How Many People Does It Take Before It Becomes Wrong?

Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the U.S.S. Enterprise asked Admiral Dougherty this question when the Admiral- Picard’s superior officer- was confronted about his plans to relocate a race of 600 people from their homeworld so that they could mine the planet (more specifically, the planet’s rings) of a natural resource that extended their lifespan indefinitely (and had the promise to revolutionize the Federation’s medical field). The operation would make their planet uninhabitable, it would drastically impact the culture and lives of the impacted race, and it was in direct violation of the Federation’s Prime Directive.

You know, a classic Star Trek story line. Certainly, Star Trek: Insurrection is not the franchise at its finest, but even a lackluster movie can have a profound moment of clarity, especially when it is supremely acted by Sir Patrick Stewart.

The Captain, upon realizing Dougherty’s plans, comments on how cultures have been destroyed in every other forced relocation throughout history. The Admiral replies, trying to get Picard to see why his plan isn’t so bad. “Jean-Luc,” he says, “we’re only moving six hundred people.”

Enter Picard’s best line in the film, and one of Patrick Stewart’s best lines throughout his entire career: “How many people does it take, Admiral, before it becomes wrong? Hmm? A…