The Non-Intervention Message of 'Star Trek: Into Darkness'

{Editor's Note: This article contains spoilers for "Star Trek: Into Darkness" . If you haven't seen it yet, read at your own risk!}I saw "Star Trek: Into Darkness" this past weekend. I have no intention of delving into the realm of movie reviews - libertarian rants seem to be keeping my hands full quite well - but I can say with confidence that if you are a fan of science fiction or the "Star Trek" franchise, then this film will likely please you. What I would like to point out are a few scenes and plot points that seem to carry some non-interventionist undertones that should be pleasing not only to science fiction fans, but to libertarians in general.In the very first scene, the crew of the Enterprise is on a strange planet, trying to prevent a volcano from erupting that would destroy all life on the planet. They are able to do so successfully, but in the process Spock is left stranded in the volcano. The only way to save him is to "beam him out" , but in order to do so the crew would have to emerge their ship, The Enterprise, from the ocean and reveal themselves to the inhabits of the planet. This would be in direct violation of the Prime Directive . The Prime Directive is the most highly held principle in the Star Trek universe, and states that there can be no interference with the development of alien civilizations. Exposing the Enterprise to the full view of the civilization on this planet - one that is primitive by human standards and has no knowledge of space or other civilizations in the universe - would be considered a direct violation of the Prime Directive. Of course, Captain Kirk decides to blatantly violate the Prime Directive in order to save his friendSpock. As a result of Spock's report detailing exactly what had occurred, Kirk found himself demoted from his position as Captain. The Prime Directive is prime for a reason - you can't violate it!Later in the film, Captain Kirk - reinstated as Captain of the Enterprise after Captain Pike is murdered in a terrorist attack - leads his crew to seek vengeance and kill the man responsible for the attack - John Harrison aka Khan. The crew learns that Khan is seeking refuge on Kronos - the home planet of the Klingon race. An attack on Kronos - even in the context of killing a known criminal -   could be seen by the Klingons as an act of war and start a much larger conflict.This is the subject of a major conflict in the film. Spock - the "logical" thinker - points out that it is both legally and morally wrong to kill even a known terrorist such as Khan without trial.  Spock also expresses his concerns with launching an attack on a sovereign planet - even after being assured that the attack would take place in a "remote, uninhabited area".When planning the raid on Kronos, the crew uses a civilian style ship, and Kirk has them dress in non-Federation clothes. The mission is clearly covert, and if they get caught they are not to be traced back to official Federation business. This is a similar tactic to that often used by intelligence services, as reports from recent years have seen British agents caught dressing up as arabs as cover while carrying out operations.Another scene that stood out was one where Scotty, the chief engineer of The Enterprise refuses to accept a load of missiles intended for the mission to Kronos. Scotty does not have enough information about the weapons and has concerns about their use on this mission, and refuses to sign the receipt for them. Kirk orders Scotty to sign for the weapons, but Scotty sticks to his principles, and instead simply offers his resignation - which Kirk reluctantly accepts.This being a Star Trek movie, of course Kirk eventually does come around and listen to his logical and moral conscience - Spock. In the end, it is Kirk himself who must disobey direct orders - just as Scotty did - in order to complete his mission when it is revealed that Admiral Marcus - a high ranking Federation official - has been helping and working with Khan the entire time. A government creating its' own terrorists? Who could imagine such a "fiction"!As with most of these movies, you have to put aside some plot holes and bad science along the way, but if you look closely enough you can see that Star Trek Into Darkness is more than just your standard summer blockbuster. There are strong hints of support for non-intervention and respect for due process, even and especially in the face of anger over a wrong or perceived wrong. This message applies equally both in the fantasy world of future space wars and the current reality we live in.Oh, and it's a kick-ass movie too!Receive access to ALL of our EXCLUSIVE bonus audio content – including “Conspiracy Corner”, “Degenerate Gamblers” and the “League of Liberty Podcast” by joining the Lions of Liberty Pride and supporting us on Patreon!