On starfleet and exploration vs blowing things up

[sunnyside]

A reaccuring theme in many discussion here is that a number of people feel that starfleet is basically nuts. Clearly they should scrap these silly long range multipourpose exploration ships and build packs of defiant type ships. Just maybe bigger, for the purposes of blowing things up. Others don't. I figured it could use it's own thread.

I propose that what Starfleet does is actually the prudent thing for a couple reasons.

1. Force multiplying. One ship fights like one ship. If that one ship instead adds another system to the federation than for the same resources you've got a bunch of ships fighting for you.

For this you need ships with range and diplomatic capability. Or you need a conquring fleet but then you've got another battle and the system may decide they want to take their chances with the Rommies.

This is why starfleet is the biggest power in the area despite being the new kid on the block.

2. New technology. When you just stay within your own boarders you miss out on a lot. It isn't too hard to imagine that a starfleet that turns in on itself would be like Japan when they did something similar. Sure you have the warrior mentality and your swords are the finest in the land, but everybody else is using cannons.

And there is a lot of new technology out there. Voyager seemed to be able to pick something up from a lot of different species even if their overal tech level seemed lower than the federation.

3. You want to be the first to the feel artifacts of incredible power. And there seem to be a lot of them out there. Planets that turn people into incredibly powerful psychics, the Guardian of Forever, wickedly powerful new species, all sorts of stuff. And non of it do you want in others hands.

4. Sometimes it's important to be the good guy. I mean there are Q out there and stuff.


And a tounge in cheek 5. You might as well go for the advantages of the above 4 things because if the federation ever does fall the Voyager writing staff will just keep violating the temporal prime directive until it's all better.