Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges (DS9 S7E16)

In times of war the law falls silent. WE DO NOT. 

Julian is contacted by Section 31 to run some spy shenanigans at a conference.  We end up discussing more than just this episode, and trying to decipher if DS9 overall is portraying a hard moral philosophy or not.

This is a Jean le Carre story apparently? 

What kind of moral position is Deep Space Nine trying to sell  us?  Three options are posited:  Cold War “Dark Pragmatism”, a sacrifice of one's own moral actions in the service of preserving Federation idealism in trying times, or nothing at all and they’re just making this all up from episode to episode. 

Are Sloan and Ross making the same case that Sisko does “In the Pale Moonlight”?  Does Bashir as the point of view character give us the show writers’ opinion? 

Is moral ambiguity in storytelling overrated?  Is it just putting on “smart face?” 
Have our feelings on the idealism of Star Trek flipped since the time we started the podcast? 

What does the DS9 have to say about ethics? 

Is this show just ISB karaoke?  Even the RDM episodes? 

Is Ross finally “the good admiral,” or does this episode say otherwise?

How many episodes of DS9 even deal with these kinds of moral stories?  Did it all start with ItPM or was it hinted at before?    

Did shows even have thesises that firm in the 90s? 

This episode at least did, right?

How much of the show does this ep make callbacks to?  Where did Ronald D. Moore get the title for this episode, and what does it have to do with Lincoln and Habeas Corpus? 

Cicero and Rome is brought up, but NOT in reference to the Romulans.

Where does the saying “never say die” come from? 

Did Spock’s dad have Tuvan syndrome?  What’s a Rigelian?  Aw man, what kind of Trek podcast are we? 

Oh look, a Voyager.   

And a couple of Bill and Ted alumni.    

Is this at all a Zach Snyder morality?   

Hey, if you have opinions on all this we want to hear them. 917 408 3898

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