Watching a few episodes also made me wonder about the political views of Roddenberry.

I think he was expressing his ideas of utopia but they were not Marxist or Communist meaning that the perfection of society was not brought about by economic/social engineering. Instead his leftist dreams are brought about through advances in science.

Two examples - In one episode of NG they found a planet were young beautiful people ran around in white diapers having all kinds of sensual pleasures. However, much to Picard’s surprise one of the foundations of their society was capital punishment. When Picard explains why the federation does not have to exercise this punishment he says that their society had found a way to scientifically isolate those human traits that cause crime and remove them so that criminal behavior is removed.

A second quick example, the Enterprise is transporting a delegation of a primitive race that required live animals for their diet. When the representative of the primitive people asks Ryker why the do not eat animals he responds with something like this, “We no longer need to enslave animals because we have this thingy that replicates our food for us.”

Here are two examples of leftist dreams brought about by scientific discovery and advancement not social or economic tweaking.

McCoy was fantastic. The actor had the character down pat and in my view should be given huge roles in future ST movies. Spock the Young was good. I didn’t really think the other “main” characters really had the personalities and nuances that we all have come to know of the originals, but that is fine. Change is sometimes good. Although, I did detect some really good overacting at a couple of spots by the new Kirk.

Good Point.

I think I would’ve fought to the death over T’Pring as well. She was a babe.

“I have no idea as to what the Federation’s Constitution is to make any comments on if they can trump state’s rights or not. The Federation might not have a 10th Amendment.”

The federation would have to have a 10th Amendment, 0r something close to it. After all we’re talking about an organization of true aliens, whose cultures may, in big and small ways, be diametrically opposed to each other. There would have to be a rule strictly limiting Federation interference into local matters (like say - Vulcans fighting to the death over marriage).

Reading this post, this comment thread and seeing the movie, I think one of the keys to ST’s success is that almost no one has challenged it. No one has made much of an effort to create a character-driven utopian series. We’re all doing dystopias of one type or another — me included.

Interesting. There’s a hole in the market that no one has filled.

Even tho the Star Trek universe is a utopia of sorts with its limitless energy/resources. The Federation is still a merit based. One must prove themselves in order to rise up in the ranks of StarFleet afterall. I’m sure there is some nepotism/favoritism, but overall, it is complete meritocracy. Therefore, the Federation is not a socialist utopia.

Capitalism for monetary advancement has been exchanged with Capitalism for individual advancement.

I don’t think Roddenberry purposefully wanted to portray a socialist utopia. The Federation may indeed be one, but Roddenberry put in the “tools” that allowed the utopia to exist. Matter/Anti-matter power generation gives almost limitless energy using small amounts of resources and Replicator technology that can take that energy and produce almost any item required. Thus, a near limitless amount of resources exist for the Federation’s citizens. So, with basic supply and demand, if you have limitless resources, the cost for those resources is essentially zero, eliminating the need for money.

So, if a society could have limitless energy and infinite resources, a true utopia might just be achievable and acceptable to John Galt.

ed. said:
That’s a fascinating concept. Never thought of that although you might want to think about what would people do with those replicators. Free booze? Drugs? Live on chocolate cake? Or replicate the latest in sex toys?

My point was that you could not reform human nature and the appetites that man - with many exceptions of course - gives in to regularly.

And what do you think humans would do with Holodeck technology?

ed.”"”

Yes, many in society would opt for free booze, drugs, cake, sex toys and sit at home in their own personal holodeck. All the power to them. Natural selection would then take place. Chances are that they would never go out and therefore never procreate. Their genes should die out eventually, leaving those who want to truly better themselves to carry on the gene pool.