Quark is one of my favorite characters. Mainly because he IS such a character. I don't agree with his politics or his obsession with profit, etc but watching him give a speech or get passionate about any particular thing is immensely entertaining. He's not a dummy, that's for sure
Quark really took a Picard line aimed at the Borg, a cybernetic species hell bent on stripping people of their individuality, and used it in defense of corporate greed. You gotta love the comedy in Trek sometimes lol
Haha I remember that episode where Q forced the crew of the enterprise to play out Robin Hood. Worf had the classic line “I am NOT a merry man!” And Picard even referenced a Princess Bride line during his duel. The best episodes are the funny ones. Not even Vash was able to ruin the episode. But she certainly tried! God she was an awful character
I figure Quark is a fan of 20th and 21st century Earth due to the rampant capitalism. There's an episode, where he reunites with his Klingon ex-wife, and she's telling him about trouble her family has faced as a result of war, and Quark goes "War? What is it good for? If you ask me, absolutely nothing" which is an almost direct quote of the opening lyrics to Edwin Starr's song "War" which was a Vietnam War protest song. The only thing different is adding in "if you ask me". Then, Picard goes and says the line about "the line must be drawn here" in front of Lily Sloane, a 21st century human. She must have gone to write the speech down, which Quark then read as a part of 20th and 21st century Earth history, which he's clearly a fan of.
This is why Quark is considered to be the most ethical character on DS9. He never betrays his own values, he always find a way to apply the rules of acquisition to his problems. And arguably as far as being the most religious person I'd say he's tied with Worf who attacked and destroyed a Dominion Ship Yard just to insure his fallen mate made it to his race's version of Heaven.
I'm curious how Rom came up with 5,000 bars of latinum. Back when Quark thought he was dying, he put up his desiccated remains for auction that Rom bid I believe 37 bars on (his life savings) and Brunt purchased for 500 bars, which excited Quark as he was going to die 'a winner'. In just a few seasons time Rom goes from having 37 bars of lifesavings to offering 5,000 for the bar. Either he is taking out one hell of a substantial loan, Rom got rich working for the federation or inflation has dramatically gone out of control when it comes to latinum.
Rom actually gets a number of jobs after that episode some from the Nagus that likely boosted the amount of money in his pocket. He also worked for the federation and the federation does offer money to contractors. He even ends up forming a union as well which comes with perks even though he quit he still assists the union in negotiations with Quark. Lastly he even before this for awhile Rom is a the director of the Ferengi Benevolence Center. I imagine there is a lot more going on behind the scenes with Rom than we realized as viewers we know that Rom and his son Nog both align with the federation quite well and the federation takes care of their own despite the social structure of their home society. The only reason the federation struggled to help Worf is the Klingon society and social structure is largely deed based and often even as allies the Klingon Empire still opposes the federation. Rom begins as a social outcast as being poor is unacceptable and largely through hard work mangages to make quite the impact on Ferengi culture even before Mogi. I also imagine most of Roms station living expenses went down after being employed by the federation.
@@CosmoShidan If you look at other episodes before this you'll find out that Rom made an absolute boatload of money doing a ton of technically and legitimately illegal things. Such as embezzelment, non-nationalistic espionage and military contracting, and potentially his work for the federation, as i'm not sure if he officially joined the federation at the time, and i'm very certain it's illegal for Ferengi to act in non-mercantile capacities to influence other intergalactic societies to no direct monetary or contractually applicable benefit to themselves. ESPECIALLY considering that the federation is a money-less society, which also means they're blasphemous against the Ferengi religion, I am absolutely certain Rom's aid to them over other potential business partners in times of war under non-affiliated, non-mercantile proceedings would be very, very illegal in Ferenginar.
@@frankg2790 how was it a failed left wing state? By making monopoly’s illegal? By making sure ppl outside of the 1% had benefits and could retire? If anything the changes were for the better
While I disagree with Quark’s ideologies and overall preference for tradition over progress and justice, I can’t help but seriously respect him for valuing something more than mere profit or corporeal pleasures. He truly cares about his society and he believes in the foundational principles that made it what it is, which is far more than can be said for just about any other Ferengi I’ve seen in the franchise.
That line at the end has a William F. Buckley ring to it: _"A conservative is someone who stands athwart history, yelling Stop, at a time when no one is inclined to do so, or to have much patience with those who so urge it."_
"40% of Ferangi no longer believe you have to buy your way into the divine treasury when you die" Ferangiar is going through its Protestant reformation.
The traditional Ferengi culture is an exaggerated depiction of capitalism to the point of being false. It depicts the acquisition of wealth as the sin of greed. I've never heard a serious argument for "making the poor poorer" from anyone, left or right, capitalist or socialist. As Rom points out, so that no viewer can possibly ignore how indefensible traditional Ferengi values are, many of the changes Quark is lamenting as unprofitable are actually extremely productive and profitable, turning more of the Ferengi into productive assets to the their civilization. The show makes it sound like Quark would sell off all the resources of Ferenginar for short-term gains and create a civilization of illiterate, ignorant slaves ruled over by a few amoral elites interested in nothing but their own advancement as individuals. This is not what wealthy capitalist industrialists are like in real life. By the end of their life, it's typical that they ultimately spend most of their fortune in long-term investments they won't realize. Many social advancements have been driven by private enterprise, like Henry Ford's labor reforms where he doubled pay and shortened the work day to eight hours. In doing so, he doubled company profits in two years. I wouldn't find the caricature so objectionable if it wasn't for only the political opponents of the Star Trek writers being portrayed so unfairly and dishonestly. While free enterprise is exaggerated and demonized as the Ferengi, other real-world political ideologies are not given the same treatment. Socialism is depicted as truly ideal, with it's worst sins and excesses mere minor inconveniences, and it's most fundamental problems like scarcity ignored by a science fiction technological hand-wave. The problem is that social democrats and democratic socialists can identify with the values of the Federation, and the Ferengi depiction of capitalism is one that actual capitalists cannot identify with, because it's a grotesque demonization. If the show was more fair, it would depict the Ferengi's values more in line with popular ideas from 20th century Earth, and show how they persisted for ages on Ferenginar because they, like the values of other Star Trek civilizations, had truth and strength to them. The Ferengi would not be willing to drop their most ancient and sacred traditions overnight for what basically amounts to a bribe, because for generations they have believed their ways are the most productive and have tested that hypothesis and gathered evidence in support of it. Their market economy is not a fanciful notion they have no investment in and argument for.
It’s ironic. He’s turning down personal wealth for the “betterment” of his society, by putting the needs of his people above his own...so they can go back to unadulterated greed and self service.
In many ways Quark was the most righteous person on the show. He had a set of beliefs that he never once wavered from. That's more than I can say if Sisco or the others, who compromised their beliefs all the time.
The irony, of course, is that by allowing his emotions and worry for the future of his people to overpower his want for the wealth that would come from becoming the Grand Nagus, Quark, too, was compromising his beliefs. Nobody got away from DS9 unscathed.
Wait monopolies in free market? How? If you don't have government regulation then there is no one to lobby for laws and regulations to ensure you have the upper hand over the smaller companies. In free market while big companies lower their quality to lower their prices, smaller companies remain more expensive but with higher quality of goods and services thus assuring clientel that need said high quality and take said clients away from big companies and there is no laws or regulations to prevent that... So again: How would you have monopolies in a free market?
Anti trust laws maybe had some relevenc in the industrial era (argubly) when it was either sell me you bussines or starve but now? We live in digital era were stuff like the internet, where you instantly share consumer opinions, reviews, skills, we have much more and much better technology, better medecin etc, Statist laws like this are redundant now, not to mention 25th century. We no logner live in a time where your kid either works in a factory or dies in a street becouse there were no alternative, kids now make money making videos, selling stuff on etsy or commisons on tumblr for goodnes sakes, and adults have so many more options then working for a company (and no your education does not factor in this, your skills do)
+DiedrichKyrian Also maybe im not eloqent enough and im also not a native english speaker so my arguments might not be as clear so i urge you to check this video /watch?v=xsWgEqXfUXA at 11:17 for about 8 minutes this gentleman provides all the points on the matter.
maaderllin Let me guess you want to roll out the robber barons argument? Like Rockefeller who introduced cheap petrol so it can be an alternative to expensive whale oils and such thus opening a totally new market to those who had no chance in the fule industry before and giving a cheaper alternative to people so they can heat their homes? Or Hammond for creating the refrigerated car also allowing people to enter the meat trade industry easier and in places where it wasn't possible before? No you probably mean all the child labor and “exploitation” of working class, because how dare those capitalist pigs offer people an alternative to death in the streets or allowing them to earn money for their own business or for their children's future to people who were under skilled and poor because they just escaped the remnants of feudal system to become free man and forge their own future but took the whatever jobs they could because they literally couldn't do anything else. Remember those days before penicillin or pasteurization wasn't a thing? Yeah technology now solves shit ton of problems from the good old days, especially when it comes to sharing skills, news spread and reputation. Wanna be a fuckin welder? Look up a youtube video or buy a online course. Hey you're good at it! Great how about you start your business now! Wait you need to register your company, and pay for a license and other monthly fees? You don't have that money? Woops, looks like it's time to stand in an unemployment corner again or working for someone else. If they hire you coz you have no experience honey! Yeah government regulation is fuckin stellar.
+PsiTerror Actually, reasonable socialismy IS good for business. The scandinavian countries are at the top of "friendly for businnes" list. Sure they have high taxes. But they also have good infrastructure, low crime rate and a well educated population. All of those are good for business ;)
While I agree on a base level, that it's a compulsive act by the government in which you live simply for making money or buying things, it's also a necessary thing. Roads, policemen, firemen, military, prisons, etc are all thanks to tax dollars.
Hazzycakes I think they should be only government based institutions, though. I don't want businesses being built out of private police forces or road workers. It has a million different ways it can go wrong and has such a short road to corruption. Granted, publicly funded are also prone to corruption, but it's not as easy to justify when it's not a business. I never understood this ideal of absolute freedom. There is no country on Earth where you have unlimited rights, nor should there be. Yes, you have to pay taxes if you're not legally poor in America. That has been true since it's inception. It's something you do so that firemen feel compelled to rush to your house if you call for an ambulance or your house is burning. Is it theft? Probably. But it's morally reprehensible not to pay taxes.
CaliberStone Private actors seeking profit are generally really reliable to provide most things. That's where the vast majority of modern wealth comes from. That's how we have computers, phones, household appliances, cheap clothes and abundant food, etc. I wouldn't say that everything ought to be done privately. It isn't practical, nor is it a moral obligation to deal peacefully with violent men, men who would violate your rights. You have to fight coercion with coercion. That's why it's perfectly fine to use the government, fundamentally an institution of coercion, to prohibit citizens from coercing each other, i.e. a "public" police force. That is basically the best way to keep the peace. But at the root of that is still the issue of taxes, and I do think taxes should be voluntary, even though not paying them is immoral and stupid to the extent that you value your government, which you should.
Everyone having access to the roads makes for a highly mobile work force and consumer base. There ARE private roads. Those aren't illegal to build, and in fact, they can be quite profitable with tolls. Yes, military is a necessity. Ever play a game of Civ? I agree, it's very sad when your race of poet-philosopher-merchants gets invaded by the huns. If you refuse to pay taxes, you don't go to prison. If they notice, you'll get fined, and probably garnished. Yes, taxes and freedom are opposed. So is government in general. Giving up the freedom to murder gets you freedom from being murdered. Giving up the freedom to steal gets you protection from theft. It's called the "social contract." Don't like it? You can always go off the grid.
