This is all Gene Roddenberry’s fault.
Recently, I started a quest to understand economics. I already had an awareness of Capitalism, Marxism, Socialism, Communism and many other “isms” plaguing the world. I use the word “plaguing” advisedly because nothing is surer than a war; the deaths resultant from that war and the reshaping and reconstruction of nations and their relations with each other will be a result of economics.
You can spit and dribble all you want about political doctrine and dogma. You can pith (sic), puke and spew all you want about religious intolerance. At the end of the day economics will rear its ugly head and lunge to envenomate the world with its greed for dominance of one culture over another.
That greed is measured in the fluid projection of an economic theory.
From the beginning of time man has fought man over something one possessed and the other wanted. Food, territory, natural resources (water, arable lands and the freedom to develop and control the internal and external distribution of these assets) has all been the foundational pursuits of these things. Ideologically, religious doctrine and dogma come in second in all ways.
That’s because conscience trails behind the course of man’s greed and avarice for things he may desire to indicate his superiority over his brothers.
In light of the fact Marx and Engels were hypocrites spouting their econo-drivel; theory becomes interesting because of the relative wealth of the primary proponents and advocates and those they claim to seek “fairness” and “equality” in the matter of possessions and pay. Only the wealthy can afford to be socialists. Only the wealthy feel capable of administrating a socialist society.
Engels was the eldest son of a wealthy, industrialist, cotton manufacturer. “Engels was a German author,
political theorist, philosopher, and father of
Marxist theory, alongside
Karl Marx. In 1845 he published
The Condition of the Working Class in England, based on personal observations and research.” (Wikipedia 2014)
Engels used that wealth to study work habits rather than enter into knowing those trades personally. Engels was one of many sponsoring Marx. Marx charmed other wealthy patrons in parlors, suites and academia into supporting his lifestyle. Marx was no more than a theorist. He didn’t march for the causes he espoused. He didn’t fight in the streets to advance his economic strategies. He spoke, for fees earned as a lecturer. He could afford to live by his theories, not his labors. Theorists do work, but not often physically once they attain the pinnacle of their “professions”.
Marxist social engineering caused the fall of empires. Marxism morphed into communism from Leninist/ Trotskyite/ Stalinist annealing. We now have a “gentler, kinder “version of economic equity being touted by Progressives. It’s the same product as the now defunct communist dream espoused; it simply has a newer, shinier shovel spreading it around Eden.
We’re slowly evolving into a connected world society seeking parity among our collective selves yet wanting individual liberties and rights. And thus, our desire for utopian based societies moving past the “petty” sensibilities and greed of individuals has led us to think we can develop a totally egalitarian economic structure such as: The Star Trek Economy.
This economic theory rests on the idea there is such a great, noble ability within the human breast; the same mortal breast sheltering hearts of venomous avarice for acquisition and totalitarian drives to conquer and suppress those weaker than we, will work together to assure there is never a shortage of ANYTHING. We’ll all live in a society where we come together in love, faith and fellowship. We’ll all join hands and sing Kumbaya. The sun will never set. The spirit will ever rise triumphant and we all get to solve our problems before the final credits. (Just DON’T wear the RED Starfleet shirt or you’re a goner!)
Yeah, right.
The Star Trek economy is based on Post-scarcity economics; a hypothetical societal economy in which goods, services and information are universally accessible
as long as one's social obligation to maintain the economy is completed. This ain’t NO welfare society, folks!
This requires sophisticated systems of
resource recycling. Technologically advanced, automated systems capable of converting
raw materials into finished goods must be in place.
All we need is “
TRANSPORTER/REPLICATOR TECHNOLOGIES!!! Ta-da-da-da-a-a-a-!
Humans can’t even decide what they want on a universal basis because of their cultural differences. We’re expected to bond together with NO desire to assert our individuality and express our desire for control over our environments? And still, Obama and his Federation Council of Democrato-Socialist/Progressive Politicos keep polishing the shovel they spread the manure with.
Good luck with that.
Thanks for listening
