Sunday, June 02, 2013

Star Trek Into Darkness

and the Rechristening of America

Towards the Light



The most recent film I watched, Star Trek; Into Darkness, holds a subtle message that finds a correlation to America, with Star Fleet Command as a metaphor of our greater potential for fulfillment. With the power of the right coast guided by the good intentions and most promising possibilities on the left, internal corruption can be weeded out and our true calling restored. 


At the beginning of Into Darkness, we are immediately shown the striking contrast of Kirk and Spock, who like our nation, share a relationship between polar opposites. Kirk thinks more from gut instinct and intuition while Spock is guided by the rules of reason and logic. Trapped in a volcano ready to erupt, Spock would rather die than be rescued through means that would violate the Prime Directive; a set of laws established by Star Fleet to protect primitive cultures from interference.


Kirk: "Spock! Nobody knows the rules better than you, but there's got to be an exception!"

Spock: "None! Such action violates the prime directive." 

Dr. McCoy: "Shut up Spock! We're trying to save you damnit!" 

Spock: "Dr., the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." 

Kirk: "Spock! We're talking about your life!" 

Spock: "The rule cannot be broken…"

The beginning of the relationship between Spock and Kirk is rocky at first. Kirk saves his friend's life only to have Spock throw him "under the bus" by filing a report to have the captain disciplined for not following protocol. This ultimately leads Kirk to be demoted and lose his starship. 


Before saving Spock, Kirk wonders out loud, "Spock, if I were there and you were here, what would you do?" Dr. McCoy bluntly answers, "He'd let you die." We can see that the friendship between Kirk and Spock is not reciprocal in its purity at the beginning. Kirk will sacrifice the rules in order to save his friend while Spock will sacrifice a friendship in order to follow the rules. 

Do we see a similar dynamic playing out between the polarity within America? It is unfortunate that the relationship between liberals and conservatives is not yet reciprocal in the purity they are capable of. We can see that one side holds the most numbers of those who would rather see a war end then see it spin out of control and harm the other side or those outside our borders. Many liberals seek to avoid a scenario leading to a potential clash of civilizations, where nuclear terrorism has potential to strike our nation's political and financial capitals, causing death and destruction to millions. The other side holds the most numbers of those who are prepared to expand the battle and sacrifice red or blue states if necessary, as long as it means defeating the enemy. Some conservatives want to see an escalation of the war, assuming it will lead to the final defeat of the last two nations in George W. Bush's "Axis of Evil." And in their view, it would be OK to sacrifice major cities like Los Angeles, Honolulu or whatever it may take if it leads to the greater good of a world without the regimes capable of inflicting this damage. 


In Star Trek Into Darkness, Kirk is eventually given the task of hunting down and killing a great enemy who inflicted a horrendous terrorist attack on Starfleet, responsible for the deaths of the innocent and some of their top commanders. The perpetrator John Harrison who we later learn is Kahn, is said to be hiding on Kronos, the Klingon home world. At first Kirk refuses the call of Admiral Marcus. 


Kirk: "If we even go near Klingon space it would be all out war!" 

That's when we find out that the Klingons in this movie are presented in a similar light as Muslims are seen by some on the conservative and liberal side, who believe a clash of civilizations between the West and Islam is destined to happen. 


Admiral Marcus: "All out war with the Klingons is inevitable Mr. Kirk. If you ask me, it's already begun. Since we first learned of their existence, the Klingon Empire has conquered and occupied two planets that we know of, fired on our ships half a dozen times. They are coming our way."


It is then we learn from Admiral Marcus that Starfleet has been working on a top secret weapon, not that unlike the first drones deployed in Afghanistan and Pakistan, to hunt down and kill terrorists there. 


Admiral Marcus: "As part of our new defensive strategy, we've developed a new photon torpedo. Long range and untraceable. It would be invisible to Klingon sensors. I don't want you hurt but I want to take him out. You park on the edge of the neutral zone, you lock onto Harrison's position, you fire, you kill him and you haul ass."

But as Kirk blindly obeys the authority in command just like so many in the military have carried out drone strikes against the innocent without a second thought, we can see the resistance to what many see as illegal actions gaining momentum in the real world and in the fictitious timeline of Into Darkness. 

It is here where we begin to see the relationship between polar opposites finally showing signs of their full potential. Where Spock once acted without concern for what his actions might do to a friendship, now his concern compels him to question the very orders Kirk has sworn to uphold. 


