Fans question whether Picard should have been promoted

Jean-Luc Picard’s promotion to Admiral surprised fans who were already questioning Starfleet’s decision to keep him onboard as a captain after his assimilation by the Borg. As Locutus, PIcard helped destroy a large number of Starfleet ships which resulted in approximately 11,000 deaths or assimilations. And while it wasn’t his choice, the knowledge Picard had acquired as a captain was used against him when he was captured and that knowledge remained a part of the Borg after Picard was returned to the Enterprise.

Some fans think that after such an intrusive capture Picard should have been retired from Starfleet service or, at the very least, have been stripped of his command. It wasn’t that he himself had done anything wrong, but the assimilation itself was horrible and traumatic, and, as we saw in other episodes and First Contact, it left deep psychological scars. In addition, the families who lost loved ones would have had a difficult time seeing him as anything other than the enemy.

It’s understandable that fans would wonder how much of the Borg is left in Picard. Did they still have as strong a connection to him as they did Seven of Nine when she was removed from the collective? Were they still able to contact him? Shouldn’t this have been something Starfleet was concerned about? If not when he was assimilated, certainly after they learned more about Seven of Nine when she was still aboard Voyager.

Starfleet had no way of knowing Picard’s connection to the Borg was fully terminated, and they would have had reason to be concerned. So it’s reasonable to ask how Jean-Luc Picard was promoted to Admiral when Starfleet didn’t know if he could still be controlled by the Borg. And even though the events of Voyager’s finale certainly dealt a crushing blow to the collective, the Borg aren’t down and out completely, especially if the Artifact established communications with the collective.

While I understand why Starfleet wouldn’t want to lose a captain like Picard, I also understand the other side of the coin as well. So what do you think? Should he have been promoted?