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gortok

Cardassians? Germany post WW1

The marquis? French resistance Against? The Germans.

Romulans? Romans.

Remans? Guess who?

Vulcans? Greek.

Klingons? Russians/Japanese depending on the Star Trek series.

Federation? Evolved America.

Ferengi? Present day capitalism.

Borg? Eventual conclusion of overreliance on technology.

All of the archetypes and races from Star Trek are taken from germs in our own history.

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I always felt that the DS9 relationships between Cardassians & Bajorans was a product of the time when the show was written, and had stronger overtones of the 1990s Balkans conflicts and Israel/Palestine than anything else. (Though it’s far from a direct allegory for either)

You also had The Troubles in Northern-Ireland at the time, and that's not a huge leap either.

I've also seen people describe the Bajorans as an analogue for the Jewish diaspora.

You can fit many real-life events, even more if you try hard enough.

Maquis : it’s a French word for tall grass or, like here, underground resistance.

Only that the Star Trek Maquis is later also faught by the Federation. Which makes the Federation, what, Vichy France?

I really seem to be way more indulged with Star Wars, were supporting insurgents against oppresive regimes was what the Good (TM) do.

There is some episode of DS9 where the legitimacy of the maquis is bring upon. One of the female lead has connection to it and it’s problematic.

I like those grey area better

I always thought the Vulcans had more in common with Eastern cultures than a Western one like the Greeks.

Also, Bajorans = Israelis

Bajorans are not Israelis, though they are in part inspired by the Jewish experience.

Keep in mind there was no major Exodus, the vast majority of bajorans remained on Bajor and never left. The fee who did were either escaping the cardis or were taken for slavery offworld.

They're actually more aptly described as amalgam of Pre WWII Jews (more specifically Zionist terrorists like the Irgun aka Likud), the Irish during and after the Troubles, and the Current Palestinians....

If we're going to focus on the source people's at all maybe it behooves us to focus on the ones actually facing the horrors depicted, rather than those who used long past atrocities as excuse for their own misdeeds.

Also, Palestinians = Bajorans. (Don’t attempt the transitive property on this one, for it will probably get u in trouble)

Bajorans? An amalgam of post WWII Jews, Irish during and after the Troubles, and modern Palestinians.

Interestingly one of those groups is still being very actively oppressed and abused, yet everyone always ignores that and often denies their part in the references which inspired the creation of the Bajorans.

Borg = Space Zombies

The Cardassians seem a lot more like Stalinist USSR, or maybe East Germany to me.

> Remans? Guess who?

Africans?

> Ferengi

Jewish people.

Ah yes. All those Jewish women who aren't allowed to wear the clothes they want, own property, or conduct business without a male present.

It's not as straight forward as "ferengi" = "Jewish".

I took Ferengi to be written as a ridicule of those pursuing an Ayn Randian style utopia where everything is a business negotiation. It is not, in my opinion, a reference to Jews.

This is what I took from them as well, particularly since Star Trek was set in an Earth post-scarcity. When humanity has progressed to the stars as a result of the end of modern society in a war, the Ferengi were a foil against what we have versus what we can become.

As a fan of the series, I'd argue thay they definitely took inspiration for the Ferengi from a caricature of traders, greed, utilitarianism and overall love of money and materialism.

But to be fair yes, everything in real life is a negotiation at the end of the day. Relationships included.

I disagree with the first sentence. I believe the Ferengi were written to show what they think happens with the sort of unfettered capitalism that the U.S. appears to be on a path to implementing.

I always took the Bajorans to be an obvious allegory to Palestine.

Yes, but Marquis != Bajoran resistance.

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