Babylon 5: Politics and the Psychology of Fear

The science fiction genre is fertile ground for political analogy. Surprisingly few writers actually engage their audience in this way. One that did is the epic science fiction TV series Babylon 5 which ran for five seasons beginning in 1993.

Set in 2258, the first season was called "Signs and Portents." Babylon 5 is a space station ostensibly setup as a hub for negotiations to keep interstellar peace. Peace is the background goal but conflict is the daily fare. The series begins ten years after the Earth and Mimbari war, a devastating conflict born out of misunderstanding of the respective cultures. Character driven, this space opera has stunning and intricately woven plot points that unlock and intertwine throughout seasons one through four. However, this commentary is limited to just the political thread.

In addition to the two above races, there is another pair of enemies: Centauri and Narn. A century ago the Centari conquered and enslaved the Narn. Initially in the series the Centari seem the more reasonable people. The Narn are portrayed as impulsive and irrational. They cannot let go of a century of hatred. But the Centauri are still a threat and eventually devastate the Narn homeworld all over again. Though others may terrorize and dominate, it is the Centauri-Narn conflict which most clearly outlines the brutality of political manipulation.

The Centauri ambassador to Babylon 5 is Londo Mollari. The Narn ambassador is G'Kar. Initially G'Kar is unable to rise above his hatred and anger but he becomes more philosophical and becomes the spokesman for resistance to totalitarian domination. He says, "There is a greater darkness than the one we fight. It is the darkness of the soul that has lost its way. The war we fight is not against powers and principalities. It is against chaos and despair. Greater than the death of flesh is the death of hope, the death of dreams. Against this peril we can never surrender. The future is all around us waiting in moments of transition to be born in moments of revelation. No one knows the shape of that future or where it will take us. We know only that it is always born in pain." ("Drawing a line against the Darkness," Season 2).

The struggle for the Narn homeworld ends in defeat for G'Kar's people but they do not give up. The Centauri masters attempt to subvert the survivors and make them into collaborators. They threaten men's families if they do not cooperate. They set up a puppet government. People who cooperate with the new order are given food and are not tortured or killed. G'Kar becomes a focus for the Centauri. Safe on Babylon 5 he is the last of the legitimate governing body left alive. The Narn are invited to reconstrue reality. According to this version the Centauri are a benevelonent people who just want to modernize Narn society.

Go To Page: 1 2 3