[I really, really dislike Garak. I spent 5 seasons trying to see what the DS9 fandom sees, trying to make myself like him, but then I watched “Things Past” and he admits that he still believes Bajorans are inherently inferior to Cardassians. How can people like him when he sympathizes with the Occupation? With genocide? It’s upsetting to me bc I think the love of Garak led people to love Cardassia, when all I see is a species that was meant at least in part as an analog to Nazi Germany & the USSR]If I only liked characters I thought were moral, it would be pretty slim pickings.
Why does Garak hold these objectionable opinions? What kind of environment shaped him to consider torture an acceptable and even excitingly challenging form of interrogation? Does he find genocide generally acceptable, or are there situations in which he’d think it’s crossing a line? Is the situation where he tries to kill the Founders unique in that sense? Has he morally changed for the better during his exile, or has he just gotten “out of practice”?
Why does Bashir like/love him – is he in denial, has he truly forgiven Garak’s past, a combination of both, or something else? Does Bashir offer something that can help Garak be a better person by our standards? (Andy would say yes and I’d tend to agree.)
One of the reasons I find Garak interesting is that he’s a safe fictional way to consider moral questions of violence, especially state-sponsored violence, without anyone really being hurt. I struggle to face and understand real people who commit violence, but understanding is crucial to helping violent people move forward in peace.
Well said.
