Am I missing something with the Minor races?

So what is such a big deal about a few starbases? It really can't be hurting you all that much.

There is no way to break an alliance with a minor race - it's one of the many features the developers didn't bother to finish in the game.

Isn't there a button to break alliances where the trade embargo button is for the minor races?

Minor races are food, not friends.

Want to break your alliance with a minor race?

Easy, blow there ships/bases into space dust, then invade there homeworld with your shock troops. That will teach them...

LOL, who cares if they're building influence starbases?

Minor races are totally irrelevant when it comes to influence. They don't produce influence points, and can't be culturally assimilated.

Now that I think about it, you should be glad they're building influence starbases, because it means they're wasting their constructors. If they build military or economic starbases, it might actually make them stronger. Worse yet, if they built a resource starbases and you're stuck allied to them, it means that you'll never get your hands on that resource. Well, I suppose you could buy it off them, but they'll charge you a fortune for it if they're willing to trade it at all.

Want to break your alliance with a minor race? Easy, blow there ships/bases into space dust, then invade there homeworld with your shock troops. That will teach them...

Can't do that if you have an alliance set.

You can break the alliance with a minor race.

You need to convince another race (that you are not allied with) to declare war on the minor race. A turn or two later the minor race will request your assistance asking if you will honor the alliance. Respond that you will not, this will break the alliance allowing you to attack the minor race.

It took me a while to figure it out too.

I usually conquer the minor races early in the game. After trading them peanuts for all of their tech and money that is. Exploiting squirrels is so much fun.

Can't do that if you have an alliance set.

U can't, damn, I have just allied to a minor!

I knew there was a reason I never allied with a race before 

There is nothing to be gained by forming an alliance with a minor race.

Unless... after reading some of the thoughts posted in the Black arts of Trade thread in Game Talk, I was reminded that you get a trade bonus on trade routes between allies. It might be worth trying to set up all of your trade routes between your highest population planet and an allied minor, then protecting the minor from other factions and selling them farm and planet improvement techs to boost their population. That way, you're trading with an ally that you know will never turn on you. I'll try it next time I get a chance.

Otherwise, minor races are a good ATM for your early game - they usually have a lot of cash and few techs - and then when you conquer them later, you get a high-PQ, well-developed world; if you've sold them all of the best planet improvements far enough in advance, they will obligingly build it up for you while waiting for your dropships to appear over their capital.

It might be worth trying to set up all of your trade routes between your highest population planet and an allied minor, then protecting the minor from other factions and selling them farm and planet improvement techs to boost their population. That way, you're trading with an ally that you know will never turn on you.

That is an excellent idea to try! It may be worth keeping the little buggers around so I still get trade income even when I'm at war with the rest of the galaxy. It's always such a chore to make new trade routes after declaring war and losing them all with that civ.

Minor Race Primer:

Trade crappy techs with them ...
Give them 100bc if they BEG for help ...
NEVER Ally with them ...
When you are sick of thier begging ...
INVADE and make them your slaves.

Trade crappy techs with them ...

Not necessary. Give them good techs and they'll be able to tie up your enemies while you get ready to finish them off. Just don't give them anything that you really, really don't want the major races trading into ("Sure, we'll give you Doom Rays!").

Also, the "Ally and trade" thing is a good idea. If you're winning, you can even give them a few good planets that you take over and use those to trade to (or as fodder to shield your own planets).