Can you elaborate on the idea behind Section 31? I've always seen it in DS9 as a symptom of the rot in the Federation, and very much agree with Bashir's arguments that they aren't a "necessary evil," but I feel that modern use of S31 has missed that crucial point.

For me, Section 31 was not a good thing. I wouldn’t call it a symptom of a larger problem though. I don’t think the Federation is rotting. I think, like any government, even a nearly ideal one, it does have to deal with threats from time to time, both internally and externally.

Section 31 is an inner threat, a corruptive influence that could cause larger problems… but one that also does help with external issues sometimes, which complicates things.

For story, complications are good. For utopian governments, not so much.