My dad's always been an asshole (hell, so am I), but at least he didn't used to be a dyed-in-the-wool, no hyperbole fascist. This evening on the news, we learned of an American Army officer who "interrogated" an Iraqi Ba'athist remnant fighter by threatening his life and firing a gun at the ground near the prisoner's head. I expressed outrage at this behavior; I hate Ba'athist remnant assholes as much as anyone, but we are better than that. We do not torture people. Meine vater expressed his support and admiration for the American officer's actions. I was appalled. It is an old argument, but I think a good one: if we employ the same tactics as those we label villains, how are we any better?

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
"Emissary, Parts I and II" - "In the Hands of the Prophets"
"The Homecoming" - "The Jem'Hadar"
"The Search, Part I" - "The Adversary"
"The Way of the Warrior, Parts I and II" - "Broken Link"
"Apocalypse Rising" - "Call to Arms"
"A Time to Stand" - "Tears of the Prophets"
(Season 7 censored for Zach Nie!'s benefit)

The Dominion, the anti-Federation. Not a monolithic enemy like the Romulans or Cardassians, but a union composed of hundreds of different species. A dark mirror of the Federation, bound not by principles of mutual respect, cultural tolerance, and interstellar justice, but fear. The Founders and their servents, teh Vorta and the Jem'Hadar. "The Vorta tell you to do something and you do it. Because if you do not, they send the Jem'Hadar. And then you die."