Spock: "…it is now my duty to strongly object to our mission parameters." "There is no Starfleet regulation that condemns a man to die without a trial, something that you and Admiral Marcus are forgetting. Also, preemptively firing torpedoes at the Klingon home world goes against…"

Have we heard a similar argument from constitutionalists in America, who argue the president shouldn't have the authority to kill Americans without a trial? And next we hear Kirk reply in a way all too familiar to many who have heard arguments justifying the use of drones, with the mistaken presumption that the only casualties will be terrorists. 

Kirk: "There's only going to be one casualty."

Spock: "Regulations aside, this action is morally wrong." "Captain, our mission could start a war with the Klingons. And it is by its very definition immoral. Perhaps you should take the requisite time to arrive at this conclusion for yourself."

Spock's words echo the same sentiment voiced by many liberals, that drone strikes are morally wrong and their use over Pakistan could cause the wars to escalate, or even worse, lead to a civil war in which the Taliban rise to power and acquire use of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal. 

Kirk continues experiencing more opposition to his plans from Dr. McCoy and then Scotty. 

Scotty: "No, I'm not signing anything. Now get these bloody things off of my ship!" 

Kirk: "Scotty! I need you to approve those weapons."

Scotty: "Do you know what this is Captain?"

Kirk: "I don't have time for a lecture Scotty." "It's our orders…"

Scotty: "That's what scares me. This is clearly a military operation. Is that what we are now? Cause I thought we were explorers."

Many ask a similar question about America and the endless wars threatening to drag on forever. Should our Great Seal be revised to see the Eagle's head turning away from the olive branches of peace in favor of the arrows for war? Is this really who we are; a nation built upon a foundation of war?
Kirk: "Sign for the torpedoes that's an order." 

Scotty: "Jim, for the love of God, don't use those torpedoes."

Finally the crew is getting through to their captain. Kirk decides to change plans and instead do the more honorable thing; capture John Harrison alive and make him stand trial.

Kirk: "I will personally lead a landing party to an abandoned city on the surface of Kronos, Where we will capture the fugitive John Harrison And return him to Earth so he can face judgment for his actions."

Spock: "Captain, I believe you've made the right decision."


The story of John Harrison (Kahn Noonien Singh) might remind some of the hunt and death of Osama Bin Laden by U.S. special forces. Many conservatives and even President Obama ridiculed the idea put forward by liberals, that Bin Laden should be captured alive so he could stand trial. Michael Moore supported this proposal, blogging about why America is different than our enemies, because even the Nazis were given a trial after World War II.

When Kirk returns with Harrison, a new picture contradicting the account given by Admiral Marcus begins to emerge. 

Kahn: "Marcus used me to design weapons to help him realize his vision of a militarized Star Fleet."

And it is here where we can find even more parallels between Kahn and Osama Bin Laden; both were used by a greater power against a perceived threat. Any search for "Bin Laden" and "C.I.A." will yield reports by those trying to make the case; Bin Laden was funded and supported by the C.I.A. to fight the Soviets in Afghanistan long before 9-11. 

Kahn: "He sent you to use those weapons, to fire my torpedoes on an unsuspecting planet. And then he purposely crippled your ship in enemy space leading to one inevitable outcome. The Klingons would come searching for whomever was responsible and you would have no chance for escape. Marcus would have the war he talked about, The war he always wanted."


Again, this story parallels something similar to what we've seen before. Many believe Bush used Bin Laden's 9-11 attacks as a pretext to attack Iraq and have the war he always wanted and was planning well before that fateful day in September, 2001.

Kirk: "No, no. I watched you open fire in a room full of unarmed Starfleet officers. You killed them in cold blood!"

Kahn: "Marcus took my crew from me!"

Kirk: "You are a murderer!"

Kahn: "He used my friends to control me. I tried to smuggle them to safety by concealing them in the very weapons I had designed. But I was discovered. I had no choice but to escape alone. Now what I did, I had every reason to suspect that Marcus had killed every single one of the people I hold most dear. So I responded in kind. My crew is my family Kirk. Is there anything you would not do for your family?"

These lines by Kahn illustrate the ambiguous reality of war that contradict the traditional black and white, good vs. evil mental traps often propelling the war machine. Like Kirk, the majority in the West view Bin Laden as a murderer. The innocent people he killed in New York City show this to be true. And because he was then killed without a trial, we never got to hear him make points that might have sounded similar to Kahn's. Like Marcus and Kahn, Bin Laden first enjoyed a beneficial relationship with the U.S., having them supply weapons and resources to fight off the Soviets in Afghanistan. And when he perceived betrayal from those who once supported him, Bin Laden went the way of Kahn, seeking revenge on those he perceived to threaten the livelihood of his Taliban family.