Quark is in a quandary, he's going soft. Giving up a chance for untold riches because of his morals? That's not how a Ferengi must think. Money is everything. He's forgetting Rule of Acquisition Number 10 "Greed is Eternal", 101 "Profit trumps emotion" and 98, "Every man has his price." If a Ferengi is willing to sell his own mother, why should he care about how others raise their children? Especially if such "caring" eats into his profits. He's truly lost his way. There are so many ways he can double dip here as Nagus. Aside from the wealth and business opportunities it traditionally affords, he can use this bevy of new social programs to create new contracts and opportunities for himself. Medicine for all? He should be the first to sell it. Oh, and the joys of hiding money and skirting taxes! It's a game where he not only holds all the cards, but he gets to stash some extra up both sleeves. All he has to do is betray betray his ideals... in the name of his ideals. It's the tradition of any great religion.
A little late but.... I say Quark. PIcard's declaration was as much about his own pain, trauma and obsession as anything. Quark's was a pledge to uphold the values he felt most dear to his heart.
Can we just appreciate the acting range and dedication of Jeffrey Combs? In this episode he played both Brunt and Weyoun. Imagine having to sit through the make-up sessions for both of those characters to film this episode
@@Argonnosi yeah, it gets to the point where you're watching and saying "huh, the actor playing that alien is really good... must be Jeffery Combs." He's truly a man of a thousand faces.
I think in the old days, they didn't shoot all scenes in chronological orders, but rather did the Weyoun scenes of the series mostly when he was in make-up - the same probably also goes for the Brunt scenes. Most of them in one or two shooting days, so he doesn't have to sit in the make-up chair for hours every day. That also applies to using certain sets - for Voyager, Kate Mulgrew said for example, that they did all the close-up scenes on the bridge where she stands up or sits in her chair, giving orders, with no one else in the shot on one shooting day.
wait if ferangei males could only earn profit then woman cannot work.And if males are the only ones that work that means you would be demanding sexual favors of men. So does that mean ferengi society is open to homosexuality ?
Gotta give Rom credit, He knows how to stay on message and he got what he wanted. Also Quark at the end violated a rule of acquisition. Rule 101 Profit trumps emotion.
@@sirsneakybeakyas Rom said, we can make even more profit this way! I think they’re just embracing their core value of “Profit, Profit, Profit!” Even more! If the poor can work more because their basic needs are being met that means more money for the employers!
@@sirsneakybeakyUgh. You don't think like a Ferengi at all. "Core values". The only core value that matters is money. Never let morals get in the way of profit. So what if a whole generation of Ferengi will grow up to be suckers? Then Quark should be the one swindling them. He said he has to draw the line somewhere, and that's just wrong. The only lines should be the dotted ones on a contract.
@@matthewkrulitski8788There is ALWAYS profit. Rule of Acquisition 22: "A wise man can hear profit in the wind" and 65: "Win or lose, there's always Hupyrian beetle snuff."
there's a good bit on this on tvtropes. for example, because they realized having women do business makes profit, it would go against their principal philosophy to NOT abandon that tradition ASSAP
The entire point in keeping them out of business, forbidding them from wearing clothes, forbidding them from leaving the homeworld etc. are to keep women in their place. All the little rules they've developed for the females are about keeping them subservient, keeping the men in their position of power. Of course women can earn profit! They've always known that, if they honestly believed women couldn't earn profit then what the hell was the point of setting up laws keeping them from engaging in business? If you really think they're going to fail then just sit back and watch them fail miserably, and perhaps turn a nice profit yourself taking advantage of them. The Ferengi know these things, they simply reject them. The men would rather be in total control.
Actually it doesn't the borg events in first contact happened before this episode.. First contact happened 50893.5 and was released in the Cinema in 1996 This episode, dogs of war aired 3 years after First contact, set this episode in 52861.3 So Quark was Channelling Picard here The borg events happened in DS9 season 5
I find it funny that while Quark was ranting Rom just calmly and without much thought gave a perfect Counterpoint to every argument and even bought the bar for a bargain.
What's funny is that the man who plays Quark is also the voice actor for BioShock's Andrew Ryan. Did anyone hear Andrew ranting about parasites when Quark shouted "The line must be drawn here"?
Funny part is, the developer of BioShock leans libertarian, but is a hardcore skeptic of the utopias various ideologies promise at the same time. He did a thought experiment taking the concept of a libertarian utopia and hitting fast forward. The result he came up with was BioShock
@@riccardo1796 where was this supposed welfare? as for religion, I kind of feel that Ryan arguing about the 'Great Chain' was more him proselytizing liberal and libertarian thought and ideas more than any kind of religion.
Rom really evolved during the course of DS9. He was quite unintelligent and down right murderous in season one. Whenever Quark strayed from only thinking about profit it was Rom who pulled him back into the pure Ferangi mindset.
Perhaps that was Rom’s plan for leeching off his brother. Then he got a better opportunity working for the station and his son moved out to join Starfleet, so he stopped keeping Quark in that mindset.
@@matthew8153 I think it's a good case of how the simple-minded and ignorant get caught up in dogmatic thought. For the Ferangi, business and profit are a religion. But, once he was able to get away from that life and experience other cultures Rom realized the Ferangi way wasn't necessarily the right way.
I can't stand what they did to Rom. In the early seasons he I a sexist greedy dumb ferengi. For some reasons around season 3 the writers decided to make him a genius misunderstood sympathetic angel. it wasn't an Arc because it wasn't realistic. it is the worst character assassination i can remember in all of trek
Saw the book at my store. It's about him hirring a Private Eye to find Kira somewhere on the other side of the Worm hole. This is after they rebuilt DS9 and after the war.
I'm watching the show for the first time and my god... Quark is such an awesome character. He has more personality and layers, even though most of them are fake and just to manipulate others XD Such a bad ass...
@@woodwyrm O.o, and what evidence do you have to base that assumption on? Patrick Stewart is a classically trained actor and has impeccable moral character, of course he cared about doing his job to the very best of his ability and I'd lay dollars to gold pressed latinum he cares quite a lot about the quality of his performance(s) no matter the role.
Quark is actually a patriot. He's more worried about the demise of his society than he is about profit. And that is unheard of in Ferengi society. He once told Rom, "I'm not cheating people at random here. I'm doing it according to a set of rules. The Rules of Acquisition. And I won't set them aside when they become inconvenient." He gets a lot of respect from me because he follows his own rules even when they're not convenient.
But the rules are amoral. Codifying a dogma of exploitation doesn't make it moral, it makes it convenient actually. It then becomes easier to justify selfishness and greed. Its easy to go along with the rules when they are speaking to you saying _go ahead, be selfish, use people, friends, family, everyone_. The easiest thing for a person to do is to follow the plan, go with the rules. That's built into our DNA. We're tribal creatures. Being moral, standing up for a principle that's beyond selfishness... now that's harder. Having respect for people who give in to tribal attitudes deserves no special accolade. That's how people justify supporting evil, because its good for them. You say its his society, but its an unjust exploitative society. It should die, especially since the one that replaces it bears no ill will to him except insofar as it will not favour him merely for being of the privileged caste he once occupied, in this case male and landed with money, however little he has.
BollocksUtwat It's their society. It works for them. They would think Federation society was immoral and disgusting. It all comes down to point of view. Seeing only your own side and assuming that your way of life is right for everyone has caused some the worst injustices in history.
Dude I am so glad he played Quark straight. He didn't try to be a silly character. He acted like how someone if they were a real society. But it can still come off as comedic at times because it is so dissimilar to our own society.
@@matthew8153 Someone seems to be unable to remember what they wrote. I called BS on the social programs being a net negative/causing the debt. Surprise surprise, economics is slightly more complicated than that. One good example is America having LESS social programs than many other places and having a LOWER standard of living due to this, while places with comparably more programs (Switzerland, Germany, Canada) have higher standards of living than the US, despite far less money to pull from. I can speak more in-depth on the various factors actually causing the debt and other issues, if you want, rather than trying to simplify it so much you become a Ferrengi.
I’m not sure whether to be annoyed by how Quark hates the reforms or impressed that he’s willing to not become the richest Ferengi because of his beliefs despite the fact that being the richest is what every Ferengi wants.
The man was willing to kill himself to uphold a contract, it took concerted effort from multiple people to talk him out of doing so the man's dedication to his faith and his cultural morals is ironclad.
@@beyondreception6681 literary look at the collapsing comic book industry; not the movies but the the fact that their main producer of paper comics is going down due to poor sales.
Lets all admit it, If Quark had been allowed to freely do as he pleased and reach his true definition of wealth or even briefly beyond it when it becomes meaningless, he surely would have caused galactic mass hyper inflation
@@adamscott7354 Wealth hoarding doesn't lead to inflation. If anything, people spending less is what drives prices _down_ in a market. The seller is forced to lower prices if too few buyers are willing to meet their asking price. It's more the corruption of state and law enforcement at the behest of the people who hoard said wealth. In fact, a lot of the problems of today can be traced back to the very same programs Moogie convinced Zek to implement.
this is so weird lol. quark is going off about how people dont care about profit anymore and then he says he'll turn down riches to save his society. i love all the contradictions in his character
and both delivered it so well for their circumstances... Picard in an all time epic impotent rage and he knew it. Quark fueled in ways he could never have thought of at the start of the Series.
I think it's because, from a narrative standpoint, the Ferengi were always meant to be a foil to the humans in the show; they represent how backwards and undeveloped modern humans are today and stand in contrast with the federation and its ascendent ideals of equality and egalitarianism.
The Bajorans were a Palestinian allegory as they were viewed as both terrorists and freedom fighters against their Cardassian occupiers. Kira described her role agaianst the Cardassian occupation as a terrorist, and later taught Damar the benefits and principals of fighting within terrorist cells to defeat their Dominion occupiers. This was pre the attacks on the world trade centre, when the word "terrrorist" could be presented with nuance, before every nation state with an internal civil war could demonize their opponents by referencing those who attacked those buildings in NY.
actually you're right. The Bajorans were/are a fairly religious group known for their connection to their prophets and the Cardassians are def'ly akin to the Nazi's. Anybody who sees it differently isn't paying attention. Mr. Mendez below is way off. The Bajorians fighting the Card's is similar to the Israeli's fighting the British Mandate gov't (which really *was* occupying) as Hagana fredom fighters.
America ended slavery. Every single country that is older than the USA had slavery, and only ended it because the USA did it first. The notion that there was never slavery on Ferenginar is total and utter nonsense, and the writers who made that up are ignorant. The fact that Ferengi women literally live like slaves should be proof of that. I consider that utterance to be non canon.
@Ambassador Actually, there are entire ethnic groups that banned slavery long before the USA did, as well as those who, as far as their known history goes, who never condoned it or employed it as part of their economies. Stop trying to make excuses for your ancestors barbarism and savagery and "take some responsibility"
And which "ethnic groups" are you talking about, or are you just talking out of your ass? Slavery has been part of humanity since before civilization, and every group has taken part in it, unless you can point me to one of these vague "ethnic groups" that you're alluding to. My ancestors didn't own slaves btw, at least, not any of my ancestors in the last 1000 years. My ancestors did fight to end slavery though, and the USA was the key to crippling the slave trade, which was run by Africans and Arabs, but whatever...
