[color=#000000
ost_uid0]Actual similarities to banks I know withstanding...
Standard diplomatic protocols don't really count with the Borg. You blow them up or they get you, and they can not be reasoned with. (Unless you're Kathryn Janeway, but in that case, stop reading this thread and get some more coffee, you look tired.) The Federation and pretty much the rest of the galaxy is involved in an undeclared war with them. Under such circumstances, raiding (if possible) is reasonable, even to b expected. It's Guerilla tactics, because, compared to the Borg, the Federation's not really all that strong in a direct confrontation.
Now, Archer's victims...that's first strike policy. Archer effectively reduces himself to a pirate there, and it's not even September 19th. They have not engaged in any hostile acts, they are not dangerous, they have not (as far as we know) done something that would justify an assault. Archer's the aggressor here, and he knows it, which gives him the blues.
The Bank example falls flat because the sheer size and material wealth of the Borg collective does not justify stealing from them. Their attitude and the inability to enter negotiations with them does. If I were to declare a state of war on the Bank of Montreal (me as head of my own little nation) after failing to have any meaningful negotiations with them, and that would follow them sending a few bankers and accountants around to kidnap my family and brainwash them into working for them, it would be justifiable for me, upon conquering their bank safe Rambo-style, to loot their cash - as far as I am aware, that's not a war crime. It would look bad if I specifically robbed the lockers of private customers of their valuables instead of merely targetting the catch-all money reserves, but we're not doing that with the Borg - they're basically *all* money reserves.
Sure, it's not normally legal, but we're in a state of war. A lot of things are justifiable when you're eating a machinegun sandwich. It's ugly, sure, but you're already in some deep slag when you're doing it - nicking some money is the least you could do.
So, in conclusion, the Borg example still doesn't count for me.
Gatac[/color
ost_uid0]