Politics of Star Trek

[diankra]

Earth is a post-scarcity society, and this idea has been expanded throughout the Federation. However other species still use money, so resources have to be bartered with others.

Now, while it is noted in ENT and TOS that Starfleet officers earn their pay, I don’t think it is meant to be taken literally.

VOY (episode "Dark Frontier") mentioned something about the New World Economy taking hold in the late 22nd century and money becoming nonexistent. However, Sisko mentioned in "Past Tense" that the world that Starfleet recognized was at least a century away, i.e. 2113, even though the Bell Riots of 2024 were the beginning of change towards that world, WW3 and post atomic horror aside. And there isn’t a world government until 2150, a year before the NX-01 launches, which will have its own impact on the economy.

The absence of greed seems to be the main philosophy behind the origins of a moneyless society. Which is something humans and Ferengi will disagree on.

Best way round all this is that in the Federation there's something like Universal Basic Income that allows all citizens to live comfortably, but there are extra rewards for those who embrace challenging and dangerous roles like starship duty. Perhaps money, but also political influence (I think there is something similar in present day China). Allows you to have a meal at Sisko's rather than out of a replicator, buy a vineyard to run, get your own spacecraft...

 

[Unimatrix Q]

Hi folks,

New here and here for a particular reason.
I'm study social and economic models and have always had an interested in the idea Picard presents in First Contact, "the economics of the future are somewhat different" and continues to explain.

Understandably we don't have replicators for food and resources but I'm considering writing my paper on this as a social model as it has interested me for some years.
I was hoping that you folks could help out and point me in the right direction to any relavent further sources of information regarding this.

Many thanks for any help
Hope you're all well

Ny

There's a really good book about this:

https://www.amazon.com/-/de/Trekono...konomics&language=en_US&qid=1594120264&sr=8-1

 

[Ny.]

Hi
Just wanted to say a big thank you. This has lead me to so much information.
An amazing idea and in times like these it makes you wonder what if?
Again thank you and maybe one day someone will. The best we can do is share ideas like this with others and hope for the best.

For those unsure of this, take a look.

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All the best
Ny

Have a look at the concept of the resource based economy — a hypothetical model which completely eschews both money and politics. I heard it of via the late great Jacques Fresco, and it is basically Star Trek’s vision of the future through and through. I see it as the only way out of the godawful system we’re stuck in, but sadly can’t imagine anyone with the vision, guts or support to ever establish one, unless our current society collapses I guess.

 

[Tenacity]

Best way round all this is that in the Federation there's something like Universal Basic Income that allows all citizens to live comfortably

Or, the Federation members, owing to centuries of economic expansion, resources pouring in from interstellar locationa, and hundreds (if not thousands) of colonies, has near universal employment and prosperity.

Individuals in need of assistance are extremely rare (although not completely unknown).

Picard presents in First Contact, "the economics of the future are somewhat different" and continues to explain.

Except Picard doesn't "continue to explain," when Liliy Sloane point blank asks Picard if he gets paid, Picard ducks off on a tangent and never answers her.