# Fatal flaw in DS9 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 2, 2016, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fatal-flaw-in-ds9/747713 "2016-03-02T05:24:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2016, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fatal-flaw-in-ds9/747713/1 "2016-03-02T05:24:27Z")
Deep space nine has one major flaw that has always bugged me. They make it very clear that the jem hadar and the vorta, with one exception, consider odo to be a god and would instantly obey any order he gives up to and including kill yourselves without question. So why doesn’t he ever take advantage of this fact? ---
**Author:** ![F.Pu-du-he-pa-as](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c89c15/32.png) [@F.Pu-du-he-pa-as](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.Pu-du-he-pa-as)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2016, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fatal-flaw-in-ds9/747713/2 "2016-03-02T05:27:26Z")
My own impression was that he would view doing so as deeply unethical, though I haven’t watched the series recently so I can’t provide any specific references to back that up. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2016, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fatal-flaw-in-ds9/747713/3 "2016-03-02T06:53:58Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > Deep space nine has one major flaw that has always bugged me. They make it very clear that the jem hadar and the vorta, with one exception, consider odo to be a god and would instantly obey any order he gives up to and including kill yourselves without question. So why doesn’t he ever take advantage of this fact? A number of reasons. Odo would never make them kill themselves. Asking them to surrender would create a conundrum as Jemhadar don’t surrender. I believe some Jemhadar consider him a traitor. When Odo DOES try and wield a little power…The Female Changeling completely manipulates the situation. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2016, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fatal-flaw-in-ds9/747713/4 "2016-03-02T10:58:16Z")
Rastafarianism has one major flaw that has always bugged me. They make it very clear that Rastafarians consider Haile Selassie I, the emperor of Ethiopia, to be a god and would have instantly obeyed any order he gave. So why didn’t Haile Selassie ever take advantage of this fact? ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Windshoeffel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Max\_Windshoeffel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Windshoeffel)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2016, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fatal-flaw-in-ds9/747713/5 "2016-03-02T12:10:30Z")
Ostriches are overrated. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2016, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fatal-flaw-in-ds9/747713/6 "2016-03-02T12:59:39Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > Rastafarianism has one major flaw that has always bugged me. They make it very clear that Rastafarians consider Haile Selassie I, the emperor of Ethiopia, to be a god and would have instantly obeyed any order he gave. So why didn’t Haile Selassie ever take advantage of this fact? Real life is so unrealistic. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2016, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fatal-flaw-in-ds9/747713/7 "2016-03-02T13:21:37Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > Rastafarianism has one major flaw that has always bugged me. They make it very clear that Rastafarians consider Haile Selassie I, the emperor of Ethiopia, to be a god and would have instantly obeyed any order he gave. So why didn’t Haile Selassie ever take advantage of this fact? > [@](#): > > I have heard of that idea. I also met certain Rastafarians. I told them clearly that I am a man, that I am mortal, and that I would be replaced by the oncoming generation, and that they should never make a mistake in assuming or pretending that the human being is emanated from a deity." > > — Interview with Bill McNeil. … ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2016, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fatal-flaw-in-ds9/747713/8 "2016-03-02T13:30:22Z")
Well, yeah, I’m aware that Haile Selassie supposedly denied his divinity; I was just trying to make a point rhetorically. Speaking more plainly, I could point out that on at least one occasion Odo told one of his “followers” much the same thing that Haile Selassie did: > [@](#): > > Odo: Sit here where I can keep an eye on you. > > Weyoun: If it makes you feel better. But you should know I would never harm a god. > > Odo: I’m not a god, I’m a security officer. As far as I’m concerned, you’re just another prisoner. > > Weyoun: You have no idea how much it hurts me to hear you say that. This is from the seventh-season episode _Treachery, Faith and the Great River_. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2016, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fatal-flaw-in-ds9/747713/9 "2016-03-02T13:35:33Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > Well, yeah, I’m aware that Haile Selassie supposedly denied his divinity; I was just trying to make a point rhetorically. Just having fun. Jah bless. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2016, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fatal-flaw-in-ds9/747713/10 "2016-03-03T20:53:09Z")
Dunno about the Jemhedar, but with the Vorta it’s probably a bad idea to off them, as the next Weyoon they send through the worm hole might actually be worse than the last. ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2016, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fatal-flaw-in-ds9/747713/11 "2016-03-03T21:12:16Z")
You wouldn’t necessarily need to have them off themselves, you could just go to dominion base and order them all to guard one worthless planet while you invade cardassia. ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2016, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fatal-flaw-in-ds9/747713/12 "2016-03-03T21:14:27Z")
> [@F.Pu-du-he-pa-as](#): > > My own impression was that he would view doing so as deeply unethical, though I haven’t watched the series recently so I can’t provide any specific references to back that up. He’s not above it, one episode he pretends to be the female changling and has a jemhadar give garrack his weapon.