When Kirk reveals to Admiral Marcus his intentions with Kahn, we see that his war would be threatened if the enemy should acquire a voice. 

Kirk: "Per Starfleet regulation I'm planning on returning Kahn to earth to stand trial." 

Admiral Marcus: "You talked to him. That's exactly what I was hoping to spare you from. I took a tactical risk and woke that bastard up believing that a superior intelligence could help us protect ourselves from whatever came at us next. But I made a mistake and now the blood of everybody he's killed is on my hands. So I'm asking you give him to me so that I can end what I started." 

Kirk: "What exactly would you like me do with the rest of his crew sir?" Fire them at the Klingons and end 72 lives?  Start a war in the process?"

Admiral Marcus: "You saw what this man could do all by himself, can you imagine what would happen if we woke up the rest of his crew?  What else did he tell you, that he's a peacekeeper? He's playing you son don't you see that? Kahn and his crew were condemned to death as war criminals. And now it is our duty to carry out that sentence before anyone else dies because of him. Now I'm going to ask you again one last time son. Lower your shields. Tell me where he is."

And then, the story rings with truth about the final tragedy of war, where those who want peace and refuse to fight, are declared just as dangerous as the enemy; obstacles to the war machine.

Admiral Marcus: "Captain Kirk, without authorization and in league with the fugitive John Harrison you went rogue in enemy territory leaving me no choice but to hunt you down and destroy you. Lock phasers."


Just as the audience now roots for Kirk and his crew, to fight against the material corruption inflicting Admiral Marcus and the blind side of Starfleet, how can we not root for the peacemakers of America seeking an end to war and internal corruption. 

It is the spiritual oriented peoples of Earth who can potentially restore hope, effectively waging peace to break the material corruption infecting the policies of those running the war machine, convincing them that this fight must go on indefinitely. The nightmare to avoid is the one Kirk and his crew faced, and we have also witnessed in the darker chapters of our world's history, where the peacemakers are accused of aiding the enemy simply for supporting peace.

Aligned with the very enemy Admiral Marcus sought to kill, Kirk must now work with Kahn in order to save his crew and ship. 

Spock: "This indicates that you plan to align with Kahn, the very man we were sent here to destroy." 

Kirk: "I'm not aligning with him I'm using him. The enemy of my enemy is my friend." 

Spock: "An Arabic proverb attributed to a prince who was betrayed and decapitated by his own subjects." 

It is ironic this quote Kirk uses with Spock, is the very principle that has guided American military policy for so long. And what do we think now when revisiting history books showing president Ronald Reagan hosting Taliban from Afghanistan at the White House, calling them "freedom fighters" and equivalent to the founding fathers of America? And there are other examples. How about the footage of Donald Rumsfeld shaking hands with Saddam Hussein in Iraq; both representing nations at a time when they were mutual enemies of Iran. 

Spock immediately sees the red flags in joining forces with a killer to fight a mutual enemy. 

Spock: "I cannot allow you to do this. It is my function aboard this ship to advise you in making the wisest decisions possible, something I firmly believe you are incapable of doing in this moment." 


Kirk and Kahn eventually exit the Enterprise together and seek to sneak on board Admiral Marcus's ship by flying rocket suits through a dangerous debris field. And ironically, Kahn saves Kirk's life after shrapnel cracks his helmet, shutting down his computer guidance towards their only way inside; a tiny cargo door to be secretly opened by Scotty. Later in their mission, Kirk pays back Kahn's good deed with betrayal, instructing Scotty to stun him as soon as they reached the bridge and put Admiral Marcus under their custody. 

Kirk: "Admiral Marcus, you're under arrest." 

Admiral Marcus: "War is coming! And who's going to lead us? You? If I'm not in charge our entire way of life is decimated." 

Luckily Admiral Marcus is wrong and for the time being, this great war is thwarted. And the peacemakers of the world have the same hope for the wars that seem to be spinning out of control now. Like an unstoppable domino effect of chaos out of hand, the Iraq and Afghanistan invasion has done little to curtail terrorist activity around the world. America's image in the eyes of many has suffered because of what the wars have done. And now Iraq continues to see increased sectarian violence ten years after the invasion. And the hundreds of thousands of refugees that fled Iraq to Syria have lead to internal problems in that country contributing to the horrendous civil war now raging there. And most recently we have witnessed hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees fleeing into Turkey, which is now seeing civil unrest on a scale that is shocking many around the world.

