

Indeed. Despite the apparent pussification of Starfleet in the TNG+ era, the people seem to remember that first and formost they are soldiers, and that there sometimes is a need for them to die for the greater good.

pussification...

Probably the best description of Starfleet in the TNG-era, I've ever read!

[Sionnach Glic]

Hey, I just say what I see.

[Blackstar the Chakat]

pussification...

Do you have something against pussys?

[Mikey]

pussification...

Do you have something against pussys?

I'm all for them, myself.







I don't much care for cats, though.

[Blackstar the Chakat]

I don't much care for cats, though.

Does that include Chakats?

[Talos]

pussification...

Do you have something against pussys?

Noooo I loooooove'em

[Mikey]

I don't much care for cats, though.

Does that include Chakats?

Nope. First - if you have a different number of limbs, you're not the same thing at all. Second - once we're talking about sapient species, I give everything the same chance to be disliked on their own individual merits that I give to my fellow humans.

[Picard]

In an arms race the Klingons would just implode after crossing breaking point. It's clear that virtually all their economy is in their military and it's always as good as it can be - if they tried anymore they'd pull a Russia and just go over the top and roll down the hill.
The Romulans we know less about, but the fact that they only have one type of ship means their entire force would be stupidly easy to counter. Considering Starfleet designs clearly aren't as powerful as they could be, an arms race would put the Federation quite literally lightyears ahead of any Alpha quadrant race. If, from the start, they were always a military organisation, they'd be rivalling the Dominion - the fact that ships such as the Defiant can rival Dominion Battlecruisers means that if the Feds took a proper military approach, and scaled them up accordingly to something like an Excelsior - which clearly they could do if they simply recycled all the Excelsiors, they might get 5 Defiants out of it - then they'd be a match for any power in the Galaxy except maybe the Borg in my opinion.

Maybe, but question is, how much of Federation's technology advantage comes from them not focusing on war technology?

[Mikey]

Not much if any - the use of the term "advantage" in this context clearly indicates a comparison of military effectiveness.

[Deepcrush]

Holy epic necro batman!

Honestly though, the UFP's advantage of tech and the number of dedicated warships it has doesn't matter. Neither really effect the other.