I've been recording old Star Trek: Next Generation episodes. Last night I watched the Episode
I, Borg. This episode was bore an eerie familiarity to our present-day situation, facing the Islamic "Collective" . . .
Quote:
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The Enterprise finds a lone Borg drone, separated from the collective, and brings him aboard. The drone begins to reassert his individuality, but his presence causes differing levels of fear and sympathy from various crew members.
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(The crew of the enterprise plan to implant what we would now call a "virus" into the drone and return him to infect, and thus destroy, the Collective...)
Doctor Beverly Crusher: I just think we should be clear about that. We're talking about annihilating an entire race.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard: Which under most circumstances would be unconscionable. But as I see it, the Borg leave us little choice.
Commander William T. Riker: I agree. We're at war.
Doctor Beverly Crusher: There's been no formal declaration of war.
Counselor Deanna Troi: Not from us, but certainly from them. They've attacked us at every encounter.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard: They've declared war on our way of life. We are to be assimilated.
Doctor Beverly Crusher: But even in war there are rules. You don't kill civilians indiscriminately.
Commander William T. Riker: There are no civilians among the Borg.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard:Think of them as a single collective being. There's no one Borg who is more an individual any more than your arm or your leg.
Doctor Beverly Crusher: How convenient.
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Captain Jean-Luc Picard: It comes down to this: We're faced with an enemy who are determined to destroy us. And we have no hope of negotiating a peace. Unless that changes, we are justified in doing anything we can to survive.
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How familiar does this all sound? If you get a chance to watch this episode, it will blow your mind.