noxfoxarts asked:
ladyvean answered:
Unpopular opinion time:
I’m not convinced that they are 100% totalitarian. It certainly has elements of that, but it also has socialist elements as well.
Overall, I don’t think we’re given enough information in canon (and by canon, I mean the show and not the books) to make a good judgement on Cardassian society and government, as experienced by a Cardassian citizen.
To be clear, I think occupying and strip-mining other worlds, enslavement and genocide of other species, and other elements of what we HAVE seen in canon are bad things. I just think the situation is not as black and white as “they’re totalitarian.”
Good one!
I personally think they’re very much communist and place the group above the individual by far (all this stuff about doing their duty, acting “like a Cardassian,” the importance of family, etc). As such, it’s not all bad. People can be happy under a totalitarian regime, because joy is needed to stay alive, and in the face of adversity, finding joy might very well be a vital skill.
I think Cardassian society is harsh, full of paradoxes, and that all this authority that would, no doubt, be nothing but abuse and trauma for most aliens, does find a purpose in Cardassians. It still comes with abuse and trauma, but order makes it bearable for the group – not for the individual, but since the group is the identity, the group is what must remain functional for the individual to keep on functioning. To them, it’s not totalitarianism; it’s what they have.
I find this idea somewhat terrifying but fascinating at the same time. It has good sides, and lots of bad sides too.
You make some interesting points! Remind me to respond to this when I am not half asleep.
I hope y’all don’t mind if i reblog?
I am glad other people are on “Cardassians place the group above the individual” headcanon train :)
And I think you are right @noxfoxarts in your ideas about group identity and how this would make life more bearable. I think that most Cardassians would also be raised to highly value security, therefore they would find it more acceptable to sacrifice their freedom for their own security and the security of their family and group- order would be seen as more valuable as well. (There are several fics over on Ad Astra that capture this beautifully).
Also I want to note here that I don’t think that placing the group above the individual, nor the Cardassian emphasis on family is wrong and it kinda bothers me that, to some extent, DS9 frames it as not good. I think that the Union’s use of such values to entrench support for xenophobia, racism, atrocities and harsh rule is wrong - but it would be my hope that Cardassia would find a way to move forward and use their culture of strong group loyalty for good, rather than replacing it entirely.
I def agree that Cardassians probably find happiness in life. I personally think that even if they don’t even have a strictly totalitarian regime, the government most likely strictly controls information (show trials, viewscreens everywhere, that sort of thing). So the average, ordinary Cardassian has literally no idea what life on other worlds is like. Because they don’t know that life could be less filled with fear and pain they would not suffer so much mentally as someone from the Federation, who would feel the loss of what their life could have been like.
This government indoctrination would also make it harder for Cardassians to see the evil in their society - both in how their government might treat its own civilians (show trials) and in how it treats non-Cardassians under Union rule (the Occupation of Bajor and its accompanying atrocities).
As I personally think morality is to some extent innate, I’d think that many Cardassians might feel some guilt over the harm their society is doing to itself and to others - but that would be drowned out by the overwhelming societal pressure to conform and to believe their governments propaganda.
If morality isn’t innate and is only taught, then they wouldn’t even have feelings of guilt most likely - I mean - with no innate morality how would you know that occupying and strip mining other worlds was wrong if you’d literally never heard otherwise?
More good stuff - some points I agree with and others that I don’t, but your contribution is more than welcome! I always think it’s interesting to hear alternative interpretations presented in a well articulated manner!
