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To: boop
You know, it is difficult to predict what people might be like with basically unlimited wealth and resources - perhaps some kind of altruistic “greater good” behavior would kick in most of the time for most people. I think Roddenberry was fairly vague (with good reason) on this, but it is worth considering that the “floor” would be raised quite a bit in such a society with unlimited fusion power, terraforming, essentially “unlimited” real estate, and so on. They have hinted a few times on Star Trek that the crew didn't HAVE to be on these dangerous missions, it was a calling and privilege for the few.

Most of the poor people in the US have possessions that the wealthiest person 150 years ago couldn't have even imagined, and they live much longer to boot.

40 posted on 04/17/2012 7:59:46 PM PDT by The Antiyuppie ("When small men cast long shadows, then it is very late in the day.")
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To: The Antiyuppie
I see your point, but nothing is "free" ultimately. "Someone" has to come fix things when the pipes burst, and the electrical grid goes down. And those folks don't get out of bed at 3am for nothing. And getting back to Star Trek, the high and mighty explorers may beam down to planets where money or gold or whatever is valuable talks. The planet's denizens aren't going to be too thrilled with "we don't use that icky MONEY". In fact in one of the Harry Mudd episodes, the Enterprise needed dilithium crystals. The miners decided to deal with Mudd instead of Kirk. Their price? Women.

Kirk could wave all kinds of filthy lucre in their faces, but the "currency" was female flesh.

43 posted on 04/17/2012 8:13:16 PM PDT by boop (I hate hippies and dopeheads. Just hate them. ...Ernest Borgnine)
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