# Enforcing the Prime Directive **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 18, 2003, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enforcing-the-prime-directive/169617 "2003-04-18T19:19:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enforcing-the-prime-directive/169617/1 "2003-04-18T19:19:39Z")
Lets suppose the ubiquitous spatial rift/wormhole opens up roundabouts the territory of the United Federation of Planets, and out pops the Millenium Falcon. Skywalker and company discover technology like transporters, replicators, and a drive which, although much slower than hyperdrive, allowd for maneuvers in supra-light velocities AND is not vulnerable to artificial gravity wells. Seeking a Federation/Starfleet representative, offers to trade a spare Hyperdrive engine for transporter/replicator tech. Unfortunately, the Representative realizes that would introduce unknown tech to an alien culture…a violation of ther Prime Directive. Would Starfleet/UFP simply allow Skywalker and Co. to take their business elsewhere…like the Ferengis…or compell them to go back to where they came from empty-handed? ---
**Author:** ![Daniel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Daniel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daniel)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enforcing-the-prime-directive/169617/2 "2003-04-18T19:25:02Z")
Well I think the cutoff was that you couldn’t interfere with pre-warp civilizations (i.e., civilizations without the technology to leave their solar system and contact other races). So while Han Solo may not have a warp drive, I don’t think it would violate the spirit of the law. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enforcing-the-prime-directive/169617/3 "2003-04-18T19:25:02Z")
The Prime Directive only applies to pre-Warp cultures. In _Star Trek_, that’s equivalent to a culture without the scientific knowhow to exceed the speed of light. Just because _Star Wars_ doesn’t call their FTL drive “Warp” doesn’t mean it’s not the same idea. So there would be no Prime Directive violation. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enforcing-the-prime-directive/169617/4 "2003-04-18T19:30:51Z")
Actually, I think it also deals with technological and cultural contamination of cultures not on the same level as the UFP. I can’t think of any specific cites but I seem to remember that if a culture’s at Pre-Enterprise warp level, there’s still some restrictions on them… i.e. you can’t equip them with quantum torps, phase cloaking devices, and so on. They’re still not advanced enough. I could be wrong though. It’s happened once or twice. ---
**Author:** ![Daniel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Daniel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daniel)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enforcing-the-prime-directive/169617/5 "2003-04-18T19:35:57Z")
haha, simul-post, simul-location. Jeez, I’m also 22, male, and registered SDMB since 1999. Let’s make sure we don’t do this again, **Achernar** , or else the mods might think we’re the same person, and you know what that means . . . 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enforcing-the-prime-directive/169617/6 "2003-04-18T19:51:39Z")
**Aesiron** : I think the UFP may have a general policy like you say, but it’s not _The Prime Directive_. As such, they may be willing to violate it for certain good reasons. Commercial trade probably wouldn’t be one, though. **Daniel** : Don’t worry. I don’t _think_ we’re the same person. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enforcing-the-prime-directive/169617/7 "2003-04-18T19:58:39Z")
Oops… I meant to say that I think the policy I cited was a corollary to the Prim Directive. I seem to remember various Enterprises not helping out as much as they could for one reason or another. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2003, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enforcing-the-prime-directive/169617/8 "2003-04-18T20:01:44Z")
Prime Directive. Anyway, I’m pretty sure I’m making this up based on my memory and that it hasn’t been stated as canon. Just my mind filling in the blanks. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enforcing-the-prime-directive/169617/9 "2003-04-20T02:02:31Z")
From _The Star Trek Encyclopedia_: > [@](#): > > **Prime Directive.** Also known as Starfleet General Order #1, The Prime Directive prohibits Starfleet personnel and spacecraft from interfering in the normal development of any society, and mandates that any Starfleet vessel or crew member is expendable to prevent violation of this rule. Adopted relatively early in Starfleet history, the Prime Directive was a key part of Starfleet and Federation policy toward newly developed civilizations, but it was also one of the most difficult to administer. In most cases, the Prime Directive applied to any civilization that had not yet developed the use of warp drive for interstellar travel. The article goes on to discuss various violations of and references to the Prime Directive. It looks like **Daniel** , **Aesiron** and **Achernor** are all right to some degree. The main issue would be whether or not trading with Skywalker and Co. is considered to be “interfering in the normal development of any society.” AFAIK there was never any mention of FTL travel in ST that was not dependant on warp drive, but I would think that any non-warp-based FTL would still qualify as proof that a civilization had achieved the appropriate “level” to permit trade. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enforcing-the-prime-directive/169617/10 "2003-04-20T02:56:10Z")
Yeah, I don’t see how trade can be considered abnormal. The FTL thing, I guess, is a rough guideline, though. What if life had developed on Mars, and we’d been communicating with them for the past 200 years, but they hadn’t _quite_ gotten Warp down yet. Then when we adopt the Prime Directive, we have to stop talking to them and pretend we don’t exist until they figure it out? ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enforcing-the-prime-directive/169617/11 "2003-04-20T02:59:45Z")
It’s obviously not all that stringently enforced before and during TOS. How many primitive planets did Kirk decide he was going to “save”, for instance? ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enforcing-the-prime-directive/169617/12 "2003-04-20T03:41:32Z")
I can’t even come close to answering your question. But I can say that I would enjoy beyond measure watching Darth Vader & his minions rip the Federation asunder and enslave the entire Star Trek galaxy. ---
**Author:** ![Deptford](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Deptford](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deptford)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enforcing-the-prime-directive/169617/13 "2003-04-20T11:18:12Z")
[I think you’ll find this fit’s the bill](http://www.stardestroyer.net/Empire/Fanfic/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enforcing-the-prime-directive/169617/14 "2003-04-20T11:54:01Z")
Anyone else see that abyss before us? ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enforcing-the-prime-directive/169617/15 "2003-04-20T15:46:43Z")
Star Wars ships can cross the entire galaxy in less than a day, so obviously hyperdrive technology is many orders of magnitude better than warp drive technology, or even the new “trans-warp” drives. I’d say no Prime Directive problem. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enforcing-the-prime-directive/169617/16 "2003-04-20T18:18:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Aesiron \* > \*\*Oops… I meant to say that I think the policy I cited was a corollary to the Prim Directive. \*\* You mean the part about skirts being at least four inches below the knee, unless they’re worn by men? ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enforcing-the-prime-directive/169617/17 "2003-04-20T19:50:36Z")
There is no prime directive however there is a prime suggestion ,lol Declan ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enforcing-the-prime-directive/169617/18 "2003-04-20T21:39:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Aesiron \* > \*\*It’s obviously not all that stringently enforced before and during TOS. How many primitive planets did Kirk decide he was going to “save”, for instance? \*\* TNG also ignored it. This was because a couple of little-known footnotes: [quote] Prime Directive. Also known as Starfleet General Order #1, The Prime Directive prohibits Starfleet personnel and spacecraft from interfering in the normal development of any society\*, and mandates that any Starfleet vessel or crew member is expendable to prevent violation of this rule.\*\* [quote] \*unless it would be inconvienent not to do so. \*\*except for any featured players. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enforcing-the-prime-directive/169617/19 "2003-04-20T22:01:27Z")
Oooh! Let’s list all the willful Prime Directive violations! This will be fun! I’ll start… “Who Watches The Watchers?” Season 3, TNG. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2003, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enforcing-the-prime-directive/169617/20 "2003-04-20T22:14:27Z")
The Apple - TOS [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enforcing-the-prime-directive/169617.md?page=2)