So defensive. Hmmm. MY ancestors may or may not have owned slaves. If they did, I would be the first to condemn them. An here I was thinking that it was the efforts of Carribean agitators that helped push the Western world towards ending their participation in the slave trade (which is all they did. Slavery still goes on in many forms up to the present day, human trafficking being one of the most prevalent). In the States, slavery gave way to segregation and jim crow, which ensured the continued exploitation of black bodies. Slavery was simply re-invented, not ended. But some people still want a pat on the back. Mtcheeeeew. Speaking of the so called "vague" ethnic groups, the Incas, it seems, based on current evidence, do not appear to have owned slaves; they did have mandatory public service called mita; a system that really deserves more study - so ignorant people can be educated, and can stop hiding behind "well, EVERYBODY owned slaves!" Where is YOUR proof of that??????
Interesting how he says "Before Ferenginar starts looking like a Federation Planet." Reminds me of when he and Garak said how devious the Federation is. Yes, it does things for the good of the many, but what do you loose in the process. You loose what made your culture yours.
What? You lose what made your culture shitty. The creators of the show were literally making fun of people like you with these characters lol. Conservatives really have no media comprehension.
Sure, you can isolate your culture from everyone else, but that isolation makes you extremely vulnerable. Joining a group with different values means they may not be preserved as is, but at the end of the day we want to be safe more than we want to be right.
***** I believe the exact quote is: "You know, in some ways you're even worse than the Borg. At least they tell you about their plans for assimilation. You're more insidious. You assimilate people and they don't even know it." -- Michael Eddington (Season 4 Episode 22, For the Cause)
Pure writing brilliance. This is what separates Star Trek Discovery from the rest of the series, the quality of writing and acting. It's just NOT there in the new one.
Overall, in the star trek universe, notice how the ferengi always seem to never be at war or subjugate other species, and yet the HUmans always seem to be in conflict with other powers, they violate the territory of others even when asked not to do so, etc. If I'm being honest the ferengi are more peaceful precisely because they pursue profit whereas the federation acts like the borg in their smug superior attitude.
Ferengi are taught everyone and everything has a price, meaning nothing and nobody has a fixed value or is too precious to be commodified. Humans are taught everyone can achieve greatness and some things shouldn't be bought or sold, so I'm not at all surprised it eventually blew over to Ferenginar.
"You know in some ways, you (the Federation) are even worse than the Borg. At least they tell you about their plans for assimilation. You're more insidious, you assimilate people and they don't even know it."
Rule of Acquisition 113: Always sleep with the boss. There ARE no female bosses in Ferengi run businesses. Maybe this is for non-Ferengi empoloyees, but more likely, the canonical answer is Yes, being Bi in Ferengi society is seen as an advantage. Doesnt explain Pel from Rules of Acquisition, tho...
"The line must be drawn here! This far and no further!" Quark did it better than Picard. You can feel the passion and resolution in his voice. It's not about profit, it's about his people. Quark has stated it over and over, "He's a people person" and prone to emotional attachment at the detriment of profit. It's so predictable the Nagus has often used that to further Ferenginar interests, along with his brother and anyone else whose met him. Quark is a hypocrite but a loveable one. He values profit above all else, but has routinely given up profit for the sake of his family. He's endangered Deep Space Nine many times through his selfish actions, but always contributes to fix what he's broken at personal cost. He's helped to broker peace, when war would have been more profitable. He operates a bar but, uses it as a means to launder and deal with the criminal underworld. When he feels defeated and depressed, he uses humor to deflect. He believes the Ferengi are superior, but respects humans. He's kind of a constant walking contradiction and through it all, he's still Quark. His consistent in his inconsistency as a character. I think I finally "get" what Behr was talking about when he regarded him as being "the most human".
To be fair Quark actually isn't wrong. Social programs for the poor... On earth that is great with a finite amount of people. But in space there is enough spacers to make everyone on Ferengi Rich. It's rewarding the lazy here.
CosmoShidan I think it was Otto Von Bismarck who once said “Generals don’t make good politicians, they have no vision beyond gunsight.” I think the same applies to economists-they typically make lousy politicians, they have no vision beyond charts and figures. Course on that same note, it was Stalin who said “When one man dies its a tragedy. When ten million die its statistics.”
Here's the problem with the Ferengi as a allegory/metaphor and this scene in particular. How can any scarcity based economy, which is what capitalism even communism operates on, how can scarcity exist when you have the replicator? The answer is it can't, hell even the writers inventing latinum, a substance that can't be replicated doesn't cut it, because what can that latinum DO, what can it be traded for that also is hard to produce and is thus scarce. Again, a replicator can produce food, clothes even various drugs and alcohols to get you high and drunk, it can produce building materials to build things, so with construction the only resource that wouldn't be unlimited is pure labor. In other words there is absolutely nothing stopping you from taking a replicator, building yourself a ship, say a shuttle or runabout, then fly around space looking for a planet or small moon to call home, fly down there, stake your claim and use the replicator to build a house and a homestead for yourself, hell even making parts for more replicators. Nothing stopping you at all. In the TNG era onwards, dilithium can be recrystalized while it's still in the reactor. Hydrogen can be gathered using your ships Bussard collectors, and anti matter can be created using a Polarity inverter, which is described in the TNG tech manual, even at the wasteful 10:1 ratio and assuming there haven't been improvements int he technology, that still allows you to fly to the local star, and run the inverter while sucking off hydrogen from the nearby star until you get your fill. Obviously as an industrial scaled process that's wasteful, but for an individual or a family living on a tiny ship, that's nothing. Point is, because of the replicator, you can produce all you want for your ship, homestead, and replicator. In such a situation, it would be difficult to somehow justify creating a scarcity based situation let alone a whole culture and society on it without admitting that such a situation exists purely for the sake of exploitation. But again, free travel exists, so anyone finding it unfair is free to leave it, so again you're left with the question, how can a situation like that exist and continue to exist and function given the various options available. The most latinum would be good for would be "real" goods, goods that are produced without the use of a replicator and thus would achieve the status of luxury goods. Like Chateau Picard wines.
You can get artifically created scarcity though. Just because replicators exist doesn't mean everyone has access to one, and in such a scenario it suits the powerful well to keep those below them dependent and desperate, even if in the long-run their own pragmatic interest would be furthered by ending the injustice. You then ensure the inoculation of an ideology which views the suffering of those "unable to provide for themselves" without the use of a replicator as just and necessary in a 'free' economy. After all, you might argue, what incentive will the impovrished classes have to continue laboring if they cease to be so? And through the effective use of propaganda, many people in said classes may even come to see this system as just and necessary themselves; that their lot in life, or any like them, is merely a failure of their moral virtue or work ethic, rather than that the system itself is stacked against them. You see this effect now. We have the capacity to produce more than enough food every year to feed every person on the planet and yet we do not. After all, what's there to be gained in the immediate term to those who have power over the agricultural system by feeding starving people in Kenya? From Quark's (rather limited) perspective, what's there to be gained by evening the resources across the population through the use of replicators. If anything given his ideology, he would have cause to oppose such a measure even if _doing_ so required time and resources. You also have a lot of the individualistic, pseudo-Darwinist 'bootstraps' rhetoric which would no doubt predominate in such a society, and would make those exploited by its elite classes accepting of a broken (and easily ameliorated) status-quo. Given all these things, I don't think that the ferengi society as presented really is all that far fetched - in fact, I don't think it's hugely distict on a qualitative level from the world that we currently inhabit. Of course, from a narrative perspective, the Ferengi were intended to be a foil to the humans in the universe. They represent what humanity once was, and stand in dark contrast to the more sophisticated and egalitarian ideals of the Federation.
Oh god I actually busted out laughing at the end. Absolutely stellar writing, even better acting. DS9's Ferengi storylines were pure gold(-pressed latinum).
Well with near infinite resources in space I'm not so sure. I think all the wealthy ferengi will just leave ferengi jurisdiction to preserve their assets.
Technically true. IIRC, Ferenginar joined the federation. That said, that would also grant them access to replicator technology, making them post-scarcity. Bankruptcy only matters if scarcity is a thing.
and within a decade, Rom has been ousted as leader after a massive civil war. This was one of the worst choices for the Ferengi as it just castrates their story possibilities and I'm glad the novels corrected this.
And Jerkwad152, honestly, the right wing (in America, at least) is already more of a caricature of the right than Quark could ever have been. I don't think the show-runners were capable of even CONCEIVING of a cult as irrationally right-wing as what we have today, and even if they were, I doubt they'd have wanted to make a character out of it.
@@n0wheregrrl yeah you know, those right wingers, insisting that abortion be legal, and subsidized by the government up until the point of birth. Those right wingers, pushing the narrative that gender is a fabrication, calling everyone who disagrees with them white supremacists, insisting that there are concentration camps at the Southern Border. Those right wingers, proudly hosting and displaying the parasites that produced the Green New Deal, demanding that colleges and universities be forced to admit students for free, trying to expand bloated, overblown, ineffective, inefficient, and borderline bankrupt government programs that are ballooning the national deficit. Those right wingers who blindly supported a literal rapist for president, during his presidency, as credible accusations of rape and sexual misconduct came out of the woodwork. Those right wingers, who pushed a media narrative, and ungrounded investigation, which turned up nothing actionable, against the President of the United States, love him or hate him, in an attempt to violate the democratic practices and rules of the nation. Those right wingers... Maybe reconsider your statement.
I always thought this was stupid. From what we know of the Ferengi someone would have assassinated The Grand Negus is he would have tried to make these changes.
I have to agree. I did watch the whole series. While Ferengi IN THE SERIES showed progress, that was because they were both on the frontier and constantly exposed to the values of the Federation rather than their own echo chamber. Let's just say that that "Congress" WAS in fact made. They would have greedily attempted to undercut each other until they broke apart and accomplished NOTHING, not based reforms. Only Zek via Quark's mother's influence saw a different way of thinking. Not the rest of the planet. Just progressively minded writers trying to be clever and failing in the light of pragmatism of psyche.
If I remember right, the reason it was done was so that they could make Rom Grand Nagus and he would not be horribly eviscerated by the competition. By fundamentally altering ferengi society, they made it possible for a ferengi with no business skills to lead them, such as the council correcting any significant mistakes he makes.
ok for one thing, even though i respect quark for his patriotism, his rules and ideas on free enterprise and free market are a bit unsettling to say the least. i for one believe in free market as much as him but when it comes down to the logic of it, his ideas are what the founding fathers disliked and are the main reason why the founding fathers settled on liberty and justice for all. so what if blacks were suppressed because of ignorance, does that mean we had to clarify what the constitution meant by adding more amendments? of fucking course not! the first 10 is all i need to understand, any other shit is just common sense that hasn't been fully used by the people since the founding of the country altogether. common sense rules are: 1. treat everyone with respect 2. forgive and give a 2nd chance 3. be ethically sound, or at least try to, and not discriminate or hate people. 4. be smart and know your shit before starting something with someone 5. if you have to, do some fact checking and don't be lazy and ask for evidence. 6. to not kill, unless it is the only option for self defense. 7. be forever vigilant and don't get cocky. 8. double check everything. 9. don't assume unless its the only way. 10. be open minded and don't be afraid to try new things. 11. if someone is a part of a religion or fandom that you don't like, respect them regardless of how idiotic they sound. 12. and finally do not be greedy in terms of money. greed is what will make everything null and void. of course i myself have broke a few of the above common sense rules from time to time so i won't claim to be the perfect guy and shit because nobody is a god.
Good scene, but not really right-wing. We defenders of capitalism are not in favor of monopolies, abuse of employees, dumping of toxic waste, or authoritarian government.
I will say, at least one of Quark’s objections is legitimate. Not teaching the rules of acquisition is pretty wild, it’s one of the cultural cornerstones of their civilization.
