BattleStar Galactica:Season 3.5--2/25/07--Arc 15

[Mark CMG]

With all these severe labor problems, why don't the colonials just create a caste of robots to perform all these sucky manual tasks for them?

You, my friend, are a funny, funny person.

 

[Sir Brennen]

The illusion of an integrated and free society with upward mobility is important to maintaining social cohesion, order and manual labor. Nothing more and nothing less.

I don't think there was so much an illusion of this as there was the hope that they would return to such a society once beyond the cylon threat. I think that, for the most part, everyone understood they had to to what they could just to survive.

New Caprica gave them a brief taste of that other kind of society again, where possibilities were opened up to individuals, especially with such a small population and an entire world as a "new frontier".

Back on the run once more, however, it was becoming apparent that resources were being stretched too thin with the current status quo, and it would be more immediately apparent to those people who *are* the resources than the higher ups. Things simply could not go on as they were. The *hope* of returning to a truly free, integrated democratic society was beginning to dry up. Baltar was able to play on the despair of the working class in that volatile situation, just as he played on the general populace's hopes when they settled on New Caprica.

Baltar's Book was designed to foment chaos. Unfortunately for him, Tyrol, though holding many of the same ideals, desired only what he believed was fair. Personally I think he did the right thing starting the strike. The tyllium production was going to down the tubes *anyway* - better to shut it down now that come up empty during a cylon attack. By addressing the problem now, hopefully production would be back on track to be prepared for an emergency.

However, it was still a huge risk. Since Tyrol was an officer, I also think Adama was right - it was a mutinous action. The threatened executions were necessary to end the strike, though I think he knew the Chief would back down to save Cally (i.e., he was bluffing.) He also knew the Chief had a point (his father was a civil rights lawyer, after all), which is why he "let him off the hook." The strike, though incredibly dangerous, got the attention of those least affected by the erosion of hope amongst the working class.

Keeping the fuel flowing is a necessity for the BSG fleet. However, addressing a fair division of labor is also just as necessary from both a practical and (more importantly, IMHO) an ideological perspective.

 

[Mark CMG]

Square Off: Tricia Helfer - "You know Tricia Helfer as Number Six on Battlestar Galactica, now get to know her as she chats with Andrew Wallenstein and Brian Lowry on Square Off."

http://www.veoh.com/videos/v271078EgRCGxJe

 

[Arnwyn]

Dickensian BSG. Tylium kid: "Please, sir, I want some more."