Not much of a revelation, just an observation, but how much of sci-fi pushes the ideal that Humanity's path forward is unification?
Star Trek is a major one, and many would state it was a progressive show, and it earnestly was.
It also stated that in its ideal future, there's a Federation of like-minded extraterrestrials, and as a member species, Humanity lives in a united, post-scarcity society under a single government.
To that end, how many alien species in these stories are so inhuman, in that they have no differences, a world-wide government, a single language?
It's laughable how direct the propaganda was, and continues to be.
Regarding Berman, Ron Moore reflected, "He really thought that Gene (Roddenberry) wouldn't have liked the whole Maquis story line."
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Maquis
"I know you. I was like you once, but then I opened my eyes. Open your eyes, captain. Why is the Federation so obsessed with the Maquis? We've never harmed you. And yet we're constantly arrested and charged with terrorism. Starships chase us through the Badlands and our supporters are harassed and ridiculed. Why? Because we've left the Federation, and that's the one thing you can't accept. Nobody leaves paradise. Everyone should want to be in the Federation. Hell, you even want the Cardassians to join. You're only sending them replicators because one day they can take their 'rightful place' on the Federation Council. You know, in some ways you're even worse than the Borg. At least they tell you about their plans for assimilation. You're more insidious. You assimilate people and they don't even know it." - Michael Eddington
I've become extremely sympathetic to the Maquis. The Cardassians know exactly how to manipulate the Federation and do so every chance they get. They play chess while the Federation plays Tic Tac Toe. The Maquis know this, see the Cardassians do it, and then also see that the Federation institutions that potentially could help them (eg. Section 31) don't lift a finger to do so. Then when they fight back the Federation goes after them.
The Cardassians must get a real good chuckle whenever they goad the Federation into attacking their own citizens.
Kind of like a modern allegory for the non-Trump USA vs. CCP situation.
Interesting thing about that...
The Maquis and Bajorans are basically just Martians and Narns from Babylon 5. And no I'm not implying Paramount stole some idea, I'm flat out saying they did.
Straczynski gave Paramount the "show bible" and they ended up turning him down. Then they decided to come out with a show about a station on the border of federation space, with a powerful unknown race working behind the scenes as the main antagonist stoking hostilities between two races where one was once enslaved to the other, at roughly the same time as Babylon 5.
I know that two people can come up with the same idea at the same time from different starting points, but this is too close to simply be coincidence.
I’m almost done with season 1 of Babylon 5. I really like it so far
Seasons 2-4 are infinitely better. One of if not the best Sci Fi series ever
That's awesome. That's recognizing Roddenberry's beliefs as cult-like and anti-reason and critical thought.