Skip to main content

star trek - How has no one annihilated the Ferengi?


As I understand it, the Ferengi were set up at the beginning of TNG to be the next "big bad" of the galaxy, and their capabilities are described as being equal to the Enterprise's. That being said, they do so much to violate intergalactic law, not to mention irritate and antagonize everyone they encounter, that it seems stunning that no one has launched a photon torpedo down their throats out of pure frustration.


In one episode they attempt to assassinate a Federation captain using a stolen Federation ship, in another they attack two Federation ships during a routine training exercise just because they thought there might be something they could steal. They routinely threaten, bribe, and falsely accuse other races and individuals, regardless of their power or rank. They've kidnapped Betazoid royalty and Federation personnel, they've deliberately tried to destroy property they couldn't purchase, and they don't even seem to apologize for (or even deny!) most of their actions.


I've only seen TNG, not DS9 or Voyager, but does anyone ever comment on why the Ferengi haven't been the subjects of a Klingon or Romulan genocide, or how they seem to commit so many acts of war without ever actually going to war? Even if we assume they are as powerful as the Federation (which the shows seem to walk back a little after their first introduction), they've committed plenty of offenses which would justify a Federation response, let alone a response from one of the more militant galactic powers.



Answer



The Ferengi fill a valuable position in the Alpha Quadrant, trading useful resources and technology back and forth between various powers, even those that may be at war with one another. The original attempt to establish them as villains in TNG failed miserably, and they were ret-conned into an almost comical species of greedy traders.


A similar position existed in our own world, with European traders, who would have been an easy target for Japanese or Chinese warlords, engaging in trade between the two warring powers in the period of European expansion. There was no reason for the stronger Chinese or Japanese powers to crush the much weaker Europeans - though obviously this would have been isolated to the European trading posts, as the Chinese and Japanese had no way of attacking Europe itself - as they stood to gain more from leaving them alone to continue trading.


This is similar to the situation with the Ferengi in Star Trek. Due to their willingness to trade with anyone - they even trade with the Dominion - and their expressed desire to maintain neutrality, it makes more sense for the various powers in the Alpha Quadrant to maintain Ferenginar as an independent state, rather than to destroy or conquer it. Especially as the Ferengi, while not warlike, are more than capable of defending themselves in the event of an attack, and could easily call upon their trading partners to defend them from outsiders.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

futurama - How much time is lost in 'Time Keeps on Slippin''

In time Keeps on Slippin' , Farnsworth creates a basketball team which he matures by abusing Chronitons. This leads to time skipping forward by random, but ever increasing amounts. How much time was skipped in this way? Answer Unfortunately, I don't think a good estimate can be made for this, for two reasons: Many of the time skips move forward by an indeterminate amount of time. At one point, the Professor mentions localized regions of space skipping forward much more than others. We then see two young boys on the street below complaining about having to pay social security, only to suddenly become senior citizens and start complaining about wanting their money. Thus, each individual could have experienced a different amount of time skippage.
Post a Comment
Read more

game of thrones - Is Syrio Forel dead?

In the episode 'The Pointy End' (Season 1 Episode 8) when Arya runs from the Lannister guards you hear the sound of a sword being dropped (around 4:56): [embedded content] After that neither Syrio or Ser Meryn Trant is never mentioned or seen in the show again, except when Arya mentions to the Hound that Ser Meryn Trant killed Syrio. Is there any mention in the books that Syrio actually dies?
Post a Comment
Read more

tolkiens legendarium - Difference between elves and dwarves blacksmithing in the Lord of the Rings

Both the elves and the dwarves were famous for their metal work in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but what is the difference between what they made, and which one had the better skill of making amours and swords? Answer James Christopher's answer sums up the second part of your question well, but as to the difference in what they made, a little more detail is needed. Once the Elves learned to forge with steel, the shape of the sword changed, now being able to take on the form of a great broadsword or a light and agile curved sword. Additionally, they took great pride in decorating their swords. As we see in the Lord of the Rings , some swords like Sting had magical properties such as glowing blue when orcs are near. As far as the use of Mithril, lotr.wikia has two contradictory passages: Thus, Elven blades became renowned as great weapons, capable of performing deeds beyond the skill of their handlers and were even more glorious when the use of Mithril was allowed to the Elves. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

How do Pokemon trainers collect their winnings?

According to Bulbapedia , Prize money is the money that a Trainer pays out at the end of a battle. So we know that the money comes directly from the trainer that just lost, and not some third-party committee or sponsor. But how is this done? It can be easy seeing the random trainers who challenge you along the way wanting to wager and then, after admitting defeat, sticking to their word and handing over their hard-earned pokebucks. Then there are the likes of Team Rocket and Giovanni, who also give money once they lose. This doesn't seem like something people in a criminal organization would willingly do. From this it appears that trainers have no say in whether or not they cough up the dough after losing, but I can't find anything on how exactly the funds are transferred from loser to winner. So how do Pokemon trainers receive their winnings?
Post a Comment
Read more