There’s a scene in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine that I think about a lot. And an enduring relevance, typical of Star Trek, that I'd like to share.
It takes place at the height of a crisis. Station's Counsellor Ezri Dax is speaking of the corruption at the heart of Klingon leadership to Worf (a Klingon). All while the Klingon people (Worf included), with a culture that ostensibly values honour, look sideways.
She confronts him:
“𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗳, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝘁. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲?”
I've met a lot of ‘decent, honourable’ people doing amazing things over the years. Innovators on every frontier – from the social and political, all the way to the final.
In the last few years, for example, I’ve met folks from all corners of the space sector. From engineers to investors, physicists, biologists and more than a few students – all eager to get moving. Excited that things finally are.
They are some of the best people I’ve ever met.
And it is unbelievably exciting. It’s really happening. No longer just a pipe dream – the proverbial stars (economic, scientific, defence and political interests) have aligned.
But there’s a catch. There usually is.
For the space sector, it comes in many forms. One of which is those interests. Another is the influence and leverage of those for whom there can be no more illusions.
Those who manipulate, misinform and corrupt while advocating for fascism. Those who claim to be (and are often credited for) building or even saving the future, while actively threatening it.
For a group that historically exemplifies “if you do something, do it right” (for risk of life), there seems to be a stark willingness from many to look past significant long-term risk, for want of short-term goals.
Never mind the politics.
But the politics couldn’t be more important...
Whether in space, or innovation of any kind, this is the groundwork for epoch-shaping change and yet every day while raising the bar for 'what' we are doing, we lower the bar for 'how' - normalising and accepting some new necessary evil.
To glance past, play along with and even celebrate the plainly antidemocratic within our own midst is irresponsible and to justify it in the name of progress or fear of the alternative only solidifies their position.
The solution to threats from without, cannot be to embrace them from within.
I understand the pull. I too desperately want to ‘blast off’. I want us all to. These are changes that will unequivocally define our future.
But that’s also kind of the problem. There are no do-overs. And how we go forward (or up) matters not just 'as much' as going. It matters more.
This applies to all of us, operating everywhere. In the media, in tech, in politics and academia. But there are few places it applies more than with humanity's venture into space.
A place where many of our most idealistic, those who have grown up on and been inspired by visions of the future, have already accepted leaders and a future antithetical to their own ideals - adopting the practice of excuse-making and head-burying or some other form of mental gymnastics - in the name of just getting it done.
But why? You still have power and leverage. There is no need to concede to the false choice of one disappointing future or another. You can still make and decide. Don't let the current or the new normal or the overwhelming noise tell you otherwise.
After all, 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 (𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲) 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆?