From: John Grigg (starman2100@lycos.com)
Date: Thu Feb 28 2002 - 20:08:09 MST
Mike Lorrey wrote:
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.
(end)
This is not true. I remember a scene where Sisko is talking with the head of the Federation at the Earth headquarters. And reminding him that despite the relative paradise within Federation space, that outside its borders there is a great deal of suffering and poverty!
you continue:
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...
(end)
As has been said before, it's clear that within the Federation one can find private enterprise flourishing. And while this is a society where it appears everyone's basic needs for shelter, food, education and medical care are met by the state when necessary, still there is plenty of motivation to go out and be successful in terms of career, status and finances. So I definitely could not consider the Federation communist! Perhaps to an extent they are socialist, but they have a level of technology which allows them to so indulge without a massive economic drain on the society.
best wishes,
John
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