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Is the Star Trek Economy a Welfare State?
Slate ^ | 2-12-2015 | Ara Ogle, Quora

Posted on 02/24/2015 9:34:40 PM PST by Citizen Zed

As an example, Sisko's father runs a restaurant. Seats at that restaurant have to be a finite resource (because they require labor), so they would not be “free” to everyone—the owners get to choose whom they give it to. (That brings up the interesting question of whether the Federation would have anti-discrimination laws, but I digress.) Let's say Sisko chooses to feed people in his neighborhood; choosing to live in that neighborhood is the “price” his customers pay for his food. Similarly, Picard's brother makes real wine; since that requires real grapes and, again, labor, that would also be a finite resource (as opposed to synthehol, which is free to everyone). From the context, it seems likely that Picard the elder distributes his bottles to friends and family; a relationship with him is therefore the “price” of a bottle. However, he would likely also distribute bottles in “reputation trade,” so if you run an outstanding French restaurant, Picard would like choose to supply you with bottles. In return, as a courtesy to a great vintner, the Picards can likely get a table at every great restaurant in France whenever they like.

So in the Star Trek universe there are motivations to “make something of yourself”—you demonstrate that you are a worthwhile person, which would make others more inclined to befriend you (and thus give you the fruits of their labor) or jump you to the top of waiting lists for things like real wine, spots at a restaurant or a theater show, pieces of art, human-designed clothing, etc. It's clear that Starfleet personnel are very high status and thus are cosseted in most places and given first access to things of this type; this would be a huge motivation for joining Starfleet.

(Excerpt) Read more at slate.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Chit/Chat; Society; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: economy; startrek; welfare; welfarestate
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I think that Star Trek is communistic and Star Wars is free market capitalism.
1 posted on 02/24/2015 9:34:40 PM PST by Citizen Zed
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To: Citizen Zed

Star Trek is fiction.

The Picard winery-restaurant scenario depicted is called barter. Money was invented to overcome the limitations of barter.


2 posted on 02/24/2015 9:42:13 PM PST by Ray76 (Obama says, "Unlike my mum, Ruth has all the documents needed to prove who Mark's father was.")
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To: Citizen Zed

3 posted on 02/24/2015 9:42:50 PM PST by smokingfrog ( sleep with one eye open (<o> ---)
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To: smokingfrog

“Fascinating”


4 posted on 02/24/2015 9:45:03 PM PST by Ray76 (Obama says, "Unlike my mum, Ruth has all the documents needed to prove who Mark's father was.")
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To: Citizen Zed

Currency has been abolished and poverty is a thing of the past. No one is in want.

Human nature is focused on higher pursuits than materialistic consumption and satisfaction.


5 posted on 02/24/2015 9:45:23 PM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: Citizen Zed

If the Star Trek writers had any understanding of economics they’d depict the Ferengi ruling the galaxy.


6 posted on 02/24/2015 9:48:54 PM PST by Squawk 8888 (Will steal your comments & post them on Twitter)
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To: goldstategop
Where have I heard that before?


7 posted on 02/24/2015 9:49:56 PM PST by Ray76 (Obama says, "Unlike my mum, Ruth has all the documents needed to prove who Mark's father was.")
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To: Citizen Zed; GraceG; KC_Lion

Star Trek: DS9 was the best series on realism in that arena.


8 posted on 02/24/2015 9:50:06 PM PST by Crazieman (Article V or National Divorce. The only solutions now.)
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To: Citizen Zed

>>I think that Star Trek is communistic and Star Wars is free market capitalism.<<

Based on the article, Star Trek is set in Compton.

And there is NO universe that will let a child be at the helm of a Star Ship with nearly 1,000 people aboard.

Roddenberry always said — place it in today’s world. Picture a 13-YO brat helming an Air Craft Carrier (or a Destroyer or an LTR).


9 posted on 02/24/2015 9:50:57 PM PST by freedumb2003 (obama is a "protected class" of dumb)
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To: Citizen Zed

Leftists are really at heart supremacists as this silly piece illustrates they almost always believe that regardless of how worthless they really are or deluded they think that they would be the “Picards”. That they represent the best of us and deserve the best seats at all the French restaurants because they are just so naturally wonderful, likable, cool and shit. Cause what is a more cool than throwing in gratuitous profanity? Who cares if their idea of a venus de milo is a transvestite Michael Moore.

They dream of a better world where they can write awful novels that no one wants to read and paint art that is indistinguishable from explosive diarrhea. The irony is they wouldn’t let something like Starfleet exist because the fiction Starfleet was a meritocracy. You didn’t get in just because you tried hard. Could you imagine a bunch of left wingers in Starfleet negotiating with Klingons to give peace a chance?


10 posted on 02/24/2015 9:51:45 PM PST by Maelstorm (America wasn't founded with the battle cry of "Give me Liberty or cut me a government check!".)
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To: Citizen Zed

I think Next Generation stated that they lived in a post-scarcity society, meaning our understanding of economics is outdated.

Although you can tell the writers had anti-Capitalist leanings.


11 posted on 02/24/2015 9:53:23 PM PST by Shadow44
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To: Shadow44

That is the fundamental flaw, because there will always be a scarcity of talent. Somebody had to design all that fancy tech.


12 posted on 02/24/2015 9:57:14 PM PST by Squawk 8888 (Will steal your comments & post them on Twitter)
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To: goldstategop

Someone in church brought up the idea of living in a closer-knit community (I agree). Then they brought up how the early Christians shared everything - communal living.

I kept my mouth shut where some people believe that Paul was trying so hard to raise money for the Christians back in Jeruselem because they were in such dire straights due to their communal living.


13 posted on 02/24/2015 9:58:06 PM PST by 21twelve (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2185147/posts It is happening again.)
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To: goldstategop

Notice the absence of religion save in superficial aspects, though.


14 posted on 02/24/2015 9:59:07 PM PST by Olog-hai
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To: Citizen Zed

Star trek is cool, and intelligent, Star wars is for children who need a monarch.


15 posted on 02/24/2015 10:01:28 PM PST by DesertRhino (I was standing with a rifle, waiting for soviet paratroopers, but communists just ran for office.)
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To: freedumb2003

“And there is NO universe that will let a child be at the helm of a Star Ship with nearly 1,000 people aboard.”

Shop that idea around the US Navy. The Submarine community will be especially amused.


16 posted on 02/24/2015 10:03:25 PM PST by DesertRhino (I was standing with a rifle, waiting for soviet paratroopers, but communists just ran for office.)
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To: freedumb2003

You’d need to be 17


17 posted on 02/24/2015 10:04:02 PM PST by DesertRhino (I was standing with a rifle, waiting for soviet paratroopers, but communists just ran for office.)
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To: 21twelve

> communal living

“God in His wisdom saw another course fitter for them.”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3230421/posts


18 posted on 02/24/2015 10:05:14 PM PST by Ray76 (Obama says, "Unlike my mum, Ruth has all the documents needed to prove who Mark's father was.")
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To: Maelstorm
"Could you imagine a bunch of left wingers in Starfleet negotiating with Klingons to give peace a chance?"

Why not? Even Klingons have a sense of humor.
19 posted on 02/24/2015 10:07:37 PM PST by clearcarbon
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To: Crazieman

I guess you are limiting “the arena” to the Star Trek universe?

However, DS-9 was Trek’s response to Babylon 5, which was still far superior (though I rather liked DS-9 most of the time, too.)


20 posted on 02/24/2015 10:09:54 PM PST by Paul R.
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