Star Trek is communist? - .....................

[AntiHero]

Anyone think that Star Trek is communist? The Federation (the good guys) has no currency or a single leader. Housing, food, and education is provided by the goverment. Everyone seems to have the same social standing (except the millitary). The only thing that could disapprove this is the way they potray the Borg (evil communists wanting to rule everything).

[Naive]

We actually had a discussion similar to this in one of my sociology classes. It got a bit side-tracked when someone brought up the Smurfs as a symbol for the ideal communist society.
In the class someone made the point that the Borg were more a refelction on globalisation and todays consumer society, where you have to assimilate or you don't survive.

[sabre]

WHOA! The smurfs ARE the perfect socialist state! Theyre all happy and running around and maybe that dude that lives on teh mountain that tries to eat them is capitalism ? I dunno. Maybe its a Cartoon Network conspiracy?
hehe

-sabre

[Jurhael]

HAHAAHAH!!! Star Trek would be more socialist than communist. The Borg are a COLLECTIVE, btw rather than an actual communism, btw.

However, good luck telling Libertarians that. They think Star Trek is some kind of epitome of Libertarianism. Whatthefuckever. heh

[CommieBastard]

Federation - Technological Utopianism
Klingon Empire - Barbarism
Romulan Empire - Nationalism/Expansionism
Ferengi - Neo-Liberal Free Trade
Borg - can be interpreted in sooooo many ways
Cardassian Empire - Germany in many of it's stages
Bajor - France from the Cardassia-German metaphor
the Dominion - Fascism? certainly Tyranical.

cant think of any more of em.....

[gooddoctor]

it sucks how the yanks called one of its most murderous warships the uss enterprise. it's like they're trying to act cool and let the kids know they're in touch with pop culture. they ruined star wars in the same way.

[AgustoSandino]

Hey bud the enterprise, the original USS enterprise has a long and distinguished war record that dates back to the pacific theatre in WW2.

[RedCeltic]

Uh... yea... actually I was in the US Navy... and Agusto is correct... the present day USS Enterprise which is a nuclear air craft carrier simmilar to the one I was on (USS T Roosevelt cvn71) .... the Enterprise was named after the world war two ship by the same name.

It was the writers of star treck who tried to be realistic by using the name of a real warship

(Edited by RedCeltic at 10:36 pm on Oct. 28, 2001)

[gooddoctor]

sorry, i'm not a trekkie you see. it doesn't chang ethe main point that they are murdering afghans as we speak. and as for star wars...

[fruity psycho gurl]

hold up. gooddoctor, it is more than possible that my tiny brain is confused. but who was talking about afghanistan? i believe the topic is "Star Trek is communist?"........

[Chief Rebel Angel]

all of u can actually watch star treck?? i am shocked... but i have watched a few episodes myself, and i think now that "yeah, perhaps it is a socialist society"... but i dont know if the creator(s) of the show meant it to be so.. anyone have any background about them?

[RedCeltic]

I'm no 'Treckie" however I do know that the writers of Star treck took many of the story lines for the episodes of the origional series from old pulp fiction. Fredrick Pohl and Izac Amanov who where both communists in their youth had a magazine called 'Amazing stories' and much of the stories that they incorperated as epesodes in Star Treck where taken from there.

I know of this from reading Fredrick Pohl's biography, (a science fiction writer)

[gooddoctor]

fruity, i was merely taking the thread in a new direction, it does happen you know. and afterall, this is the general political topics discussion board...

[RedCeltic]

Well... also if Goodoctor... the name for the ship actually dates back to a square Rigger used in the War of 1812. In fact alot of ships have names that have been reused.

[peaccenicked]

The original star trek was communistic they had no money no classes but a militarized authority structure.
The ferengi were the counter revolution and the borg the evil empire as in russia > It was all things to all. The method of populism.
However my favourite bit is when Quark goes back in time and finds out about nuclear bombs.
he says "Do you mean to say they actually irradiated their own planet"
"Yes"
"STUPID HUMONS"

[Moskitto]

what about next gen? but then again, that was way too utopian.

[Dreadnaht1]

Actually I think that the SMURFS were definetly Soviet Propaganda. For example:

Smurfs or S. M. U. R. F.'s: Socialist Men Under Red Father

Papa Smurf=Marx or Lenin; possibly, but doubtful, Stalin.
Take notice to Papa Smurf's beard, and RED hat. The beard could be that of Marx or maybe Lenin but the red hat does signify communism. It's also there to show the kids that red is the color of papa smurf, a kind gentle loving entity.

Brainy Smurf= Brainy Smurf could be the one to get the icepick in Smurf-village since he's non other then Leon Trotsky. What a brilliant smurf.

Tinkering Smurf= The one Smurf, forget his name at the moment, who's always tinkering and bulding things could also be Marx. Since Marx was more of an inventor and would rather be part of the people then a leader like Papa Smurf.

Smurf-Village= Smurf-Village is the ultimate classless society. Everyone lives in the same types of houses, even Papa Smurf. They all work together in unity and have no currency. They all look the same yet have different personalities. The only mind boggeling thing in Smurf-Village: The Smurfette. Could she be an actual female revolutionary or just a symbol of the politicans mistresses? The village ho, if you will.

The man and his cat= The tall, powerful man who is wanting always to capture the Smurf's and cook them could be capitalism itself. He wants to capture the Smurfs and cook them in his pot which ultimately makes the Smurfs turn into gold. Currency over life. The fat and stupid cat he owns could be U$A. The beast of capitalism and the one who tries to kill the socialists...er Smurfs.

I suppose this could all be true or completely false. Anyway, this is my opion on it, hope you found it slightly interesting.

-Dread

[TheGranma]

For me the whole representation has changed throughout the different series...

The Original Series was anti Communist as the Klingons, the main enemy were clearly based on Russians...I mean, you ever hear them speak, It's like some strange Russian dialect!

The modern series however seems to have turned on that trend a bit. Remember, the historical discourse has changed, the Cold War is over so the representations and writers will be different in ideoligies. The modern shows have a far more socialist utopian society than the older ones.

[peaccenicked]

Resistence is futile
you will be assimilated
Still cold war propaganda no

[Moskitto]

Kligon is supposed to be a cross between Welsh, German and Japanese apparantly.