Fans of the TV program Star Trek: The Next Generation will recall a recurring antagonist named “Q” — a shape-shifting, quasi-omnipotent being who presumes to place humanity on trial for being a “dangerously savage child race.” During his first encounter with the crew of the 24th-century Starship Enterprise, Q assumes several guises from earth’s history to underscore what he considers to be the irremediable barbarism of the human race. When Captain Picard objects that by the late 20th Century humanity was making “rapid progress” in overcoming its instinct for aggressive violence, Q morphs into what is described as a typical … Continue reading ‘Rapid Progress’: Controlling the Imperial Military With Drugs