Me: See, the station is supposed to be ugly. It was built by the Cardassians and literally hung over Bajor during the occupation but that same oppression has left the Bajorans in a position where they can't just build a new station and are forced to work with what they've got. So the ugly legacy of colonialism is the literal backdrop of the show.
Barista: Okay, but did you want whip cream on that?
Me: Yes please.
@Taweret
Or, as Space Fox News would say-
at one time the Bajorans were a technologically advanced species, but they turned their backs on progress and sank into the swamp of primitive superstition. The Cardassians found Bajor in a state of decay and occupied the planet to help bring democracy and capitalism back to the people. Instead of welcoming the freedom that Cardassia’s help would usher in, their fanatical religion allowed them no choice but to become deplorable terrorists. The crack down on the population was merely a form of “tough love”. The ungrateful Bajorans kept bombing innocents until the Cardassians had no choice but to defend themselves. The Bajorans do not deserve membership in the Federation until they renounce terrorism and the religious fanaticism that inspired it. The benevolent Cardassians left their homes and families to help Bajor return to its former glory. If anything, it’s the Cardassians who should have been offered a place in Starfleet.
