The President's Address at Khitomer - Star Trek VI: TUC

[Vger23]

^

The thread may have been long dead, but the POV is fresh. With that being the case, welcome to TBBS Vger23. Make yourself at home.

Thank you! Much obliged!

 

[suarezguy]

I also thought that, because of his somewhat harsh tone of voice and since the film suggested many in the Federation were conflicted about negotiations, he was saying that assistance to the Klingons would depend on reciprocal conditions being met.

 

[Timo]

Well, going by the current definition of "progress", I'd look for issues on which there previously was action every time when there was an opening. Things would then "progress" from there, that is, cease to be that way.

Previously, Klingons and Feds did hold back even when they could have declared war (hence the Cold War), so that's not it - holding back would not really be progress. Stopping short of striking below the belt might be more like it, tho.

Hmm. If the President understood anything at all about Klingon psyche, he would probably have opened his speech by stating that Starfleet was now capable of crushing the Empire like an eggshell, and if Klingon leaders claimed otherwise, they were cowards fearing to acknowledge the facts. He'd then jump to the surprise revelation that this crushing was not going to take place, because of this thing he calls progress. I doubt this speech could be misunderstood by the audience, whereas sincere promises of altruist assistance alone would sound so fake the President would lose his audience there and then.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

He's just Mr. Important giving the Big Speech.

I still try to imagine him as Red Forman putting his foot in someone's ass.

Can you imagine Red dealing with the Klingons?

"This president is not a Dumbass."

 

[Brutal Strudel]

I always thought this meant that The Federation was in no way obligated to assist the Klingon Empire. They "could," but it isn't necessarily a "must."

The "progress" he refers to is that the Federation has, under no obligation, decided to go forward with a peace process.
It always made sense to me.

Sorry, I know this was from 8,000 years ago, but I'm SO freaking happy to find a Star Trek board that's more than just stupid message board games and general discussions about politics and religion. There is a WEALTH of great discussion here. Awesome.

I always shared Lord Garth's interpretation: "Progress is not destroying the Klingon Empire even though we're in a position to clean their chronometers."