Republican rant? At least half of what he said could be applied to both parties these days. In Washington it's about who has the deepest pockets, not so much morals, decency and political affiliation anymore.
Political alignment isn't an American thing, just so you know. The entire world uses the left/right diagram. And in fact, America has no left. The absolute furthest American politics goes is lightly past the middle line. The reason people can't see much of a difference in American politicians is because...there really isn't much. Our society is too inflexible and rigid in thought to allow such a wide variation in political ideologies without a war starting over it. Again.
Ironically, the federation and what it stands for would be seen as vile communist Marxist and whatever bullshit words people like to throw in by both parties. We literally have people idolizing musk, we truly live in the worst timeline
@@declaringpond2276 oh contraire! Our civilization was due to be destroyed at the dawn of this new century as was prophesied. We collectively altered that potential reality to be here today. By doing so we have begun a new civilization that is only in it's infancy. This civilization however will grow up fast. Within only a couple of generations the world as it is today will no longer exist. War will be non-existent. Compassion will be king and the knowledge of who we are will be understood by all humans. We are one.
When people refute the advantages of capitalism because they can't make it on theor own, it males me wonder if the USSR folding in the 90s was the beginning of a long term strategy to whittle down capitalism via slow rot and manipulation..Seems like a succesful strategy so far when people make commemts like this.
LOL Quark has grown to become my favorite character from DS9. Rules of Acquisition are damn brilliant. Even Klingons were made to respect the guy haha. For that matter, Deep Space 9 is my absolutely favorite Star Trek series ever :) :) Gal Dukat, Gerak, Quark, Sisko, major Kira, Odo... Just brilliant. Every episode has moments where I just LMAO. Even the characters supposed to represent something you hate in real life make you laugh. That's what good comic stuff is about :) By comparison... Enterprise's Archer is a complete jerk, though the rest of the galaxy is gradually made to think otherwise. All right, "those were difficult times", I know :D. Then there is Michael Burnham of Discovery. Hysterical unbalanced idiot with NO self-control nor any respect for authority -- unless these happen to share her crazy ideas. Good!! The right person to save the world from the results of its own madness... even the Terran Emperor grows sentimental. ok, never mind. So far my favorites are Voyager and DS9.
I wouldn't call this right wing since i'm pretty conservative. I don't agree with monopolies, and I don't want the Environment destroyed. Personally I believe that capitalism is the chance where people might start low but get the chance to better themselves.
This is the Left wing perspective of what right wing values are. They have never attempted to understand the logical basis on which it is build upon and therefore constantly misrepresent it in their minds as this insidious nonsense philosophy.
The trouble with a lot of right wing economic policies is that it either creates big winners or big losers and not much inbetween, it assumes that poverty is the fault of the poor.
I think if you showed this to the average GOP congressmen they'd find little wrong with any of this. And contextually it is a Right Wing rant since Quark is a traditionalist Right Wing Ferengi.
This tirade is a result of Quark's inability to handle his pride and self-respect. One of the Rules of Acquisition goes, "Self-repect plus a sack is worth the sack."
I like Quark, and he occasionally does make good points. I was just always saddened by how the Ferengi are depicted as extreme capitalists, but were clearly written by people who don't actually understand capitalism.
@@davidemelia6296 I mean its obvious. I love star trek but its a very progressive show, and the fact theres a whole alien race that is 99% fucked up and there culture is strictly based on capitalism. Its a straw man, a very blatant one lmao. Not that I really care though, Star trek is good at asking philosophical questions, not fair political ones. So I never really did care, but it is obviously in favor of one party against the other.
The last season of DS9 kind of fell apart. They ruined Dukat's complexity by making him literally make a deal with the devil. Then they destroy the Ferengi race by making them "normal". Rahm went from a dumb lovable oaf to well... Rahm Emmanuel.
"this far and no further" I really wish we had people who voted for parties that had this as a slogan. Instead of the endless march of progressives towards unattainable equality.
I can only imagine how big the wealth gap must have been in Ferengi society, with their philosophy. It's a wonder their society didn't just collapse into revolution due to the sheer inequality.
"You'll still be a powerful man. I wouldn't be suck'n up to you otherwise." There's that Ferengi honesty I've grown to appreciate.
Ferengi honesty feels like an oxymoron...
say what you will about the ferengi, they are honest. and they never had genocide or slavery or colonism. so yeah, theres that.
The women are enslaved
@@joshuakruebbe3762 that's the point
@@joshuakruebbe3762 well, the moment they realized how unprofitable that state of affairs was they changed it
Quark is one of my favorite characters. Mainly because he IS such a character. I don't agree with his politics or his obsession with profit, etc but watching him give a speech or get passionate about any particular thing is immensely entertaining. He's not a dummy, that's for sure
fusion772 he's a jew
Also his development as a character.
Listen to Andrew Ryan’s speech in bio shock. It’s the same actor
@@Rogerrramjet1, that's a novel way to spell "Republican".
fusion772 he also seduced some of the hottest aliens in the series let’s not forget he was a chad.
Quark really took a Picard line aimed at the Borg, a cybernetic species hell bent on stripping people of their individuality, and used it in defense of corporate greed. You gotta love the comedy in Trek sometimes lol
I know right?
Comedy? For a Right Winger it's a harrowing drama of utmost seriousness.
He should've pronounced "Here!" as "Heyaar!". That would've been perfect.
Haha I remember that episode where Q forced the crew of the enterprise to play out Robin Hood. Worf had the classic line “I am NOT a merry man!” And Picard even referenced a Princess Bride line during his duel. The best episodes are the funny ones. Not even Vash was able to ruin the episode. But she certainly tried! God she was an awful character
I figure Quark is a fan of 20th and 21st century Earth due to the rampant capitalism. There's an episode, where he reunites with his Klingon ex-wife, and she's telling him about trouble her family has faced as a result of war, and Quark goes "War? What is it good for? If you ask me, absolutely nothing" which is an almost direct quote of the opening lyrics to Edwin Starr's song "War" which was a Vietnam War protest song. The only thing different is adding in "if you ask me".
Then, Picard goes and says the line about "the line must be drawn here" in front of Lily Sloane, a 21st century human. She must have gone to write the speech down, which Quark then read as a part of 20th and 21st century Earth history, which he's clearly a fan of.
This is why Quark is considered to be the most ethical character on DS9. He never betrays his own values, he always find a way to apply the rules of acquisition to his problems. And arguably as far as being the most religious person I'd say he's tied with Worf who attacked and destroyed a Dominion Ship Yard just to insure his fallen mate made it to his race's version of Heaven.
He's ethical to a very warped ethical system that opposes equality and encourages exploitation.
@@ElPayasoMalo
You mean reality?
@@matthew8153 Yes.
Ethical? Try stubborn.
HES JUST A SPACE JEW
I'm curious how Rom came up with 5,000 bars of latinum. Back when Quark thought he was dying, he put up his desiccated remains for auction that Rom bid I believe 37 bars on (his life savings) and Brunt purchased for 500 bars, which excited Quark as he was going to die 'a winner'. In just a few seasons time Rom goes from having 37 bars of lifesavings to offering 5,000 for the bar. Either he is taking out one hell of a substantial loan, Rom got rich working for the federation or inflation has dramatically gone out of control when it comes to latinum.
Funny thing is, the Federation only uses money for requisitioning reservations in the 24th century.
Rom actually gets a number of jobs after that episode some from the Nagus that likely boosted the amount of money in his pocket. He also worked for the federation and the federation does offer money to contractors. He even ends up forming a union as well which comes with perks even though he quit he still assists the union in negotiations with Quark. Lastly he even before this for awhile Rom is a the director of the Ferengi Benevolence Center. I imagine there is a lot more going on behind the scenes with Rom than we realized as viewers we know that Rom and his son Nog both align with the federation quite well and the federation takes care of their own despite the social structure of their home society. The only reason the federation struggled to help Worf is the Klingon society and social structure is largely deed based and often even as allies the Klingon Empire still opposes the federation. Rom begins as a social outcast as being poor is unacceptable and largely through hard work mangages to make quite the impact on Ferengi culture even before Mogi. I also imagine most of Roms station living expenses went down after being employed by the federation.
Rule of Acquisition #266: If in doubt, lie
@@kholtsclaw5266 I remember it was explicitly stated that he embezzled a LOT from the Ferengi Benevolence Center haha
@@CosmoShidan If you look at other episodes before this you'll find out that Rom made an absolute boatload of money doing a ton of technically and legitimately illegal things. Such as embezzelment, non-nationalistic espionage and military contracting, and potentially his work for the federation, as i'm not sure if he officially joined the federation at the time, and i'm very certain it's illegal for Ferengi to act in non-mercantile capacities to influence other intergalactic societies to no direct monetary or contractually applicable benefit to themselves. ESPECIALLY considering that the federation is a money-less society, which also means they're blasphemous against the Ferengi religion, I am absolutely certain Rom's aid to them over other potential business partners in times of war under non-affiliated, non-mercantile proceedings would be very, very illegal in Ferenginar.
they left out the part where Quark reacts to the word "Taxes" as if it was a curse word!
I hate when they do turn a stable right wing culture into a failed left wing state.
Anyone: TAXES
Quark: *flips over table*
@@frankg2790 how was it a failed left wing state? By making monopoly’s illegal? By making sure ppl outside of the 1% had benefits and could retire? If anything the changes were for the better
@@djsalteenuts Stable right-wing culture where women have to stay in-doors naked and are not allowed to earn money lol
While I disagree with Quark’s ideologies and overall preference for tradition over progress and justice, I can’t help but seriously respect him for valuing something more than mere profit or corporeal pleasures. He truly cares about his society and he believes in the foundational principles that made it what it is, which is far more than can be said for just about any other Ferengi I’ve seen in the franchise.
That line at the end has a William F. Buckley ring to it: _"A conservative is someone who stands athwart history, yelling Stop, at a time when no one is inclined to do so, or to have much patience with those who so urge it."_
@Realrobc conserving the environment?
sounds like a zealous, radical, 100% with no variation viewpoint, fitting
"40% of Ferangi no longer believe you have to buy your way into the divine treasury when you die" Ferangiar is going through its Protestant reformation.
Quark is right about 90% of what he says. I'd vote for Quark above Picard lol
Blandragny really?
Yes. #Quarkforpresident.
Blandragny You'd vote for a Ferengi over a peaceful diplomat?
Ricardo Santos When does Picard lie?
To be fair, Picard's a skilled diplomat. He knows how and when to lie.
I'd vote Quark over Trump.
Little brother took advantage of him while he was emotionally distraught. Good job😎
That has to be one of the rules of aquisition
"What have we come to, if you can't demand sexual favors from the people in your employ?" LMAO
Best way Rom ever got the upper hand over his brother!!
The traditional Ferengi culture is an exaggerated depiction of capitalism to the point of being false. It depicts the acquisition of wealth as the sin of greed. I've never heard a serious argument for "making the poor poorer" from anyone, left or right, capitalist or socialist. As Rom points out, so that no viewer can possibly ignore how indefensible traditional Ferengi values are, many of the changes Quark is lamenting as unprofitable are actually extremely productive and profitable, turning more of the Ferengi into productive assets to the their civilization. The show makes it sound like Quark would sell off all the resources of Ferenginar for short-term gains and create a civilization of illiterate, ignorant slaves ruled over by a few amoral elites interested in nothing but their own advancement as individuals.
