Season 1 (nBSG)

[Mark]

I don't know......I always thought a ship SHOULD have a pilot. Not the three that manned an oBSG raider but still at least one.

[kostmayer]

Its a machine race though. Why bother putting in the mechanisms for a humanoid machine to control it, when you can just hardwire a brain into it.

[Mark]

Ok...I admit your arguement makes sense. I'm just having some trouble wrapping my brain around it for some reason.

[Sionnach Glic]

It's the same as having a fighter flown by AI. It's just that the AI is squishy.

[Mark]

Ok....just enjoyed the season finale of season 1. I'm gonna make a stretch here and guess that Adama survives his wounds, and Baltar and co. escape alive from Kobal's surface. The Boomer thing

Spoiler:

her being a cylon

was done WAY to early in the season IMO, but I honestly didn't see her actions coming (although in retrospect I suppose I should have).

The Presidentential coup was something else. WAS Adama right in trying to forcably remove the Pres because he didn't agree with her actions? Sounds more like a military dictatorship than a democracy.

Anyway, can't wait for season 2 to arrive.

[Tyyr]

The power structure in nBSG is always murky because of how utterly dependent the civilians are upon the military.

[Mark]

True.....but it seems at this point the "government" only functions because Adama allows it too. He seems to feel he can overrule anything he doesn't like, becuase he's got the militaries support. Which, while not the very moral is quite accurate. Unfortunatly, the old expression "Might makes right" holds true so far.

[Sionnach Glic]

Aye, it's pretty clear that the "government" only exists and has power as long as Adama is happy with its existence. Though at least Adama knows what he's doing. Wait and see what happens next while he's out of action.

[Tyyr]

But why would it be immoral? Would it be more moral to let them make bad decisions, doom the species, and just stand by going "Yes ma'am."? At this point Adama's responsibilities have far eclipsed those of a simple admiral. He's no longer one man in the chain of command he's the final military authority of the entire human race. He's not simply fighting to keep his ship together, he's fighting for the survival of humanity against foes intent on its annihilation. The only intelligent thing to do is for the civilian leadership to differ to Adama's judgment anyways as they have little clue as to what to do to survive.

And there aren't any civilians in a traditional sense, not anymore. As much as some people would like to call it a group of civilians with a small military escort the entire fleet is part of the military now and under Adama's command. The civilian government's job is only to keep the civilians in line and quiet and out from under the feet of the military. When they forget their place its time to put them back in it, forcibly if necessary.

[Sionnach Glic]

And that's exactly what I like about the show. Scenarios like Adama dissolving the government aren't black/white good/bad decisions, but shades of grey. Sure, he violated his oath and effectively made himself dictator of all of humanity. But might that not be a good thing given the circumstances?

[Tyyr]

Given how spectacularly bad the civilian government performs in this show I'd have to go with yes.

[GrahamKennedy]

Adama very much takes the line that he'll obey the civilian government as a good military man... right up until they do something he REALLY doesn't like. At which point he'll do pretty much whatever it takes to get his own way.

It's certainly not legal.. but it's hard to say he's wrong, given some of the things the civilian government(s) on Galactica do. You haven't seen the half of it yet...

[Mark]

Ok...I've started Season 2 and now the president seems to be coming off as a holy person of some sorts. The guard on his knees asking her to pray with him.................um, ok

[Sionnach Glic]

It's not all that strange. Lots of people in times of great stress will turn to religion. And Roslin has been coming from the religious angle for quite a while.

[Tyyr]

Graham's right, this is nothing on the scale of what they'll eventually do.