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25 UALR L. Rev. 635 (2002-2003)
On a Wagon Train to Afghanistan: Limitations on Star Trek's Prime Directive

handle is hein.journals/ualr25 and id is 647 raw text is: ON A WAGON TRAIN TO AFGHANISTAN: LIMITATIONS ON STAR TREK'S PRIME DIRECTIVE Richard J. Peltz* I. INTRODUCTION The Prime Directive has taken on a life of its own. Born of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry's distaste for the Vietnam War, this science fic- tion rule that technologically advanced humans ought not meddle in the affairs of alien cultures has lent credence to noninterventionist principles in terrestrial affairs, from anthropology to international politics. And those principles have merit, intended as they are to prevent the peculiarly devas- tating cultural havoc that can result when two worlds meet in unmitigated collision. But as any Star Trek fan can tell you, there is more, or maybe less, than meets the eye when it comes to the Prime Directive. Star Trek writers seem never to tire of storylines in which violation of the Prime Directive strikes starship captains and Star Trek fans alike as not only attractive but impera- tive. In many situations, it turns out, the Prime Directive is neither the pri- mary concern nor an inviolable directive. Part II of this article acquaints the reader with the Star Trek universe, both as a mirror of Western cultural development for the last three and a half decades, and conversely as a force that has had a remarkable impact on contemporary Western culture. This acquaintance provides a foundation to understand how and to what extent the Prime Directive, a product of science fiction, can be useful in understanding future intercultural contacts right here on Earth. Part III of this article reviews specifically the appearance of the Prime Directive in Star Trek lore, for the most part with reference to Star Trek's captains Kirk and Picard. This review analyzes the fictional evolution of the Prime Directive from its straightforward origin as political commandment to its fuzzy, modem complexity as an aspirational principle. Part IV.A transports the reader back to the real world to show how the Prime Directive has operated both before and since the advent of Star Trek, chiefly in international relations, but also in areas ranging from the hard science of space exploration to the thoughtful business of eco-tourism. Synthesizing the lessons learned from fictional starship captains with the * Associate Professor of Law and Ben J. Altheimer Symposium/Seventy-Fifth Anni- versary Celebration Committee Chairman, William H. Bowen School of Law, University of Arkansas at Little Rock. The author thanks Chris Crenshaw, M.A., and Joel DiPippa, J.D. anticipated 2003, for reviewing drafts of this article, and Meg Johnston, J.D. anticipated 2003, and the UALR Law Review members for keeping the symposium on track so the author had the luxury of time to write.

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