In the Star Trek pilot episode The Cage, the Talosians want Pike to mate with their human captive Vena, and to produce a human community that can return life to their barren world. Pike knows the aliens’ mental powers are too strong, so he offers to remain behind if the rest of the Enterprise crew are allowed to leave orbit. Number One dislikes this bargain, however, and sets her phaser on overload. Then two more Talosians arrive. They have scanned the ship’s records, which their leader now accesses. He is shocked by the humans’ hatred of captivity. “Even when it is pleasant and benevolent, you prefer death,” he says.
Human history is replete with slave rebellions and freedom movements. Yet the Talosian leader’s assessment seems a skewed version of our history and customs. While most of the nations in the world have condemned slavery, some still impose harsh restrictions upon their citizens’ liberty. In poorer countries, individuals may even opt for slavery in order to secure a better future for themselves and their families. Nor does Captain Pike, living in an enlightened future, seem completely against slavery. Earlier, in his quarters aboard the enterprise, he confessed to the ship’s doctor that he was considering retirement. One potential new career choice: he could become a trader in Green Animal Women Slaves!
In our individual lives, we often trade bondage for security and stability. For a regular and acceptable level of income, we sign away a large portion of our lives to another, pledging to fulfill our employer’s wishes if they clash with our own. We join political, social, charitable and religious institutions, pledging to live by their codes of conduct and affirm their beliefs, even if these clash with ones we have previously held dear. In my own life, I’ve worked hard to free my body from the bondage of excess weight. Now, everyday, I willingly enslave myself to my regimen, knowing that if I rebel, I will gain back those unwanted pounds.
At first glance, our ideal of “slavery is wrong” clashes with our willingness to pledge our lives to various causes in order to repeat the desired rewards. The secret to this seeming incongruity resides in the individual’s ability to choose. After all, children resent rules imposed on them by their parents. Adults forced into nursing homes or sanitariums not only resent the relatives who placed them there, but perpetuate acts of rebellion against the staff entrusted with their care. Pike, tricked by Vena and the Talosians, resents living in his cell and experiencing the dreams imposed on him. But if we are allowed to choose a flavor of slavery to our liking, does this not make us more content with our lives?
What constitutes slavery in your life? Has your slavery evolved over time into an overly-oppressive regime? Or do you find that you have grown “too free”, and in need of a new form of slavery that is both pleasant and benevolent?
Human history is replete with slave rebellions and freedom movements. Yet the Talosian leader’s assessment seems a skewed version of our history and customs. While most of the nations in the world have condemned slavery, some still impose harsh restrictions upon their citizens’ liberty. In poorer countries, individuals may even opt for slavery in order to secure a better future for themselves and their families. Nor does Captain Pike, living in an enlightened future, seem completely against slavery. Earlier, in his quarters aboard the enterprise, he confessed to the ship’s doctor that he was considering retirement. One potential new career choice: he could become a trader in Green Animal Women Slaves!
In our individual lives, we often trade bondage for security and stability. For a regular and acceptable level of income, we sign away a large portion of our lives to another, pledging to fulfill our employer’s wishes if they clash with our own. We join political, social, charitable and religious institutions, pledging to live by their codes of conduct and affirm their beliefs, even if these clash with ones we have previously held dear. In my own life, I’ve worked hard to free my body from the bondage of excess weight. Now, everyday, I willingly enslave myself to my regimen, knowing that if I rebel, I will gain back those unwanted pounds.
At first glance, our ideal of “slavery is wrong” clashes with our willingness to pledge our lives to various causes in order to repeat the desired rewards. The secret to this seeming incongruity resides in the individual’s ability to choose. After all, children resent rules imposed on them by their parents. Adults forced into nursing homes or sanitariums not only resent the relatives who placed them there, but perpetuate acts of rebellion against the staff entrusted with their care. Pike, tricked by Vena and the Talosians, resents living in his cell and experiencing the dreams imposed on him. But if we are allowed to choose a flavor of slavery to our liking, does this not make us more content with our lives?
What constitutes slavery in your life? Has your slavery evolved over time into an overly-oppressive regime? Or do you find that you have grown “too free”, and in need of a new form of slavery that is both pleasant and benevolent?
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