Is the Prime Directive Good or Terrible

Star Trek's "Prime Directive", also known as "Directive Number One", is one of, if not the most important rule within Starfleet and the Federation, in the series. The idea was that of noninterference with civilizations at a lesser state of cultural and technological development. It stems back to points in human history when interference by European cultures made contact with technologically less advanced cultures in the Americas with   results. As well as also being a way prevent the exploitation of those people for selfish means, such as resources and labor. Even in the modern day this is true, when a nation's belief in it's own morally superiority resulted in them forcing political and economic ideals on another nation without understanding its people's culture or history.

In the Next Generation episode, "Symbiosis", Picard (Patrick Stewart) is quoted; "The Prime Directive is not just a set of rules; it is a philosophy... and a very correct one. History has proven again and again that whenever mankind interferes with a less developed civilization, no matter how well intentioned that interference may be, the results are invariably disastrous" (Memory Alpha).

When Columbus came to the Americas in the 1400s, it set off a chain reaction that would result in war, disease, death, and enslavement of the native peoples.  The "Columbian Exchange" brought European diseases such as Smallpox, which the native people had no immunity to.  Eventually these colonies would rebel and win their freedom from Europe, but only after years of blood shed and death, and exploitation of their natural resources. In a modern example, our support of rebel forces opposed to Muammar Gaddafi during the Libyan Civil War resulted in a fracturing of the country and another civil war that has lasted since 2014. While trying to rid a country of a brutal dictator is a noble goal (though a root cause of the intervention was oil), but without an understanding of the culture, people, and history, you may be opening the proverbial "Pandora's box."

Probably the worst example of American interventionism, and the reason behind the "Prime Directive" was the Vietnam War. This was a war that was the result of our Cold War foreign policy to halt Communism and contain it. As a result, we fought a war that lasted over a decade, resulted in numerous atrocities on both sides, and caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands. With an understanding of the Vietnamese people's desire for freedom, as they had been subjugated for centuries by the Chinese, French, and Japanese, the war may have been avoided.

In the TNG episode "Justice", Picard is quoted saying, "There can be no justice so long as laws are absolute. Even life itself is an exercise in exceptions" (Memory Alpha). Indeed, the Prime Directive is not entirely absolute, exceptions have been made. In the TNG episode "Pen Pals", Data plays a distress signal  from an alien child whose home is threatened by a volcano. Because of that, Picard determines it can’t be ignored, and they interfere.

The Vietnam War, once again, is a great example of the merits of the rule, and the exemption. Asking for help is different than forcing help because you believe that you are morally, culturally, and technologically superior. What right do we have to enforce our ideas upon another people, even if we believe it will be beneficial?  Had the U.S. understood Ho Chi Minh's plea (he even read the preamble to the Declaration of Independence) and not  blinded by fear of Communism, and as a result backed the French, the outcome might have been different. Like in Japan after WW II, the U.S. could have provided equipment and economic support that may have helped create a more modern society. It would have prevented the ineffectual and corrupt program of "Pacification" in the South, and the brutal land reforms, that left thousands dead, in the north, as well as the war.

I have heard the idea of “what if” considered stupid, however, not considering the possibilities is a sign of ignorance. Taking risks is not bad and may yield beneficial results, but you should consider the consequences. You may help a Medieval level society cure a plague, but soon they may become dependent upon you. You can tech them how to prevent disease, but you have stunted their own technological and cultural growth. You may change their entire identity as a people, destroying a unique idea that may have come later in their history and benefited many. You may also give technology to a people who use it to commit acts of violence.

The "Prime Directive", like all human laws, is imperfect, but tries to curb human behavior that might be devastating if left unchecked, even if it is benevolent. Our history has countless examples of people being devastated as a result of human greed and ignorance. The worst example of this was known as "The White Man's Burden", creating the horrors of 19th Century Colonialism. The law is based on the idea that people have the right to determine their own destiny, should they ask for help, we provide to the extent they desire, and freedom of self-determination is the most sacred right of any human.

References:

http://memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/Prime_Directive

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Directive

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libyan_Civil_War_(2014%E2%80%93present)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libyan_Civil_War_(2011)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbian_Exchange