This is not what wealthy capitalist industrialists are like in real life. By the end of their life, it's typical that they ultimately spend most of their fortune in long-term investments they won't realize. Many social advancements have been driven by private enterprise, like Henry Ford's labor reforms where he doubled pay and shortened the work day to eight hours. In doing so, he doubled company profits in two years.
I wouldn't find the caricature so objectionable if it wasn't for only the political opponents of the Star Trek writers being portrayed so unfairly and dishonestly. While free enterprise is exaggerated and demonized as the Ferengi, other real-world political ideologies are not given the same treatment. Socialism is depicted as truly ideal, with it's worst sins and excesses mere minor inconveniences, and it's most fundamental problems like scarcity ignored by a science fiction technological hand-wave.
The problem is that social democrats and democratic socialists can identify with the values of the Federation, and the Ferengi depiction of capitalism is one that actual capitalists cannot identify with, because it's a grotesque demonization. If the show was more fair, it would depict the Ferengi's values more in line with popular ideas from 20th century Earth, and show how they persisted for ages on Ferenginar because they, like the values of other Star Trek civilizations, had truth and strength to them.
The Ferengi would not be willing to drop their most ancient and sacred traditions overnight for what basically amounts to a bribe, because for generations they have believed their ways are the most productive and have tested that hypothesis and gathered evidence in support of it. Their market economy is not a fanciful notion they have no investment in and argument for.
Replying for visibility of this comment.
The Ferengi are awesome... to laugh at, not so much to deal with. The last four years have taught me that all too well.
It’s ironic. He’s turning down personal wealth for the “betterment” of his society, by putting the needs of his people above his own...so they can go back to unadulterated greed and self service.
What is the purpose of wealth? To buy the things you want. He wanted the preservation of his culture and was willing to pay the price demanded.
@@matthew8153 Consume feces, right-wing chode.
In many ways Quark was the most righteous person on the show. He had a set of beliefs that he never once wavered from. That's more than I can say if Sisco or the others, who compromised their beliefs all the time.
The irony, of course, is that by allowing his emotions and worry for the future of his people to overpower his want for the wealth that would come from becoming the Grand Nagus, Quark, too, was compromising his beliefs. Nobody got away from DS9 unscathed.
Worf was a traditionalist, Quark was an idealist, Kira was a radical, and Sisko was a machiavellian.
Quark channeling Picard I see.
Wait monopolies in free market? How? If you don't have government regulation then there is no one to lobby for laws and regulations to ensure you have the upper hand over the smaller companies. In free market while big companies lower their quality to lower their prices, smaller companies remain more expensive but with higher quality of goods and services thus assuring clientel that need said high quality and take said clients away from big companies and there is no laws or regulations to prevent that... So again: How would you have monopolies in a free market?
Anti trust laws maybe had some relevenc in the industrial era (argubly) when it was either sell me you bussines or starve but now? We live in digital era were stuff like the internet, where you instantly share consumer opinions, reviews, skills, we have much more and much better technology, better medecin etc, Statist laws like this are redundant now, not to mention 25th century. We no logner live in a time where your kid either works in a factory or dies in a street becouse there were no alternative, kids now make money making videos, selling stuff on etsy or commisons on tumblr for goodnes sakes, and adults have so many more options then working for a company (and no your education does not factor in this, your skills do)
Technology and oprotunities always trump monopolies and sindicates, not limiting, statist laws that open potential for lobbying and nepotism.
+DiedrichKyrian Also maybe im not eloqent enough and im also not a native english speaker so my arguments might not be as clear so i urge you to check this video /watch?v=xsWgEqXfUXA at 11:17 for about 8 minutes this gentleman provides all the points on the matter.
+DeePS You're not very well versed in history aren't you?
maaderllin Let me guess you want to roll out the robber barons argument? Like Rockefeller who introduced cheap petrol so it can be an alternative to expensive whale oils and such thus opening a totally new market to those who had no chance in the fule industry before and giving a cheaper alternative to people so they can heat their homes? Or Hammond for creating the refrigerated car also allowing people to enter the meat trade industry easier and in places where it wasn't possible before? No you probably mean all the child labor and “exploitation” of working class, because how dare those capitalist pigs offer people an alternative to death in the streets or allowing them to earn money for their own business or for their children's future to people who were under skilled and poor because they just escaped the remnants of feudal system to become free man and forge their own future but took the whatever jobs they could because they literally couldn't do anything else.
Remember those days before penicillin or pasteurization wasn't a thing? Yeah technology now solves shit ton of problems from the good old days, especially when it comes to sharing skills, news spread and reputation. Wanna be a fuckin welder? Look up a youtube video or buy a online course. Hey you're good at it! Great how about you start your business now! Wait you need to register your company, and pay for a license and other monthly fees? You don't have that money? Woops, looks like it's time to stand in an unemployment corner again or working for someone else. If they hire you coz you have no experience honey!
Yeah government regulation is fuckin stellar.
They should have ended the series with Quark buying out the station and kicking out Odo and Kira haha
It's like when America turns into a social democracy with all that silly labor rights and social programs
Silly silly.
Then a hundred years later the country’s horribly in debt and still full of overworked poor people.
This is what happens when you let women vote.
it was feminist crony capitalism men who pushed woman right to vote
Ehh Socialism is good for business
+PsiTerror It is until you run out of other peoples money.
well more along the lines you can always provide something better than the goverment can
+PsiTerror
Actually, reasonable socialismy IS good for business. The scandinavian countries are at the top of "friendly for businnes" list. Sure they have high taxes. But they also have good infrastructure, low crime rate and a well educated population. All of those are good for business ;)
Socialism > Communism >>> Capitalism.
+duncan343 Nope, that will be captialism LOL.
I'm sure whoever wrote this had a semi as they indulged their urge to burn down a straw man.
I liked the part where he said that taxes and freedom are opposed. Most of it was pretty simple minded pandering to the left.
While I agree on a base level, that it's a compulsive act by the government in which you live simply for making money or buying things, it's also a necessary thing. Roads, policemen, firemen, military, prisons, etc are all thanks to tax dollars.
Hazzycakes I think they should be only government based institutions, though. I don't want businesses being built out of private police forces or road workers. It has a million different ways it can go wrong and has such a short road to corruption. Granted, publicly funded are also prone to corruption, but it's not as easy to justify when it's not a business.
I never understood this ideal of absolute freedom. There is no country on Earth where you have unlimited rights, nor should there be. Yes, you have to pay taxes if you're not legally poor in America. That has been true since it's inception. It's something you do so that firemen feel compelled to rush to your house if you call for an ambulance or your house is burning. Is it theft? Probably. But it's morally reprehensible not to pay taxes.
Hazzycakes Actually what I said was that that was the one line that stood out to me as not being leftward pandering.
CaliberStone Private actors seeking profit are generally really reliable to provide most things. That's where the vast majority of modern wealth comes from. That's how we have computers, phones, household appliances, cheap clothes and abundant food, etc.
I wouldn't say that everything ought to be done privately. It isn't practical, nor is it a moral obligation to deal peacefully with violent men, men who would violate your rights. You have to fight coercion with coercion. That's why it's perfectly fine to use the government, fundamentally an institution of coercion, to prohibit citizens from coercing each other, i.e. a "public" police force. That is basically the best way to keep the peace. But at the root of that is still the issue of taxes, and I do think taxes should be voluntary, even though not paying them is immoral and stupid to the extent that you value your government, which you should.
Everyone having access to the roads makes for a highly mobile work force and consumer base. There ARE private roads. Those aren't illegal to build, and in fact, they can be quite profitable with tolls.
Yes, military is a necessity. Ever play a game of Civ?
I agree, it's very sad when your race of poet-philosopher-merchants gets invaded by the huns.
If you refuse to pay taxes, you don't go to prison. If they notice, you'll get fined, and probably garnished.
Yes, taxes and freedom are opposed. So is government in general. Giving up the freedom to murder gets you freedom from being murdered. Giving up the freedom to steal gets you protection from theft. It's called the "social contract." Don't like it? You can always go off the grid.
Quark is in a quandary, he's going soft. Giving up a chance for untold riches because of his morals? That's not how a Ferengi must think. Money is everything. He's forgetting Rule of Acquisition Number 10 "Greed is Eternal", 101 "Profit trumps emotion" and 98, "Every man has his price."
If a Ferengi is willing to sell his own mother, why should he care about how others raise their children? Especially if such "caring" eats into his profits. He's truly lost his way. There are so many ways he can double dip here as Nagus. Aside from the wealth and business opportunities it traditionally affords, he can use this bevy of new social programs to create new contracts and opportunities for himself. Medicine for all? He should be the first to sell it. Oh, and the joys of hiding money and skirting taxes! It's a game where he not only holds all the cards, but he gets to stash some extra up both sleeves.
All he has to do is betray betray his ideals... in the name of his ideals. It's the tradition of any great religion.
"I didn't even haggle with you..." The look that went with that phrase, though! That's the look of a man who's realized he was losing his soul! 😆😆
THE LINE HAS TO BE DRAWN HERE! THIS FAR AND NO FURTHER!!!
Who did it better? Picard of Quark?
A little late but....
I say Quark. PIcard's declaration was as much about his own pain, trauma and obsession as anything. Quark's was a pledge to uphold the values he felt most dear to his heart.
Quark, personally DS9 is the zenith of Star Trek.
@@woodwyrm agreed
Quark.
Quark
Can we just appreciate the acting range and dedication of Jeffrey Combs? In this episode he played both Brunt and Weyoun. Imagine having to sit through the make-up sessions for both of those characters to film this episode
And a few other Star Trek characters. He's all over the place.
@@Argonnosi yeah, it gets to the point where you're watching and saying "huh, the actor playing that alien is really good... must be Jeffery Combs." He's truly a man of a thousand faces.
@@Argonnosi nine characters (off the top of my head) played by one actor in ds9, voyager enterprise and video games
I think in the old days, they didn't shoot all scenes in chronological orders, but rather did the Weyoun scenes of the series mostly when he was in make-up - the same probably also goes for the Brunt scenes. Most of them in one or two shooting days, so he doesn't have to sit in the make-up chair for hours every day.
That also applies to using certain sets - for Voyager, Kate Mulgrew said for example, that they did all the close-up scenes on the bridge where she stands up or sits in her chair, giving orders, with no one else in the shot on one shooting day.
Not just playing two characters, but being completely undetectable as the same actor!
What have we come to, when you can't demand Sexual favors from the people in your employ...
Kids these days, and their 'fair treatment'. Destroying our Darwinist Ferengenar
Keeping in mind, only male Ferengi are allowed to work (up to this point).
(Of course this probably refers to non-Ferengi)
wait if ferangei males could only earn profit then woman cannot work.And if males are the only ones that work that means you would be demanding sexual favors of men. So does that mean ferengi society is open to homosexuality ?
KingDT2007 Yes ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°), the Ferengi are awesome tbh
sounds like harvey weinstein
Gotta give Rom credit, He knows how to stay on message and he got what he wanted. Also Quark at the end violated a rule of acquisition. Rule 101 Profit trumps emotion.
Yes, but to paraphrase Meriadoc Brandybuck; "There won't BE any profit."
Quark didn't even haggle. He had gotten soft.
@@sirsneakybeakyas Rom said, we can make even more profit this way! I think they’re just embracing their core value of “Profit, Profit, Profit!” Even more! If the poor can work more because their basic needs are being met that means more money for the employers!
@@sirsneakybeakyUgh. You don't think like a Ferengi at all. "Core values". The only core value that matters is money. Never let morals get in the way of profit. So what if a whole generation of Ferengi will grow up to be suckers? Then Quark should be the one swindling them. He said he has to draw the line somewhere, and that's just wrong. The only lines should be the dotted ones on a contract.
