Can the Ferengi join the Federation?
Well lets look at some of the qualifying aspects that you need to apply for UFP membership,
the first of which is a united, single planetary government.
The Ferengi Alliance was founded around 10,000 years ago under the first Grand Nagus, Gint
and sits at the centre of their political and economical reach.
At 2700 BC, the Ferengi had developed a unified banking system and a robust global economy,
following the Rules of Acquisition.
These are a series of laws that govern business and due to the oft contradictory nature, a
lot of the time it boils down to which rules to implement over which ones to ignore during
a deal.
There does not seem to be an actual fine or penance associated with breaking a rule, as
they genuinely are more like guidelines, while there are actual legislative rules to follow
devised by the Ferengi Commerce Authority.
The Grand Nagus used to have much more power, with the Board of Liquidators being the only
real force that could sway them as well as public sentiment.
This was reigned in by Grand Nagus Zek over the end of his tenure when he instigated the
Congress of Economic Advisors to check the power of the Nagus.
This was upheld by his successor Rom.
So yes, the Ferengi have had arguably one the shows longest standing planetary governments.
However there are some things the UFP does not allow for member worlds.
Ferenginar also used to impose a caste based societal structure that has also been recently
abolished.
Originally, no female Ferengi could conduct business, severely limiting their roles in
society and they were not even permitted to wear clothing, something that was culturally
seen as unacceptable as indecent exposure.
While often played for laughs in the shows, these do have worrying implications on a larger
level of their society and would naturally bar them from Federation application.
However, both Zek and Rom have instigated major reforms in their society with arguments
based both on morality, logic and profit.
For example, when it came to entice the Ferengi populace to allow women to engage in business,
those who were not morally accepting of the stance were convinced with the simple argument
that by limiting themselves with only half their population doing business, Ferengi had
been handicapping themselves for millennia.
Additionally, there were resource rich powers out there like the Federation that had justified
hangups when dealing with the Ferengi based in light of such acts.
By instigating these reforms, it opened up more avenues of profit than it shut down.
By 2380, many of these changes were widely accepted and even those traditionalists who
preferred to remain unclothed or away from commerce, could still choose to do so, but
that is the key word, choose.
Ferenginar had long been a hub of cultures and trade from other worlds, so acceptance
seems to have come surprisingly easily.
That being said, of course there was pushback, levelled at the seat of all this reform, Grand
Nagus Rom.
Rom is not the most shrewd businessman, unlike his predecessor, Zek, however he has learned
in his role and what’s more, he lacks the driving greed of many in political power.
Ferengi political power, of course.
Because of this, he has been able to surround himself with advisors, such as the First Lady
Leeta, who after spending her years as a canny dabo girl, has years of cons, plays and gambits
under her belt.
His mother too is the wife of Zek and had been secretly advising and running things
through her husband for years as his health declined so she was no stranger to how the
government worked.
Not to mention, Zek’s wealth of knowledge.
Additionally, Rom had allies such as his brother whos entrepreneurial affairs were rapidly
growing as his franchises took off as well as maintaining the aforementioned Congress
of Economic Advisors.
Suffice to say, his position was surprisingly secure.
Additionally, Rom was well aware of his reputation as a simpleton, something we have now seen
him play up in negotiation to lull potential trade partners into a false sense of security
and his negotiation tactic is clearly one of working with his team to secure a deal.
While he is the face of the operation, as it were, Leeta and those surrounding him share
in his success.
So Ferenginar as a Federation member?
With the societal issues resolved and in little danger of regressing, the Ferengi Alliance
stands to be accepted into the planetary union.
This comes with a series of challenges however, the details of which are still being worked
out in 2382, for example, the Federation’s laws on trade would become those of the Alliance,
which should really only affect the shadier transactions of the Ferengi.
The Ferengi have shown in their history that they are more than willing to make first contact
with other species, ever seeking to expand their portfolio of commerce, and while the
Federation does not use money, most other powers do.
Things like the Prime Directive only applied to Starfleet, and while we would see Ferengi
in the fleet following the pioneering path of Lieutenant Nog, Starfleet is not the Federation
and joining members are under no obligation to fold their assets into Starfleet.
When it comes to the trade of currency, well the Ferengi already had deals with the Federation
before and honestly, latinum is only a tool to be traded.
If someone does not want latinum, then find something they do want, the Federation and
all its member planets might not barter in currency, but they do still need resources.
Bringing the Ferengi into the fold changes very little as far as that interaction goes
and if anything opens more doors for them.
There are plenty of planets out there that might not want to trade with the Ferengi but
would be happy to trade with the Federation, and honestly vice versa.
The UFP also does not say you have to abolish currency, it just that it strives to create
an environment where your everyday citizen is free of that burden.
Individuals are of course permitted to chase their own entrepreneurial endeavours, so again,
Ferenginar would not have to overhaul its economy.
In the past, there have been hostilities between the Federation and Ferengi, but we are looking
back to unsanctioned acts of piracy or revenge.
That might be the biggest issue to be honest, that the Ferengi Alliance has often held a
very loose grip on its naval power, with DaiMons pretty much acting with impunity so there
would have to be a greater degree of accountability there.
But overall, despite appearances, the Ferengi Alliance, at least in its 2380s version, is
a decent candidate for the Federation.
Putting aside bygones would be worth it to have the most savvy business partners in the
galaxy batting for your side.
Additionally, I do enjoy how Rom wanted to test the UFP’s business sense in negotiations.
It makes sense that when joining with any partner, you want to make sure they are not
going to be duped by the most obvious of cons.
Honestly, I find the concept of the old Ferenginar truly more terrifying than the Romulan Star
Empire or Borg because it’s way more believable.
Capitalism running rampant to the point where everything costs, even the privilege of simply
entering a public space or talking to a person can afford a charge?
I hate it and much prefer to see this more optimistic angle that their society is taking.
What about you, what do you think of Ferenginar applying for Federation membership?
Let me know in the comments below, and I’ll see you next time for anther video, until
then, I’ve been Ric and I’ll see you later, goodbye!