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Federation Socialist and Monocultural origins
Posted: 2003-05-26 07:57am
by Spyder
Has it ever been explained at exactly which point the Federation decided to stop using money and everyone turned around and said "our way of life sucks, let's become a race of nerds!"?
I'd like to know what the official justification is because there is so much in human nature that seems to get brushed aside with a hand wave. Why would all the Jihads stop? Why would Isreal and Palestine stop going at it? Why would Bill Gates suddenly decide that money wasn't really that important? What could possibly make 90% of the world's population abandon what they believe in?
Posted: 2003-05-26 08:41am
by Tribun
Don't really know. Must have happend sometimes between ST VI and TNG. I really wonder how that kind of state can work? It reminds me greatly of the German Democratic Republic (In German called the "DDR") which ceased th exist 1990. They called themselves "the first socialist state on German ground".
Somehow the Federation reminds me of them....
Posted: 2003-05-26 11:22am
by Dark Primus
I seriously doubt people were willing to give upp the advantages of being wealthy. But I do find it strange that people are accepting it.
For the generation who gave it up must have been a hard time. But the generation that came after probably didn't have any problems.
Posted: 2003-05-26 12:03pm
by TrailerParkJawa
Im still curious how they handle property. Picard's family is has land in France, but do they have a deed of title? Or does the Federation simply hand out land based on service or merit.
Posted: 2003-05-26 01:25pm
by Tribun
If I remember correct, in the communist states in Europe, all what was bigger than a vehicle (ergo houses, land, factories) were property of the state. You could buy in a house, but didn't own it, but bought the permission to live in it. Similar for land.
If it is really this way in the federation, the state owns all bigger than vehicles, than they must have sized all that property, to then tell the former owners, that they are now at the mercy of the state.
Cruel idea......
Posted: 2003-05-26 05:03pm
by Jeremy
What if these cocked up Universal Translators send out signals that convince people of the righteousness of the UFP's cause. I would expect that this device has a limited range so one per person. I would also think that other races have a device that works similarily but is not the same model, thus they are not under Federation control. This device's affect may work in such a way that after a few years in service, the person is completely lost.
So is that plausible or not?
Posted: 2003-05-26 05:14pm
by Rye
Perhaps the betazoids are communist and when they achieved first contact, invisible psychic dominators were put on earth and make everyone believe "a socialist paradise" is a good idea, as detrimental as it is to development and progression notwithstanding.
Blame it on the betazoids i say.
Posted: 2003-05-26 06:05pm
by Grand Admiral Thrawn
Concilors my ass. Troi's a political officer!
Posted: 2003-05-26 07:52pm
by Jeremy
So then how the hell did Betazoid get captured by the Dominion? Don't you think they would have that very well guarded?
Posted: 2003-05-27 12:02am
by HappyTarget
^ Merely a carefully constructed propaganda campagin backed up by some telepathic suggestions. This way no one would suspect that they are really in charge, for if they were that powerful, they most certainly would never have been overrun right?

Posted: 2003-05-27 05:25am
by Peregrin Toker
Rye wrote:Perhaps the betazoids are communist and when they achieved first contact, invisible psychic dominators were put on earth and make everyone believe "a socialist paradise" is a good idea, as detrimental as it is to development and progression notwithstanding.
(The theme from "Hunt For Red October" starts playing)
Posted: 2003-05-27 08:02am
by Drooling Iguana
Rye wrote:Perhaps the betazoids are communist and when they achieved first contact, invisible psychic dominators were put on earth and make everyone believe "a socialist paradise" is a good idea, as detrimental as it is to development and progression notwithstanding.
Blame it on the betazoids i say.
Blame Betazed!
Blame Betazed!
They're not even a real planet anyway...
Posted: 2003-05-27 08:48am
by JodoForce
Simon H.Johansen wrote:
(The theme from "Hunt For Red October" starts playing)
Which theme?

Posted: 2003-05-27 09:44am
by Sea Skimmer
Some form of mind control is involved, or they’ve altered there genes to be less independent and greedy.
Posted: 2003-05-27 11:06am
by Smiling Bandit
Why would all the Jihads stop? Why would Isreal and Palestine stop going at it? Why would Bill Gates suddenly decide that money wasn't really that important? What could possibly make 90% of the world's population abandon what they believe in?
As I recall, pretty much all the Israelis, Palestinians, and so forth got blowed up by nuclear war. I may be misremembering.
Posted: 2003-05-27 11:37am
by Posbi
Who the hell would waste nukes on them?
Posted: 2003-05-27 11:44am
by TrailerParkJawa
Posbi wrote:Who the hell would waste nukes on them?
I think the notion is that they nuked each other. Have we ever seen any good references to how many people died and what nations dissappeared in the various wars ST refers too?
Posted: 2003-05-27 11:54am
by apocolypse
TrailerParkJawa wrote:Posbi wrote:Who the hell would waste nukes on them?
I think the notion is that they nuked each other. Have we ever seen any good references to how many people died and what nations dissappeared in the various wars ST refers too?
IIRC Riker said that 600 million died in WWIII.
Posted: 2003-05-27 11:59am
by Tribun
IIRC Riker said that 600 million died in WWIII.
By the way it seems to be a way to low calc. Over a billion would be more plausible.....
Posted: 2003-05-27 12:03pm
by apocolypse
And actually, just thought about this too. *raises flame shields* Why the hell is everyone so obsessed with the Feds either being or not being socialist. Okay, we don't really know enough about how the economy works. The creation and usage of replicators has altered the economic structure. They claim to not use money, yet we've seen currency being exchanged in DS9. Everyone wants to harp on the "evil commie Feds!!" but point is, it works for them. As far as anyone knows, it's not a bad system. People are fed and cared for (and before anyone goes there, I'm not commie/socialist/Trekkie wanker/etc) and seem to basically get whatever they want.
And as far as land ownership, you don't own the land you live on either. At least not in America. You can buy and own your house, but if you don't pay your property tax, the government can and will take it from you.
Posted: 2003-05-27 01:23pm
by Peregrin Toker
JodoForce wrote:Simon H.Johansen wrote:
(The theme from "Hunt For Red October" starts playing)
Which theme?

The one with the chorus singing in Russian. "Hymn To Red October", I think it's called.
Posted: 2003-05-27 05:57pm
by Setzer
Posbi wrote:Who the hell would waste nukes on them?
Whaddya mean, WASTE? It's the only Middle East peace plan that might actually succeed.