Star Trek - The Utopian Society

[redixdoragon]

Run time: 01:55 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vsy4mjSHtcE   Posted on YouTube: January 04, 2010 By YouTube Member: DeepSpiritsMedia Views on YouTube: 356   Posted on DU: September 21, 2010 By DU Member: redixdoragon Views on DU: 665

 
So with as negative as things can be, especially around election season, I felt it might be a little cathartic to see how good things could possibly be. Fiction to be sure, at least, as it appears now. But one could hope.

Riker, Data, and Picard tell us of the differences between the 21st century and the 24th. More to the point the tell us how we are now more than how things will be then because it seems so fantastical.

Earth as but a member of something that is a greater whole. Today no one could imagine the US as a member of anything, it must be the leader of everything.

The pursuits of materialistic things no longer being a factor in daily life. We cannot at all imagine seperating ourselves from our wants. (not needs, but sometimes in our society the line between need and want is highly blurred)

I was eight when I first heard this, not fully understanding it. My father laughed in disbelief, but I dreamed.

[redixdoragon]

1. By the way

If this is far more sociological and not quite political enough I take no offense if it's taken down. I admit I scanned the rulse a bit hastily.

[RandomThoughts]

2. You have to first dream it, to make it happen.

And that is a good dream, but a long road.

In my view, worth the journey.

[Ozymanithrax]

3. I'm a Trekie...but utopias don't exist.

As Utopian as Star Trek was, it was in a Universe constantly at war.

[redixdoragon]

5. In struggle perhaps

But, at least when Gene Roddenberry was alive, he created a Star Trek that was working to avoid war whenever possible. After his passing, writers like Ronald D. Moore created a more warlike atmosphere within Star Trek as was seen in Deep Space Nine.

Till then we had the morality plays, the tinted glass through which we could see our own reflection in alien societies which could give us new perspective. I've had arguments about drone planes and the video game pilots we're creating, pointing out the original series episode "A Taste of Armageddon" as an example. A situation in which war was so easy, so commonplace, so bloodless for the ones waging it, that it became infinite, and there was still death.

I guess Kirk, Picard and the others were examples of the best of us. They were reaching out to the "us" in the aliens or other humans and saying, "There's another way."

And more to your point, I think even in one episode it was pointed out that their system wasn't yet perfect, but they were working on it.

All in all, its the attitude and the dream.

[Ozymanithrax]

6. In the original Star Trek, and Next Generation, all conflict was external...

There was almost no real conflict between members of the crew.

With Deep Space Nine, everybody had an agenda and there was conflict galore. From the point of view of pure story, Deep Space Nine was the best of the series.

I loved Star Trek as a Kid. But there are no utopias, like the poor, war is with us always. But, we can do better than we are.

Perfection is beyond reach but not beyond our grasp.

[redixdoragon]

7. On the matter of impossible

There are yet no utopias yes. Utopia being a greek word meaning "No place" it was coined as a place or rather society that couldn't exist.

In its modern iteration it more means a place wherein most of the problems of the present have vanished and things are generally better.

I find it amazing that many have looked at Star Trek, seen the gizmos that many say, "That's impossible. It can't exist." and have through time made them come to be, or are closer to making it reality.

Then people look at the Star Trek society and behavior of people and say, "That's impossible. It can't exist." and almost everyone nods and agrees without pause.

We are far off from such an existence, we certainly have a lot of work to do, but waving it off as "Impossible." simply starts us from a low bar of expectations.

[Ozymanithrax]

9. I think the gizmos are quite possible...up to and including warp drive.

There are a number of possible solutions to Einstein's equaitons that may make even that possible. That is technology. It is the whole world peace thing that I think is unlikely, as it suggests a real and fundamental change in human nature. But anything is possible.

[leveymg]

11. You like internal conflict and ambivalence? Try Battlestar Galactica (the new one)

Now there's identity confusion and no clear lines between good and evil for you. Acting and writing stands on its own as pure drama, and the technology stuff was only secondary to the dialogue between well-developed, all-too-human characters. The writers aren't afraid of surprise and tragedy. Recommended.

Without spoiling the disturbing series ending, I can tell you that the story is as much about ghosts as it is about machines.

[silverweb]

4. One of my very favorite episodes.

This clip didn't show my favorite part, though -- where Mr. Moneybags first gets the news that his brokers and bankers and fortune are long gone.

On edit: Do you know which episode this was? I'd like to watch the whole thing again if I can find it.

[Norrin Radd]

8. Tom Paris liked to watch TV, though. ;-)

TV is merely broadcast drama. Picard kept a copy of The Globe Illustrated Shakespeare under glass in his ready room...

[leveymg]

10. Looks like them gawd darned commies and illegal aliens won. Comforting to know they'll still have

dry martinis, though.

"From each according to his ability. To each according to her needs." . . . Evil, pure evil.