Well, there’s a bit of a difference between “Doing less murder than you could have done, in return for sexual favours” and “doing your best in a situation where you don’t have all the power”.
But you are right. Treating it like a numbers game lets you justify the evil status quo, and be afraid of rocking the boat. Odo demonstrated that he had grown beyond that in the time-travel episode where we saw all this get explored, and we saw the past he was so mortified about.
He obeyed the Cardassian authorities on Terok Nor despite knowing how unjust their occupation of Bajor and their use of prisoner slaves was.
Because if he didn’t, there would be even less justice. But you are right, that was part of how he learned not to embrace order at ALL costs.
Isn‘t that the same reasoning of Gul Dukat? Like how he was so merciful and saved Bajor from much worse?
Well, there’s a bit of a difference between “Doing less murder than you could have done, in return for sexual favours” and “doing your best in a situation where you don’t have all the power”.
But you are right. Treating it like a numbers game lets you justify the evil status quo, and be afraid of rocking the boat. Odo demonstrated that he had grown beyond that in the time-travel episode where we saw all this get explored, and we saw the past he was so mortified about.
Order at any and all costs is pretty much authorianism.
Ever heard of entropy?
It affects sociology as well.