Welcome back! I hope the holidays were safe and happy for you all. We’re starting a brand new year with a brand new arc of stories. We’ll call this one “Fractured Futures”.
We launch the arc today with Star Trek: TNG, analyzing how an investigation into sabotage quickly spirals into a witch hunt led by Admiral Satie. We discuss how tools designed for security are repurposed to become political loyalty tests, and why Captain Picard’s defense of due process is the ultimate moral defense of democracy.
Key Takeaways: The mechanism of security can become the greatest threat to civil liberties. Defending the process is hardest when people are scared, but that’s when it matters most.
Next Week: The X-Files — Myth-Making and Manipulation.
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DIVE DEEPER: The Word to the Wise Bookshelf
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A NOTE ON OUR SCHEDULE
To maintain the high quality of research and analysis you've come to expect, I build a planned break into the schedule once each major arc is complete. This pause allows me to get ahead on writing and research for the next deep-dive series. I always return in two weeks with a brand-new arc and fresh content!
Members only experience a one week break because of the BONUS episode.
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