Ya you make good points, but when I think like that I begin to strongly dislike alot of it.

My personal beef was always how the federation looks the other way at all the vassals and clients of the Klingon Empire. Just ignore their hordes of space helots I guess.

Ironically it is only in Enterprise where I finally see someone disgusted by it, but they technically aren't the federation yet.

For those particular episodes you mentioned the cogenitor one was the one I really disliked. Some of the worst moralizing ever: think of the perils of unrestrained suffrage before you enlighten a slave!