From: Brian D Williams (talon57@well.com)
Date: Thu Feb 28 2002 - 09:42:32 MST
>From: Mike Lorrey <mlorrey@datamann.com>
>Yes, science fiction is propaganda about how the future *should*
>look, or how it *might* look, as the author sees it, given a
>certain set of circumstances. Star Trek is presented as a glorious
>future to live in, where nobody is poor, sick, maligned, or
>ignorant. Everybody is beautiful, there is food and wine aplenty,
>and the entire galaxy is the oyster of everyone. To proclaim this
>society as 'communist', and that the Star Trek world is great
>*specifically because it is* would therefore lend the dead concept
>of communism a level of credibility it doesn't deserve, and is
>just the sort of romanticizing that Hakim Bey was talking about,
>projecting a 'golden age' in the future on an ideology which is
>obviously not making anyone happy today.
On Star Trek, all you normally see are the people aboard the
starships, they are clearly military or the equivalent of the
military. When you do see non-Star Fleet people, like Piccard's
brother and the winery, or Sisko's father and his restaurant, you
see the results of a thriving free market economy.
The politically correct Star Trek, i.e. "Voyager", I could barely
stand to watch, which is too bad since they had a few great tech
concepts.
I think in the future we will eliminate hunger, poverty,
illiteracy, and dramatically improve healthcare for everyone, but
it will not be Communism nor it's ugly cousin Socialism or it's
lying twin "Economic Democracy" that get us there.
>So, lets look at communism today. I suggest reading Ann Marlowe's
>piece on salon.com:
>http://www.salon.com/people/feature/2002/02/07/cuba_milk/index.h
>tml
>Where she reports on the neglect of puppies, the price of milk,
>and the prevalence of prostitution and racial injustice in
>Castro's Cuban Communist Paradise. Truth is always a good antidote
>to disinformation propaganda, and Marlowe's reporting is powerful
>medicine indeed.
The simple fact is that Cuba can trade with every other country in
the world. There are countries that trade with Cuba just to slight
the U.S., but Cuba is still an economic hellhole and will remain so
as long as it's run by a totalitarian dictator with a defunct
economic theory.
Castro will continue to pretend that the reason Cuba is poor is
because of U.S. sanctions. Despite the fact that they have nothing
to do with it.
If the Palestinians ever begin to get their act together I expect
their first act will be to hold out their hands for a handout from
the "Great Satan". In fact I'll cover the bets...
Brian
Member:
Extropy Institute, www.extropy.org
National Rifle Association, www.nra.org, 1.800.672.3888
SBC/Ameritech Data Center Chicago, IL, Local 134 I.B.E.W
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