XPost: alt.tv.star-trek.tos, rec.arts.startrek.current   
   From: david@block.net   
      
   On Wed, 20 May 2009 17:56:11 -0400, "Wickeddoll"    
   wrote:   
      
   >"David Johnston"   
   > "GeneK"   
   >>  wrote:   
   >wrote...   
   >>>>There is no close equivalent to the position of Counselor in the modern   
   >>>>American navy.   
   >>>   
   >>>Naval clinical psychologist.  Current USN practice is to have at least   
   >>>one mental health professional assigned to every aircraft carrier.   
   >>   
   >> Do they have a seat right beside the Captain so they'll be available   
   >> every moment to give advice in every situation?   
   >   
   >You're leaving out something very important.  Troi is a half-alien with a   
   >power that isn't anywhere near as sketchy as that of real-life "telepaths"   
   >as we know them.   
      
   No, it's about on the same level.  "Hooooman we will cut out your   
   livers!"  "I sense hostility".  I don't think the bridge layout was   
   specifically for Troi, but for Counsellors in general, and most   
   Counsellors don't even possess Troi's power...such as it is.   
      
   Star Trek productions (and all entertainment media, for   
   >that matter) play fast and loose with things that would never happen, not   
   >even in the future, which is the appeal of the show.  For instance, Troi,   
   >Beverly, and nearly every Trek female wear their hair in ways that I don't   
   >believe will *ever* be within regs.  So what?  You were saying it's   
   >unrealistic that an individual such as Troi would be on the bridge,   
      
   Not in the least.  What I was saying was that Troi's bridge position   
   indicates something about her position in the chain of command.  I   
   could be influenced by knowing that the original intent was for the   
   chairs on opposite sides to be occupted by the shoulder angels.  The   
   Second in Command would be the voice of action while the Counsellor   
   would be the voice of caution while the Captain would choose between   
   them, but of course it didn't work out that way, because a Klingon   
   made a better voice of action, and the Captain automatically always   
   chose nonviolence regardless of the circumstances.  Also the audience   
   would have hated Troi if she was the character in charge of citing the   
   the regulations against doing something.   
      
   But still, everything I saw indicated that Troi was outside the normal   
   procedures and chain of command.  She lacked even the most basic   
   knowledge of ship operations and combat training, she didn't wear her   
   uniform, she was seated on equal terms with the first officer, and the   
   only one who gave her orders was the commanding officer.  That doesn't   
   mean she wasn't military, and couldn't be on the bridge.  Just that it   
   didn't seem like she was underneath Riker in the chain of command.   
      
      
   >I can't believe how steadfastly you're holding onto the idea that a   
   >counselor is *not* a military position, and wouldn't be on the bridge,   
      
   Yeah.  Pretty obviously you didn't get anything I was saying.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)