@@matthewkrulitski8788There is ALWAYS profit. Rule of Acquisition 22: "A wise man can hear profit in the wind" and 65: "Win or lose, there's always Hupyrian beetle snuff."
Ferengi society sure took a quick 180, this kind of social change usually takes generations.
In an age of instant communication on an interstellar level things like this could happen in a decade or less with the proper influences.
In this case a lot less, Zek just decided one day.
Well put.
there's a good bit on this on tvtropes. for example, because they realized having women do business makes profit, it would go against their principal philosophy to NOT abandon that tradition ASSAP
The entire point in keeping them out of business, forbidding them from wearing clothes, forbidding them from leaving the homeworld etc. are to keep women in their place. All the little rules they've developed for the females are about keeping them subservient, keeping the men in their position of power. Of course women can earn profit! They've always known that, if they honestly believed women couldn't earn profit then what the hell was the point of setting up laws keeping them from engaging in business? If you really think they're going to fail then just sit back and watch them fail miserably, and perhaps turn a nice profit yourself taking advantage of them. The Ferengi know these things, they simply reject them. The men would rather be in total control.
LOL! Quark channeling Picard at the end.
Scioneer if anything Picard channeled quark. This episode predates first contact
Actually it doesn't the borg events in first contact happened before this episode..
First contact happened 50893.5 and was released in the Cinema in 1996
This episode, dogs of war aired 3 years after First contact, set this episode in 52861.3
So Quark was Channelling Picard here
The borg events happened in DS9 season 5
AND I WILL MAKE THEM PAY HAND OVER FIST FOR WHAT THEY HAVE DONE!!!
@@ophello Bruh the first episode literally shows Borg-Picard
Quark said it better than Picard did.
I find it funny that while Quark was ranting Rom just calmly and without much thought gave a perfect Counterpoint to every argument and even bought the bar for a bargain.
that's why he becomes nagus
@@stefschouwenaars9562 And because hes the embodiment of the weak males that bring down societies.
What's funny is that the man who plays Quark is also the voice actor for BioShock's Andrew Ryan. Did anyone hear Andrew ranting about parasites when Quark shouted "The line must be drawn here"?
Yep heard it xD
Funny part is, the developer of BioShock leans libertarian, but is a hardcore skeptic of the utopias various ideologies promise at the same time. He did a thought experiment taking the concept of a libertarian utopia and hitting fast forward. The result he came up with was BioShock
@@Halloween111 and had you played bioshock you'd know the downfall of rapture was religion and welfare
@@riccardo1796 where was this supposed welfare?
as for religion, I kind of feel that Ryan arguing about the 'Great Chain' was more him proselytizing liberal and libertarian thought and ideas more than any kind of religion.
@@woodwyrm fontaine threw rapture into chaos by smuggling sacred text and indoctrinating orphans an homeless people
Rom really evolved during the course of DS9. He was quite unintelligent and down right murderous in season one. Whenever Quark strayed from only thinking about profit it was Rom who pulled him back into the pure Ferangi mindset.
Perhaps that was Rom’s plan for leeching off his brother. Then he got a better opportunity working for the station and his son moved out to join Starfleet, so he stopped keeping Quark in that mindset.
@@matthew8153
I think it's a good case of how the simple-minded and ignorant get caught up in dogmatic thought. For the Ferangi, business and profit are a religion. But, once he was able to get away from that life and experience other cultures Rom realized the Ferangi way wasn't necessarily the right way.
I can't stand what they did to Rom. In the early seasons he I a sexist greedy dumb ferengi. For some reasons around season 3 the writers decided to make him a genius misunderstood sympathetic angel. it wasn't an Arc because it wasn't realistic. it is the worst character assassination i can remember in all of trek
@@Phillip713 It was a big change, but I like it better this way. Him being like a typical greedy Ferengi doesn't set him apart from other Ferengi.
Quark needs his own show.
mike sears he has his own book.
Ooooh, sauce please~
Saw the book at my store. It's about him hirring a Private Eye to find Kira somewhere on the other side of the Worm hole. This is after they rebuilt DS9 and after the war.
I'm watching the show for the first time and my god... Quark is such an awesome character. He has more personality and layers, even though most of them are fake and just to manipulate others XD
Such a bad ass...
Quark, Garak, and Martok are probably my three favorite characters from DS9.
quark said "the line has to be drawn here" speech a lot better than picard did IMO
Especially in the most recent show...
He said it like a Shakespearean character: "This Fah, and no Farthah!!"
LOL
I suspect the actor cared a hell lot more about the character he was portraying than Patrick Stewart ever did about Picard.
@@woodwyrm O.o, and what evidence do you have to base that assumption on? Patrick Stewart is a classically trained actor and has impeccable moral character, of course he cared about doing his job to the very best of his ability and I'd lay dollars to gold pressed latinum he cares quite a lot about the quality of his performance(s) no matter the role.
Quark is actually a patriot. He's more worried about the demise of his society than he is about profit. And that is unheard of in Ferengi society. He once told Rom, "I'm not cheating people at random here. I'm doing it according to a set of rules. The Rules of Acquisition. And I won't set them aside when they become inconvenient."
He gets a lot of respect from me because he follows his own rules even when they're not convenient.
+Kelly Rayburn He's the most ethical shyster I can think of.
+Kelly Rayburn It's silly how the otherwise ''unethical'' ferengi actually shows more moral consistency and conviction than the Federation...
almisami I'd call it sad; for the Federation.
But the rules are amoral. Codifying a dogma of exploitation doesn't make it moral, it makes it convenient actually. It then becomes easier to justify selfishness and greed.
Its easy to go along with the rules when they are speaking to you saying _go ahead, be selfish, use people, friends, family, everyone_.
The easiest thing for a person to do is to follow the plan, go with the rules. That's built into our DNA. We're tribal creatures. Being moral, standing up for a principle that's beyond selfishness... now that's harder. Having respect for people who give in to tribal attitudes deserves no special accolade. That's how people justify supporting evil, because its good for them.
You say its his society, but its an unjust exploitative society. It should die, especially since the one that replaces it bears no ill will to him except insofar as it will not favour him merely for being of the privileged caste he once occupied, in this case male and landed with money, however little he has.
BollocksUtwat It's their society. It works for them. They would think Federation society was immoral and disgusting. It all comes down to point of view. Seeing only your own side and assuming that your way of life is right for everyone has caused some the worst injustices in history.
Make Ferenginar great again! Vote Quark 2416!
ahahaha
SHIT I'd take him even over Trump any day.
a STUPID Ferengi
just-a-cynic that mean we are voting a ferenige
"I will build a space wall and Orion is going to pay for it. It's going to be huuuuge!"
Love the look of joy on Roms face when after 7 seasons he finally gets Quarks bar.
And then immediately after he is made Grand Nagus
DS9 did a good job with the Ferengi.
Making them more of a comedic race was one of the best desicions TNG made, and then DS9 perfected it
Dude I am so glad he played Quark straight. He didn't try to be a silly character. He acted like how someone if they were a real society. But it can still come off as comedic at times because it is so dissimilar to our own society.
Yeah, our society today is his a hundred years from when the social programs were initiated: Horribly in debt and still full of poor people.
@@matthew8153 Consume feces, right-wing chode.
@@matthew8153 Given that the first social program initiated was for civil war families and their children, I'm calling BS on that notion.
@@thunderspark1536
You call BS on America being in debt and having poor people? I want whatever drugs you’re on.
@@matthew8153 Someone seems to be unable to remember what they wrote.
I called BS on the social programs being a net negative/causing the debt.
Surprise surprise, economics is slightly more complicated than that.
One good example is America having LESS social programs than many other places and having a LOWER standard of living due to this, while places with comparably more programs (Switzerland, Germany, Canada) have higher standards of living than the US, despite far less money to pull from.
I can speak more in-depth on the various factors actually causing the debt and other issues, if you want, rather than trying to simplify it so much you become a Ferrengi.
I’m not sure whether to be annoyed by how Quark hates the reforms or impressed that he’s willing to not become the richest Ferengi because of his beliefs despite the fact that being the richest is what every Ferengi wants.
The man was willing to kill himself to uphold a contract, it took concerted effort from multiple people to talk him out of doing so the man's dedication to his faith and his cultural morals is ironclad.
"Make Ferenginar great again"
- Quark
*Greedy
I can see this happening!
Nah, Quark is a capitalist. He believes in free trade, not crony dictatorships with no principles.
@@mlgerab And yet I'd somehow gotten this strange notion that Trump was a capitalist, too ...
@@pwnmeisterage you must not understand capitalism
Quark: You gotta look inside yourself and say "What am I willing to put up with today? NOT FUCKING THIS!!!"
Game Grumps
The Federation has infected Quark's mind so much, he's now quoting Captain Picard
One man's Worker's Rights Movement is another man's Borg Invasion.
Resistance is futile
The line has to be drawn here! This far and no further!
I love this. Fantastic analogy.
"We will add your collective to our own socialist ways - resistance is futile"
Every poor man is a temporarily embarrassed millionaire in the free market paradise.
Rom's effortless counter arguments while he wheedles his brother's bar away from him are amazing.
liberal dribble
@@miguelfonseca1104 go back to ferenginar, brunt
Ay Yo, this^ dude likes to demand sexual favors from the people in his employ.
@@miguelfonseca1104 imagine unironically thinking Ferengi society is good. They're meant to be laughed at, my dude. We're laughing at you.
@@SarcyBoi41 no slavery, no concentration camps, low unemployment ,yes i do think its pretty good.
It's funny because it's more relevant now than it was 20 years ago ❤️😭😌😊
"What have we come to if you can't demand sexual favours from the people in your employ."
😂😂😂
GODDAM, the actor who plays Brunt is a treasure. Brunt, Weyoun, and the Andorian Commander on Enterprise.
Pretty sure thats Jeffrey Combs the ReAnimater himself. Great actor and kind of a unknown unsung hero in Star Trek.
Also in an episode of babylon 5
Also Penk in Star Trek Voyager (Tsunkatse)
Commander Shrann 🥰
@@scottythegreat1 "Seven of Mine .... ASS...imilate me!"
"I have been infected too" for some reason I love that line lol
Quark been drinking too much of that root beer
@@JohnDoe-sl6dihow insidious
“ what have we come to if you can’t demand sexual favours from your employees”. Best quote ever
The 312 rule of acquisition
"get woke, go broke"
Well Said!
Think you're watching the wrong show lol.
I can't tell if you're serious or not
@@beyondreception6681 literary look at the collapsing comic book industry; not the movies but the the fact that their main producer of paper comics is going down due to poor sales.
@@ZacLeBleu what?
Lets all admit it, If Quark had been allowed to freely do as he pleased and reach his true definition of wealth or even briefly beyond it when it becomes meaningless, he surely would have caused galactic mass hyper inflation
couldnt be worse than biden
@@bevrosity Pretty sure that was rona, Russia's aggressing on Ukraine's sovereignty and just wealth hoarding in general.
@@PodreyJenkin138 Uhh nope, you're just projecting into a mirror without realizing it.
HES JUST A SPACE JEW
@@adamscott7354
Wealth hoarding doesn't lead to inflation. If anything, people spending less is what drives prices _down_ in a market. The seller is forced to lower prices if too few buyers are willing to meet their asking price.
It's more the corruption of state and law enforcement at the behest of the people who hoard said wealth. In fact, a lot of the problems of today can be traced back to the very same programs Moogie convinced Zek to implement.