And unfortunately, the Middle East isn't the only hot spot simmering with conflict. North East Asia has seen conflicts escalating between North and South Korea along with the United States. The north has already threatened a nuclear attack on America, claiming to have the means of hitting Los Angeles, Chicago and NY. Soon after these threats, the U.S. and South Korea carried out military drills together, amassing modern weapons near the border while worrying many around the world that war is inevitable.


But in the mind and hearts of those guided by a spiritual calling, war can be thwarted. For the peacemaker, it is not an acceptable option to wage a military battle against North Korea and risk the possibility of their population, Seoul, Honolulu, Los Angeles and Washington D.C. destroyed by nuclear weapons. The infinite possibilities unfolding on the left coast through the promise of new technology and the emerging global mind facilitated by the world wide web, are fragile in their infancy and their further development is dependent on an atmosphere of peace. War would throw a wrench into the gears of what we could become, with potential to improve life for everyone on Earth which is why the peacemakers of the world must do everything they can to end the wars and show the world a glimpse of our full potential as a species similar to the positive side of Starfleet. Imagine our civilization and economy restructured, not around war, but around peace, exploration and benevolent application of technology in solving the problems facing our environment. Imagine humanity united as one on the global country of Earth, where war is a relic of a past left behind.


Because Kirk was betrayed by Kahn and Kahn betrayed by Kirk, defenses remain high and trust out of reach. Spock is drawn into the conflict and deceives Kahn into thinking that he beamed aboard his family, when in reality they were live torpedoes detonated to destroy his ship. 

After barely recovering control of their own, the Enterprise plummets into Earth's atmosphere and only gets its engine power back after Kirk sacrifices himself to save his ship. This selfless act comes at a heavy price; the radiation levels he was exposed to are fatal.


Meanwhile, Kahn has piloted a crippled ship into Earth's atmosphere with one thing on his mind; revenge against Starfleet. He crashes his ship in a sliding skid across the bay into central command in San Francisco, creating devastation and suffering on a scale thousands of times more horrifying than 9-11. 


Spock beams to the surface and takes chase after Kahn, eventually apprehending the superhuman with Uhura's help. 

And amazingly Dr. McCoy discovers a way to bring Kirk back from the dead, using Kahn's super cells to restore the captain back to full health. All is well in the Star Trek universe and Kirk gives an inspiring speech to thousands of somber citizens in San Francisco, reminding them that there are better things on the horizon for those who forsake the path of revenge and choose to avoid an escalation to war. 


Kirk: "There will always be those who mean to do us harm. To stop them we risk awakening the same evil within ourselves. Our first instinct is to seek revenge when those we love are taken from us. But that's not who we are. We are here today to rechristen the USS enterprise. And to honor those who lost their lives nearly one year ago. When Christopher Pike first gave me his ship he had me recite the captains oath. Words I didn't appreciate at the time. Now I see them as a call for us to remember who we once were and who we must be again. And those words; Space the final frontier these are the voyages of the starship enterprise. Her five-year mission, to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no one has gone before. 


After hearing the inspiring end of this movie, I could immediately imagine it being directed at America, inspiring hope in a future where the dream is reborn, and the nightmare subverted. 



"There will always be those who mean to do us harm. To stop them we risk awakening the same evil within ourselves. Our first instinct is to seek revenge when those we love are taken from us. But that's not who we are. We are here today to rechristen the United States of America. And to honor all those who died by seeking the peace out of their reach." 

And in the American pledge of allegiance, the words "Liberty and Justice for All" punctuate the ending. This is a clear spiritual directive to make real the dream for humanity with the establishment of a global country, where "Liberty and Justice" will finally become a reality for "All." This is the promise and hope of our legacy. May all Americans at this time of great promise, pledge their allegiance to planet Earth, because we are citizens of the United States of America and serve the birth of a brighter future. Our beloved country was called onto the world stage at this time in history to wake from her nightmare and become the dream of World Spirit. We the people of the world seek to create together the greatest nation ever; a united states of Earth through means preexistent in the ends. We will be victorious because we are on the left side of history with the promise of A.I. and global mind guided by the power of love. And we believe in infinite possibilities where the escalation of modern conflict can be thwarted, World War III denied and our greatest dreams realized. 



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