Patrick Stewart taught us what good men do with power

The ideals of institutional trust and the just use of power embodied by Captain Picard are as relevant today as they were four decades ago.

Patrick Stewart, known for his iconic portrayal of Captain Jean-Luc Picard in "Star Trek: The Next Generation," passed away. The series, which premiered in 1987, depicted a post-Cold War era and presented an idealized vision of American hegemony through the United Federation of Planets. The Federation, a benevolent union of over a hundred worlds, was portrayed as a dominant power that prioritized diplomacy and humanitarian missions, such as distributing vaccines, over conflict. Stewart's Picard was a symbol of enlightened leadership, often using the Enterprise's might for good. A notable episode, "The Measure of a Man," explored the rights of artificial life through Picard's defense of the android Data. The show's optimistic outlook on institutions and universal rights contrasts sharply with the perceived decline of such values in contemporary American society and politics, particularly in the Trump era.

The series "Star Trek: The Next Generation" mirrored the optimism of the early 1990s, a period of ascendant democracy and intact civil rights in the United States. Its depiction of a strong, benevolent Federation contrasted with the geopolitical landscape of the time and offered a hopeful vision for the future. Episodes like "The Measure of a Man" and "The Drumhead" highlighted the importance of defending universal rights and trusting institutions to uphold justice, even when facing internal challenges or external threats. This optimistic perspective now serves as a benchmark against which current societal and political trends are measured.

In contrast, recent Star Trek revivals, such as "Star Trek: Discovery" and "Star Trek: Picard," have reflected a more cynical and fragmented era, mirroring a perceived decline in American institutional trust and a broader techno-pessimism. Stewart's return as Picard in the latter series found the character disillusioned with a Federation that had strayed from its founding principles, a sentiment that resonated with a public grappling with political polarization and the perceived failures of governance. The franchise's narrative shift underscores a broader cultural conversation about the reliability of institutions and the challenges of maintaining idealistic aspirations in a complex, often dystopian, modern world.