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 ...
Star Trek is fiction.
The Picard winery-restaurant scenario depicted is called barter. Money was invented to overcome the limitations of barter.
“Fascinating”
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.
If the Star Trek writers had any understanding of economics they’d depict the Ferengi ruling the galaxy.
Star Trek: DS9 was the best series on realism in that arena.
>>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).
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?
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.
That is the fundamental flaw, because there will always be a scarcity of talent. Somebody had to design all that fancy tech.
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.
Notice the absence of religion save in superficial aspects, though.
Star trek is cool, and intelligent, Star wars is for children who need a monarch.
“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.
You’d need to be 17
> communal living
“God in His wisdom saw another course fitter for them.”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/3230421/posts
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.)
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