Is the Star Trek Economy a Welfare State?

Slate ^ | 2-12-2015 | Ara Ogle, Quora

[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.

[MrB]

You bring up a point there...
Today we have men who would drug a women to rape her.
They never brought up that possibility with a phaser stun.

I guess they must have been able to create an environment in which everyone expressed their inherently good humanity and never do anything “unethical”. This is what liberals believe will happen, once they’re able to control the environment to that point.

[Impy]

I would set it to vaporize.

[NFHale]

And never forget this:

Kirk did “The Green Chick” ... I mean, yo... Instellar kink to the max ...

Who needs money!?! Kirk didn’t.... she turned that one for FREE, baby...

[NFHale]

Listen...

That society was so perfect, they even tamed those evil Tea Party Klingons and Romulans, man...

[SevenofNine]

You got that right

[NFHale]

I’d set it to “Bake”... and make S’Mores... for the whole galaxy...

Picture that... how can there be interplanetary war and hatred when EVERYBODY has ALL the S’Mores they could ever possibly want???

Or maybe just give Green Chicks to everybody...

[Impy]

In the last movie, “Kirk” is double teamed by twin sisters with tails, meow.

[Impy]

I’d take both. ;D

[NFHale]

Got a little tail, did he?

:^)

[RWB Patriot]

Star Trek is just another utopia dream that ignores the fact that nothing man needs just grows on trees.

[Paul R.]

B5 is very, very good, but it takes some, ah, “determination” to get in to it, as the series is really one big (and fairly coherent) 5 year long story. The 1st couple times I saw it, I had no idea what the overall plot was, and was left wondering what the heck I was watching.

However, then I saw a couple episodes that stood alone fairly well, and that hooked me. To understand the whole story one needs to watch the 1st season, which is the hardest to “assimilate”, 1st. But, to get hooked, I’d watch these episodes from Season 2:

All Alone In the Night

And Now For a Word

Confessions and Lamentations
(Wonderful spirituality and willingness to sacrifice by the character “Delenn” reveals itself late in this episode, pretty much striking awe into her former enemy, Capt. Sheridan.)

A word of caution: While there are occasional space battles, that’s not what B5 is really about. B5 goes much deeper, and therefor requires much of its viewer. But, give it a good chance, and it will be well worth the effort.

G’Kar’s speech on freedom, after the defeat of his people:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJmuHNDcXLQ

When you get to Season 3, the Episode “Severed Dreams” has “everything” (including a major battle). But the “build-up” is what helps make it special.

[Paul R.]

Yes, it’s interesting that B5 came mostly from the mind of Joe Straczynski, who’s atheist, or at least agnostic, but both good and bad sides of religion are portrayed pretty well and fairly in B5. There is certainly no lack of positive spirituality from characters like G’Kar and Delenn, who are portrayed as quite strong believers of their religions (tho’ it takes G’Kar a while, and great pain, to get there.)

On the other hand, the Drazi are comical (for the most part) and the Markabs’ are decent enough beings whose beliefs doom them...

[tbw2]

It is also notable for the positive portrayal of several Catholic priests, from the one who was a murderer and re-enacts the garden at gesetheme to meet the families of the ones he murdered to the head priest on Babylon 5 who gives us a glimpse of what happens to reprogrammed murderers.
Rarely do you see positive portrayals of priests in science fiction or modern television, MASH, the priest in the underground movement in the reincarnation of “V” and Babylon 5 being the exceptions.