Star Trek Economy

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Pythagoras
Bottom line, trek is not communist IMO, its a barter economy where most things are already provided almost freely, and the barter is just for those that cannot be replicated.

In other words, it's communism.

[Lonestar]

Originally posted by Pythagoras


Bottom line, trek is not communist IMO, its a barter economy where most things are already provided almost freely, and the barter is just for those that cannot be replicated.

Are you nuts? By any reasonable defination, the Federation is communist.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by DanS
Well, eventually, you would have to ration the space on planet Earth in ever more draconian fashion.

We are talking about Star Trek here, where people can establish colonies where they feel like.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
We are talking about Star Trek here, where people can establish colonies where they feel like.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Dissident
But here's the kicker. TNG also had property. Remember when Picard was back in France picking grapes for making wine in the final episode? This was the same land his family had run for generations.

So obviously land ownership still exists- even in a TNG society with no money.

Did Picard actually say his family owned this piece of land for generations?

Originally posted by Dissident
This means some people like Picards family are going to have more land than the average Joe.

I don't see how you came to this conclusion, either. How do we know that not every family on earth got to use a plot of land?

Originally posted by Dissident
The distinction to make here is they did not have replicators in TOS- they did not come until TNG.

AFAIK, they did have replicators in TOS.

[Pythagoras]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara


In other words, it's communism.

The items provided are not provided by the gov't, they are simply insanely cheap. Hence not communism.

[alva]

Originally posted by Dissident


not everyone can do work they enjoy. Yes, even in Star Trek.

Too many people want to do the same thing.

Why, you just have to be creative.

[Az]

The items provided are not provided by the gov't, they are simply insanely cheap. Hence not communism.

Read Marx, and you'll understand.

[Natalinasmpf]

The items provided are not provided by the gov't, they are simply insanely cheap. Hence not communism.

And the prices are regulated by...? The government. Planned economics!

Also, energy didn't really become cheap or plentiful. It was just easier to harness. In fact, it was ALWAYS plentiful (take a look at the sun blasting out all that wasted energy). More efficient, bearing in mind, deuterium was still a precious resource, it was need to power the replicators...yes, more efficient. Sewage; not required. Except for the Maylons (sp) who had to handle the nuclear waste. Normal human garbage could be converted into useful substances, but required energy to reform? Energy produced by deuterium = waste.

Then the Maylons want to dump all the waste, being garbagemen, into the void. In fact, it was highly profitable. And unenvironmental.

I think inefficiency was the bane of both democracy and communism, that often leads to abuse of both systems. (Like the ruling party abusing the electoral system over here)

Realised I've been rambling over three different things, but bear with me.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Azazel
Read Marx, and you'll understand.

[Pythagoras]

Originally posted by Natalinasmpf

The items provided are not provided by the gov't, they are simply insanely cheap. Hence not communism.

And the prices are regulated by...? The government. Planned economics!

I don't know if that's implied anywhere. In some situations in Trek I've heard speak of "public replicators," while in others famlies have discussed "getting a replicator" (ie Picard family in post Borg episode). I don't know who controls their distribution and production. Perhaps a replicator can replicate replicators.

[Natalinasmpf]

Imagine if replicators became self-aware and programmed to proliferate?

[alva]

I thought this thread was if and how a moneyless society would look like and how it would/could function etc.., not a star-trek analysis...

[Az]

I don't know if that's implied anywhere. In some situations in Trek I've heard speak of "public replicators," while in others famlies have discussed "getting a replicator" (ie Picard family in post Borg episode). I don't know who controls their distribution and production. Perhaps a replicator can replicate replicators.

Who provides the energy? "Star Fleet"/ "Federation" etc.

Generally, I think that Star Trek has some sort of salaries, etc. However, you almost never see factories, do you?

and I also agree with alva.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Azazel
Generally, I think that Star Trek has some sort of salaries, etc. However, you almost never see factories, do you?

Who needs factories when you have replicators?

IIRC, there's some reference as to factories being located in orbit in ST4.