4x25 "Body Parts" & Quark's Subservience to Ferengi Authority

[smg_yoss]

Hello, y'all. I just found a Star Trek forum and registered here for the sole purpose of voicing my confusion and discontent over this episode--though perhaps I'll do more later.

For those of you who don't recall the episode immediately, Quark is falsely diagnosed with a terminal disease and sells his body on the futures market. The buyer, unbeknownst to him initially, is Brunt from the FCA. Brunt intends to collect on the contract for personal reasons despite the obvious misunderstanding. Quark ends up breaking the contract. As Brunt threatened and as the FCA must necessarily do, Quark's possessions are confiscated and all Ferengi are forbidden from doing business with him.

At the end of the episode, the crew and residents of DS9 come together to re-furnish his bar and help him restart his business. I have two huge qualms here.

1. Wouldn't the FCA's punishment encompass future business to some extent? If not, then wouldn't it be logically possible to distinguish profits made through business with Ferengi and profits made through business with other species, thus protecting the latter from confiscation, at least to some extent? It seems like it's gotta be one way or the other: either there is a legal difference between Ferengi and non-Ferengi business, or there isn't. Seems like there is.

2. Why does Quark allow this to happen anyway? If breaking the contract means such extreme punishment, why not simply refuse to abide by Ferengi law? He's cast out as it is. What does he possibly gain by allowing Brunt to take away his business and possessions? Since this seems to already be the worst possible punishment, how could it get any worse through all-out disobedience? Besides, they're on a Bajoran/Federation station. How does the FCA have any authority at all? For that matter, why didn't Sisko step in earlier? He must've heard about what was going on.

Grr. I can do suspension of disbelief, but I find this illogic quite hard to fathom. Anyone care to venture an explanation? Or perhaps something about Ferengi law that I don't know? I'll admit my ignorance on the subject. Canon references welcome!

 

[Sindatur]

Hello, y'all. I just found a Star Trek forum and registered here for the sole purpose of voicing my confusion and discontent over this episode--though perhaps I'll do more later.

For those of you who don't recall the episode immediately, Quark is falsely diagnosed with a terminal disease and sells his body on the futures market. The buyer, unbeknownst to him initially, is Brunt from the FCA. Brunt intends to collect on the contract for personal reasons despite the obvious misunderstanding. Quark ends up breaking the contract. As Brunt threatened and as the FCA must necessarily do, Quark's possessions are confiscated and all Ferengi are forbidden from doing business with him.

At the end of the episode, the crew and residents of DS9 come together to re-furnish his bar and help him restart his business. I have two huge qualms here.

1. Wouldn't the FCA's punishment encompass future business to some extent? If not, then wouldn't it be logically possible to distinguish profits made through business with Ferengi and profits made through business with other species, thus protecting the latter from confiscation, at least to some extent? It seems like it's gotta be one way or the other: either there is a legal difference between Ferengi and non-Ferengi business, or there isn't. Seems like there is.

2. Why does Quark allow this to happen anyway? If breaking the contract means such extreme punishment, why not simply refuse to abide by Ferengi law? He's cast out as it is. What does he possibly gain by allowing Brunt to take away his business and possessions? Since this seems to already be the worst possible punishment, how could it get any worse through all-out disobedience? Besides, they're on a Bajoran/Federation station. How does the FCA have any authority at all? For that matter, why didn't Sisko step in earlier? He must've heard about what was going on.

Grr. I can do suspension of disbelief, but I find this illogic quite hard to fathom. Anyone care to venture an explanation? Or perhaps something about Ferengi law that I don't know? I'll admit my ignorance on the subject. Canon references welcome!

You make some good points, however, any Ferengi doing business with Quark, risks the same punishment. Yes, Quark has sunk as low as he can sink, but, he can't do business with any other Ferengi or they will be outcast, forbidden from doing business and have all their possessions taken from them. So, it's not that Brunt was excersizing authority over the station, he was excersizing authority over Ferengi Business in general.

 

[smg_yoss]

See, I understand that part perfectly. I understand the FCA can easily prevent other Ferengi from doing business with Quark. But what real authority, other than Quark's subservience, do they have to take away his possessions? Couldn't Quark have simply ignored the threats, ignored the authority, and called security to have Brunt kicked out of his bar? After all, it doesn't seem Brunt could have done anything worse than taking away Quark's Ferengi business. What real force does he have to back up his confiscation?

 

[Sindatur]

See, I understand that part perfectly. I understand the FCA can easily prevent other Ferengi from doing business with Quark. But what real authority, other than Quark's subservience, do they have to take away his possessions? Couldn't Quark have simply ignored the threats, ignored the authority, and called security to have Brunt kicked out of his bar? After all, it doesn't seem Brunt could have done anything worse than taking away Quark's Ferengi business. What real force does he have to back up his confiscation?

Ishka still lives on Fereganar, she could be thrown from the Commerce Tower or imprisoned. Plus, Quark could always bribe his way back, especially, if Brunt was to somehow lose his job with The FCA

 

[smg_yoss]

Ishka still lives on Fereganar, she could be thrown from the Commerce Tower or imprisoned. Plus, Quark could always bribe his way back, especially, if Brunt was to somehow lose his job with The FCA

Hmm...good points. I guess I wish that they had addressed that in the dialogue somehow. Whenever I'm left with questions like this, I feel like one of the characters should've asked the same questions.

And I guess this brings me back to my more complex concern about Ferengi law. Is there no distinction between Ferengi and non-Ferengi business? It seems like there is, since the FCA doesn't presume to ban non-Ferengi business with Quark. But then shouldn't Quark be allowed to give an account of his profits and explain which profits came from business with Ferengi and which came from business with non-Ferengi, and have the latter protected?

 

[Sindatur]

Ishka still lives on Fereganar, she could be thrown from the Commerce Tower or imprisoned. Plus, Quark could always bribe his way back, especially, if Brunt was to somehow lose his job with The FCA

Hmm...good points. I guess I wish that they had addressed that in the dialogue somehow. Whenever I'm left with questions like this, I feel like one of the characters should've asked the same questions.

And I guess this brings me back to my more complex concern about Ferengi law. Is there no distinction between Ferengi and non-Ferengi business? It seems like there is, since the FCA doesn't presume to ban non-Ferengi business with Quark. But then shouldn't Quark be allowed to give an account of his profits and explain which profits came from business with Ferengi and which came from business with non-Ferengi, and have the latter protected?

Obviously, being on non-Ferengi property and being an outcast, they can't ban him from doing business with Non-Ferengis, they'd have no jurisdiction. But, yea, as long as he enjoys the "protection and advantages" of operating within the Ferengi Business system, all Profit would be the same, wether Ferengi or not. Once outcast, they have no control over his activities as long as they don't touch the Ferengi business System (and that control over Ferengi related matters is through possible punishment of his associates)

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Quark is not, by nature, a rebel. He still operates under the rules. He does what Ferengi law says. And he prides himself on that, I think. If Ferengi law says he can't do business, then he feels obligated to abide by that. He does not buck the system. So he must have outside help if he wants to continue doing business after the events of this episode.

 

[smg_yoss]

I think I'm pretty satisfied with these answers. Thanks, everyone, for entertaining my quibbles.