I LOVE that Quark and Picard share the line "The line must be drawn here, this far, no further."
this is so weird lol. quark is going off about how people dont care about profit anymore and then he says he'll turn down riches to save his society. i love all the contradictions in his character
Rule of Acquisition no. 74 - Knowledge Equals Profit. Quark knows himself and he'll tell the rest of Ferengi what they need to know too.
2:02 "I'm supposed to start worrying about animals now. Look at how they live, wallowing in dirt, sleeping in trees. It's not natural!" 🤣🤣🤣
I could swear I've heard that last bit before
For the record, First Contact was released in 1996 and this episode aired in 1999.
and both delivered it so well for their circumstances... Picard in an all time epic impotent rage and he knew it. Quark fueled in ways he could never have thought of at the start of the Series.
Picard's character in the films was very different from the one portrayed in the series. :/
Asher was referring to brinkmanship, aka, the policy of the west to stop the spread of communism in the Cold War.
No. Pretty sure it was this: watch?v=Jln3mi0vfJU
I don't think they ever really thought through Ferengi society, seeing as how they basically toss all its unique aspects by the end of DS9.
I think it's because, from a narrative standpoint, the Ferengi were always meant to be a foil to the humans in the show; they represent how backwards and undeveloped modern humans are today and stand in contrast with the federation and its ascendent ideals of equality and egalitarianism.
Rom snatching Quark's bar out from under him is Certainly Ironic in this context.
How jarring, considering the entire star trek universe is itself one Left Wing tirade. lol
I'm not sure I agree.
Dred Really? The Bajorans always struck me as the closest non-human race in Star Trek to being Jewish.
The Bajorans were a Palestinian allegory as they were viewed as both terrorists and freedom fighters against their Cardassian occupiers. Kira described her role agaianst the Cardassian occupation as a terrorist, and later taught Damar the benefits and principals of fighting within terrorist cells to defeat their Dominion occupiers. This was pre the attacks on the world trade centre, when the word "terrrorist" could be presented with nuance, before every nation state with an internal civil war could demonize their opponents by referencing those who attacked those buildings in NY.
I'm pretty sure the Prime Directive has isolationist origins.
actually you're right. The Bajorans were/are a fairly religious group known for their connection to their prophets and the Cardassians are def'ly akin to the Nazi's. Anybody who sees it differently isn't paying attention. Mr. Mendez below is way off. The Bajorians fighting the Card's is similar to the Israeli's fighting the British Mandate gov't (which really *was* occupying) as Hagana fredom fighters.
Make Ferenginar Great Again!
OptimusWombat at least ferenginar never had slavery
America ended slavery. Every single country that is older than the USA had slavery, and only ended it because the USA did it first. The notion that there was never slavery on Ferenginar is total and utter nonsense, and the writers who made that up are ignorant. The fact that Ferengi women literally live like slaves should be proof of that. I consider that utterance to be non canon.
@Ambassador Actually, there are entire ethnic groups that banned slavery long before the USA did, as well as those who, as far as their known history goes, who never condoned it or employed it as part of their economies. Stop trying to make excuses for your ancestors barbarism and savagery and "take some responsibility"
And which "ethnic groups" are you talking about, or are you just talking out of your ass? Slavery has been part of humanity since before civilization, and every group has taken part in it, unless you can point me to one of these vague "ethnic groups" that you're alluding to. My ancestors didn't own slaves btw, at least, not any of my ancestors in the last 1000 years. My ancestors did fight to end slavery though, and the USA was the key to crippling the slave trade, which was run by Africans and Arabs, but whatever...
So defensive. Hmmm. MY ancestors may or may not have owned slaves. If they did, I would be the first to condemn them. An here I was thinking that it was the efforts of Carribean agitators that helped push the Western world towards ending their participation in the slave trade (which is all they did. Slavery still goes on in many forms up to the present day, human trafficking being one of the most prevalent). In the States, slavery gave way to segregation and jim crow, which ensured the continued exploitation of black bodies. Slavery was simply re-invented, not ended. But some people still want a pat on the back. Mtcheeeeew. Speaking of the so called "vague" ethnic groups, the Incas, it seems, based on current evidence, do not appear to have owned slaves; they did have mandatory public service called mita; a system that really deserves more study - so ignorant people can be educated, and can stop hiding behind "well, EVERYBODY owned slaves!" Where is YOUR proof of that??????
Interesting how he says "Before Ferenginar starts looking like a Federation Planet."
Reminds me of when he and Garak said how devious the Federation is. Yes, it does things for the good of the many, but what do you loose in the process. You loose what made your culture yours.
“Diversity is our strength”
Whether we benefit from it or not
@@matthew8153 The federation clearly does, you moron. Does it bother you, being a fan of a show mocking your politics?
What? You lose what made your culture shitty. The creators of the show were literally making fun of people like you with these characters lol. Conservatives really have no media comprehension.
Sure, you can isolate your culture from everyone else, but that isolation makes you extremely vulnerable. Joining a group with different values means they may not be preserved as is, but at the end of the day we want to be safe more than we want to be right.
@@matthew8153 Consume feces, right-wing chode.
They like drawing lines in star trek
That's mostly Ronald Moore making fun of himself.
Yes, but how far?
Did you mean cocaine lines?
_THIS_ far! No further!
I love this little reference
Quark for President 2020.
The Federation is like the Borg. The difference is that the Federation assimilates you with a smile and promises prosperity.
Given they have replicators delivering prosperity is trivial.
Sounds like the US!
greenghost2008 Isn't that what the Maguis say?
***** I believe the exact quote is:
"You know, in some ways you're even worse than the Borg. At least they tell you about their plans for assimilation. You're more insidious. You assimilate people and they don't even know it."
-- Michael Eddington (Season 4 Episode 22, For the Cause)
+greenghost2008 That is kind of a moot comparison. The Borg and the Federation are very different on most issues.
A true anarcho-capitalist fighting the crony capitalists
No, he is in favor of monopolism.
@@vaxrvaxr
He’s in favor of natural monopolies
YEA
Pure writing brilliance. This is what separates Star Trek Discovery from the rest of the series, the quality of writing and acting. It's just NOT there in the new one.
Overall, in the star trek universe, notice how the ferengi always seem to never be at war or subjugate other species, and yet the HUmans always seem to be in conflict with other powers, they violate the territory of others even when asked not to do so, etc.
If I'm being honest the ferengi are more peaceful precisely because they pursue profit whereas the federation acts like the borg in their smug superior attitude.
Ferengi are taught everyone and everything has a price, meaning nothing and nobody has a fixed value or is too precious to be commodified. Humans are taught everyone can achieve greatness and some things shouldn't be bought or sold, so I'm not at all surprised it eventually blew over to Ferenginar.
"You know in some ways, you (the Federation) are even worse than the Borg. At least they tell you about their plans for assimilation. You're more insidious, you assimilate people and they don't even know it."
2:26 since they're talking about Ferengi law and Ferengi don't let their women work, does that mean that quark swings both ways?
I always wondered that too
Are non Ferengi women allowed to work?
@@hans7686 Quark has Bajoran woman working as Dabo girls in his bar
Yes capitalism is guh gah ge aye
Obviously they traded fems like pokemon
Rule of Acquisition 113: Always sleep with the boss. There ARE no female bosses in Ferengi run businesses. Maybe this is for non-Ferengi empoloyees, but more likely, the canonical answer is Yes, being Bi in Ferengi society is seen as an advantage. Doesnt explain Pel from Rules of Acquisition, tho...
"The line must be drawn here! This far and no further!"
Quark did it better than Picard. You can feel the passion and resolution in his voice. It's not about profit, it's about his people. Quark has stated it over and over, "He's a people person" and prone to emotional attachment at the detriment of profit. It's so predictable the Nagus has often used that to further Ferenginar interests, along with his brother and anyone else whose met him.
Quark is a hypocrite but a loveable one.
He values profit above all else, but has routinely given up profit for the sake of his family.
He's endangered Deep Space Nine many times through his selfish actions, but always contributes to fix what he's broken at personal cost.
He's helped to broker peace, when war would have been more profitable.
He operates a bar but, uses it as a means to launder and deal with the criminal underworld.
When he feels defeated and depressed, he uses humor to deflect.
He believes the Ferengi are superior, but respects humans.
He's kind of a constant walking contradiction and through it all, he's still Quark. His consistent in his inconsistency as a character. I think I finally "get" what Behr was talking about when he regarded him as being "the most human".
I was waiting for Quark to go "And I, must make them PAAYYY for what they've done"
lol @ this being "far right". More like a far left strawman of what the far right believes.
What Left Wingers actually think Right Wingers think
Crusader Cat It's a fucking caricature.
To be fair Quark actually isn't wrong. Social programs for the poor... On earth that is great with a finite amount of people. But in space there is enough spacers to make everyone on Ferengi Rich. It's rewarding the lazy here.
Ferengi are a race right winger stereotypes and comedy relief so all it's intentional.
Actually it's more or less a satire on the written works of Friedman, Rothbard and Hayek, who were complete clowns when it came to politics.
CosmoShidan I think it was Otto Von Bismarck who once said “Generals don’t make good politicians, they have no vision beyond gunsight.” I think the same applies to economists-they typically make lousy politicians, they have no vision beyond charts and figures. Course on that same note, it was Stalin who said “When one man dies its a tragedy. When ten million die its statistics.”
A ferengi chooses, a slave obeys.
Here's the problem with the Ferengi as a allegory/metaphor and this scene in particular. How can any scarcity based economy, which is what capitalism even communism operates on, how can scarcity exist when you have the replicator? The answer is it can't, hell even the writers inventing latinum, a substance that can't be replicated doesn't cut it, because what can that latinum DO, what can it be traded for that also is hard to produce and is thus scarce. Again, a replicator can produce food, clothes even various drugs and alcohols to get you high and drunk, it can produce building materials to build things, so with construction the only resource that wouldn't be unlimited is pure labor. In other words there is absolutely nothing stopping you from taking a replicator, building yourself a ship, say a shuttle or runabout, then fly around space looking for a planet or small moon to call home, fly down there, stake your claim and use the replicator to build a house and a homestead for yourself, hell even making parts for more replicators. Nothing stopping you at all. In the TNG era onwards, dilithium can be recrystalized while it's still in the reactor. Hydrogen can be gathered using your ships Bussard collectors, and anti matter can be created using a Polarity inverter, which is described in the TNG tech manual, even at the wasteful 10:1 ratio and assuming there haven't been improvements int he technology, that still allows you to fly to the local star, and run the inverter while sucking off hydrogen from the nearby star until you get your fill. Obviously as an industrial scaled process that's wasteful, but for an individual or a family living on a tiny ship, that's nothing. Point is, because of the replicator, you can produce all you want for your ship, homestead, and replicator. In such a situation, it would be difficult to somehow justify creating a scarcity based situation let alone a whole culture and society on it without admitting that such a situation exists purely for the sake of exploitation. But again, free travel exists, so anyone finding it unfair is free to leave it, so again you're left with the question, how can a situation like that exist and continue to exist and function given the various options available.
The most latinum would be good for would be "real" goods, goods that are produced without the use of a replicator and thus would achieve the status of luxury goods. Like Chateau Picard wines.
You can get artifically created scarcity though. Just because replicators exist doesn't mean everyone has access to one, and in such a scenario it suits the powerful well to keep those below them dependent and desperate, even if in the long-run their own pragmatic interest would be furthered by ending the injustice. You then ensure the inoculation of an ideology which views the suffering of those "unable to provide for themselves" without the use of a replicator as just and necessary in a 'free' economy. After all, you might argue, what incentive will the impovrished classes have to continue laboring if they cease to be so? And through the effective use of propaganda, many people in said classes may even come to see this system as just and necessary themselves; that their lot in life, or any like them, is merely a failure of their moral virtue or work ethic, rather than that the system itself is stacked against them.
You see this effect now. We have the capacity to produce more than enough food every year to feed every person on the planet and yet we do not. After all, what's there to be gained in the immediate term to those who have power over the agricultural system by feeding starving people in Kenya? From Quark's (rather limited) perspective, what's there to be gained by evening the resources across the population through the use of replicators. If anything given his ideology, he would have cause to oppose such a measure even if _doing_ so required time and resources.
You also have a lot of the individualistic, pseudo-Darwinist 'bootstraps' rhetoric which would no doubt predominate in such a society, and would make those exploited by its elite classes accepting of a broken (and easily ameliorated) status-quo. Given all these things, I don't think that the ferengi society as presented really is all that far fetched - in fact, I don't think it's hugely distict on a qualitative level from the world that we currently inhabit.
Of course, from a narrative perspective, the Ferengi were intended to be a foil to the humans in the universe. They represent what humanity once was, and stand in dark contrast to the more sophisticated and egalitarian ideals of the Federation.
If You Have a Replicator You Need NOTHING Else
Oh god I actually busted out laughing at the end. Absolutely stellar writing, even better acting. DS9's Ferengi storylines were pure gold(-pressed latinum).
Ferengi society: bankrupt in 20 years.
Goddamn you, Rom and Zek!
With these policies, yeah.
Well with near infinite resources in space I'm not so sure.
I think all the wealthy ferengi will just leave ferengi jurisdiction to preserve their assets.
Technically true. IIRC, Ferenginar joined the federation.
That said, that would also grant them access to replicator technology, making them post-scarcity. Bankruptcy only matters if scarcity is a thing.
@@billlupin8345 replicator need energy to work
and within a decade, Rom has been ousted as leader after a massive civil war. This was one of the worst choices for the Ferengi as it just castrates their story possibilities and I'm glad the novels corrected this.
That's not a right-wing rant, it's a right-wing caricature. But then, Star Trek was highly adept at making farcical species.
It was a pretty good caricature.
I say was, because most in the right wing these days don't put as much thought into things as Quark did.
@@billlupin8345 I love the quark solving war with economics clip. Even those who claim to only think of money can be against expensive wars.
@@billlupin8345 Same could be said about the left. With broad brushes paintings tend to lack details.
And Jerkwad152, honestly, the right wing (in America, at least) is already more of a caricature of the right than Quark could ever have been. I don't think the show-runners were capable of even CONCEIVING of a cult as irrationally right-wing as what we have today, and even if they were, I doubt they'd have wanted to make a character out of it.
@@n0wheregrrl yeah you know, those right wingers, insisting that abortion be legal, and subsidized by the government up until the point of birth. Those right wingers, pushing the narrative that gender is a fabrication, calling everyone who disagrees with them white supremacists, insisting that there are concentration camps at the Southern Border. Those right wingers, proudly hosting and displaying the parasites that produced the Green New Deal, demanding that colleges and universities be forced to admit students for free, trying to expand bloated, overblown, ineffective, inefficient, and borderline bankrupt government programs that are ballooning the national deficit. Those right wingers who blindly supported a literal rapist for president, during his presidency, as credible accusations of rape and sexual misconduct came out of the woodwork. Those right wingers, who pushed a media narrative, and ungrounded investigation, which turned up nothing actionable, against the President of the United States, love him or hate him, in an attempt to violate the democratic practices and rules of the nation. Those right wingers...
Maybe reconsider your statement.
I always thought this was stupid. From what we know of the Ferengi someone would have assassinated The Grand Negus is he would have tried to make these changes.
You had to see all of DS9 to understand how it got to this point. This was not an overnight thing. This was a progressional objective.
If it was easy to assassinate Zek then I doubt he would've been nagus for longer than a week.
I have to agree. I did watch the whole series. While Ferengi IN THE SERIES showed progress, that was because they were both on the frontier and constantly exposed to the values of the Federation rather than their own echo chamber.
Let's just say that that "Congress" WAS in fact made. They would have greedily attempted to undercut each other until they broke apart and accomplished NOTHING, not based reforms. Only Zek via Quark's mother's influence saw a different way of thinking. Not the rest of the planet.
Just progressively minded writers trying to be clever and failing in the light of pragmatism of psyche.
And if we're being honest, Zek only did what Quark's mother said because of the ear lobe massages she gave him.
If I remember right, the reason it was done was so that they could make Rom Grand Nagus and he would not be horribly eviscerated by the competition.
By fundamentally altering ferengi society, they made it possible for a ferengi with no business skills to lead them, such as the council correcting any significant mistakes he makes.
ok for one thing, even though i respect quark for his patriotism, his rules and ideas on free enterprise and free market are a bit unsettling to say the least. i for one believe in free market as much as him but when it comes down to the logic of it, his ideas are what the founding fathers disliked and are the main reason why the founding fathers settled on liberty and justice for all. so what if blacks were suppressed because of ignorance, does that mean we had to clarify what the constitution meant by adding more amendments? of fucking course not! the first 10 is all i need to understand, any other shit is just common sense that hasn't been fully used by the people since the founding of the country altogether. common sense rules are:
1. treat everyone with respect
2. forgive and give a 2nd chance
3. be ethically sound, or at least try to, and not discriminate or hate people.
4. be smart and know your shit before starting something with someone
5. if you have to, do some fact checking and don't be lazy and ask for evidence.
6. to not kill, unless it is the only option for self defense.
7. be forever vigilant and don't get cocky.
8. double check everything.
9. don't assume unless its the only way.
10. be open minded and don't be afraid to try new things.
11. if someone is a part of a religion or fandom that you don't like, respect them regardless of how idiotic they sound.
12. and finally do not be greedy in terms of money. greed is what will make everything null and void.
of course i myself have broke a few of the above common sense rules from time to time so i won't claim to be the perfect guy and shit because nobody is a god.
They are Ferengi Not Human...Diff Species and Values and Morals and Beliefs
What happens when leftists try to write scripts involving economics? This.
Good scene, but not really right-wing. We defenders of capitalism are not in favor of monopolies, abuse of employees, dumping of toxic waste, or authoritarian government.
I will say, at least one of Quark’s objections is legitimate. Not teaching the rules of acquisition is pretty wild, it’s one of the cultural cornerstones of their civilization.
I knew I loved Quark for a reason.
Republican rant? At least half of what he said could be applied to both parties these days.
In Washington it's about who has the deepest pockets, not so much morals, decency and political affiliation anymore.
Political alignment isn't an American thing, just so you know. The entire world uses the left/right diagram. And in fact, America has no left. The absolute furthest American politics goes is lightly past the middle line. The reason people can't see much of a difference in American politicians is because...there really isn't much. Our society is too inflexible and rigid in thought to allow such a wide variation in political ideologies without a war starting over it. Again.
Ironically, the federation and what it stands for would be seen as vile communist Marxist and whatever bullshit words people like to throw in by both parties. We literally have people idolizing musk, we truly live in the worst timeline
@@declaringpond2276 oh contraire! Our civilization was due to be destroyed at the dawn of this new century as was prophesied. We collectively altered that potential reality to be here today. By doing so we have begun a new civilization that is only in it's infancy. This civilization however will grow up fast. Within only a couple of generations the world as it is today will no longer exist. War will be non-existent. Compassion will be king and the knowledge of who we are will be understood by all humans. We are one.
When people refute the advantages of capitalism because they can't make it on theor own, it males me wonder if the USSR folding in the 90s was the beginning of a long term strategy to whittle down capitalism via slow rot and manipulation..Seems like a succesful strategy so far when people make commemts like this.
Just proving how right-wing America has gotten in the decade since it was posted
LOL Quark has grown to become my favorite character from DS9. Rules of Acquisition are damn brilliant. Even Klingons were made to respect the guy haha. For that matter, Deep Space 9 is my absolutely favorite Star Trek series ever :) :) Gal Dukat, Gerak, Quark, Sisko, major Kira, Odo... Just brilliant. Every episode has moments where I just LMAO. Even the characters supposed to represent something you hate in real life make you laugh. That's what good comic stuff is about :)
By comparison... Enterprise's Archer is a complete jerk, though the rest of the galaxy is gradually made to think otherwise. All right, "those were difficult times", I know :D.
Then there is Michael Burnham of Discovery. Hysterical unbalanced idiot with NO self-control nor any respect for authority -- unless these happen to share her crazy ideas. Good!! The right person to save the world from the results of its own madness... even the Terran Emperor grows sentimental.
ok, never mind. So far my favorites are Voyager and DS9.
I wouldn't call this right wing since i'm pretty conservative. I don't agree with monopolies, and I don't want the Environment destroyed. Personally I believe that capitalism is the chance where people might start low but get the chance to better themselves.
This is the Left wing perspective of what right wing values are. They have never attempted to understand the logical basis on which it is build upon and therefore constantly misrepresent it in their minds as this insidious nonsense philosophy.
The trouble with a lot of right wing economic policies is that it either creates big winners or big losers and not much inbetween, it assumes that poverty is the fault of the poor.
its exacuarated but pretty accuarate
I think if you showed this to the average GOP congressmen they'd find little wrong with any of this. And contextually it is a Right Wing rant since Quark is a traditionalist Right Wing Ferengi.
well, then you are, what the conservatives refer to as a libtard.
"The end of the world is bad for business." -King Pin justifying as why he worked with Spiderman on one occasion.
This tirade is a result of Quark's inability to handle his pride and self-respect. One of the Rules of Acquisition goes, "Self-repect plus a sack is worth the sack."
I like Quark, and he occasionally does make good points. I was just always saddened by how the Ferengi are depicted as extreme capitalists, but were clearly written by people who don't actually understand capitalism.
That’s the worst part. Most of Roms arguments are nearer to the actual capitalist arguments
"It's not real capitalism!"
Of course. Everyone whose view on a subject doesn't agree with yours, doesn't understand that subject. Righty-o 🤣
@@davidemelia6296 I mean its obvious. I love star trek but its a very progressive show, and the fact theres a whole alien race that is 99% fucked up and there culture is strictly based on capitalism. Its a straw man, a very blatant one lmao. Not that I really care though, Star trek is good at asking philosophical questions, not fair political ones. So I never really did care, but it is obviously in favor of one party against the other.
This does not mean the arguments made are wrong, or that they do not understand the thing they are mocking.
There was a Trump ad on this video...
Sad.
CorathTheHung vomit
ROFL!
(or at at least an audible laugh, but that qualifies for the internet)
Karma
This film was written by a socialist. I don't watch star trak but I bet it is a socialist world where money is not that important
And in less than 100 years the Ferengi civilization collapsed under the crippling debt and bloated government.
I love how quark is such a massive unapologetic bastard. Thats a huge part really of his appeal
"WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO WITH THE BAR..." My favorite scene of all times...
The last season of DS9 kind of fell apart. They ruined Dukat's complexity by making him literally make a deal with the devil. Then they destroy the Ferengi race by making them "normal". Rahm went from a dumb lovable oaf to well... Rahm Emmanuel.
"this far and no further" I really wish we had people who voted for parties that had this as a slogan. Instead of the endless march of progressives towards unattainable equality.
I can only imagine how big the wealth gap must have been in Ferengi society, with their philosophy. It's a wonder their society didn't just collapse into revolution due to the sheer inequality.