A Federation Community

[Stephen375]

Has anyone/group ever tried to start an actual community based on the tenants of the Federation, as observed in the the various series and movies?

IMO it would be an interesting, and worthwhile, experiment to see if like minded people could come together and start something like the Federation now. Sure we wouldn't be searching the stars, but we could begin the journey.

A community that works toward the greater good, but also encourages and rewards individual accomplishment.

Thoughts?

 

[JoeCabby]

It's being done right now although I can't remember the names of any of them at this point.

There's one out in British Columbia, some rich guy bought a whole town that was abandoned and plans to do build a community of geniuses to work in a socialist type of society.

There was another one I heard of as well. I'm gonna see if I can find those sites again and get back to you.

 

[Stephen375]

Cool thanks!

 

[USS Triumphant]

The Federation is a post-scarcity society, which makes a HUGE difference: it should be easy to focus on advancing humanity when you're no longer worried about where your next meal is coming from, and there's little reason to have the malice that comes with coveting your neighbors' possessions when you both have multiples of "more than plenty".

I think the closest thing we have in our age and in our more-or-less capitalist society is the research laboratory - a group of intelligent and relatively well-paid people working together to churn through the scientific process, funded either out of government grants (so the collective taxbase) or charitable donations in the case of non-profits, or out of money collected from the last round of customers who wanted/needed things previously developed by the labs and/or speculative investors, in the case for for-profits. The downside in either case being that the lab is expected to focus research in a direction desired by the funding sources and to produce results significantly more imminent and tangible than "advancing human knowledge as a whole".

Except for in the relatively rare cases where labs accept money to do unethical research or to falsify data, they ARE a community that works toward the greater good, but also encourages and rewards individual accomplishment - in the form of paychecks and bonuses.

Oh, and they ARE searching the stars: JPL, the numerous labs involved in developing technologies for Hubble, for the computing and the Internet (which are then in turn used for the purpose), etc. Just perhaps not at the speed those of us who would like to sit on the bridge of a real starship would like.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

...based on the tenants of the Federation...

You mean like the people who rent places in the Federation?

Or the tenets?

 

[Mudd]

Has anyone/group ever tried to start an actual community based on the tenants of the Federation, as observed in the the various series and movies?

IMO it would be an interesting, and worthwhile, experiment to see if like minded people could come together and start something like the Federation now. Sure we wouldn't be searching the stars, but we could begin the journey.

A community that works toward the greater good, but also encourages and rewards individual accomplishment.

Thoughts?

The problem with the concept has been that as soon as they hold their first group meeting and determine that none of them have achieved warp capability they always refuse to help one another out. Prime Directive violation.

 

[ManOnTheWave]

Sounds like a cult. Catch the comet.

 

[at Quark's]

...based on the tenants of the Federation...

You mean like the people who rent places in the Federation?

Or the tenets?

Hmmm... Perhaps 'tenants' isn't really such a bad metaphor for 'tenets' in this case. You know, the stuff or people you can just oust when the situation becomes urgent enough. Section 31, anyone?

 

[T'Girl]

Has anyone/group ever tried to start an actual community based on the tenants of the Federation, as observed in the the various series and movies?

Different fans pull different things from the series, which frequently lead to interesting (and occasionally intense) debates here. For the purpose of this thread, what do you (as the OP) see as "the tenets of the Federation?

What do you consider it's principles to be?

A community that works toward the greater good, but also encourages and rewards individual accomplishment.

That could be a description of a co-operative in a farming community. Farming co-op's are sometime form a "Grange," which sponsors social activities, community service, political lobbying and protects economic rights.

There's one out in British Columbia, some rich guy bought a whole town that was abandoned and plans to do build a community of geniuses to work in a socialist type of society.

In the dying days of the hippie movement (mid 70's) a numbers of hippie communes were created in isolated small valleys up in Washington State's Cascade Mountains, your basic farming communities.

.

 

[Nerys Myk]

It'ls a collection of lines from various TV shows and films, hardly the basis for a system of government or philosophical movement.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

I try to live live my life according the Federation principles as exemplified by James T. Kirk. So far I've been destroying computers with logic, sleeping with any remotely attractive woman I meet, and getting into a lot of fights in engine rooms.

 

[T'Girl]

^ Risk is your business.

 

[Greg Cox]

I don't know. The last time people tried build a community around the ideas of a popular science fiction author we got . . . Scientology.

 

[Stephen375]

Yes, tenet. I don't see an edit button though. :/

Great responses, and yes, I do realize that ST is entertainment.

I'll lay out my idea after I get home from work this evening.

 

[at Quark's]

Yes, tenet. I don't see an edit button though. :/

Great responses, and yes, I do realize that ST is entertainment.

I'll lay out my idea after I get home from work this evening.

AFAIK, you can only edit your posts for a limited amount of time after initially posting it. Don't know how much time, or whether it's a fixed amount of time or dependent upon posts placed after yours.

More on-topic though, I don't think such a community could really work. First, because, as had been pointed out, the Federation is based on post scarcity economics which we have yet to achieve. Secondly because I think unless humanity changes profoundly, there will always eventually be elements of power and corruption that make this kind of utopia infeasible. Even if you start out as an idyllic community with fully dedicated members that hold on to the highest standards of idealism, if your community were successful and started to grow, at a certain point individuals would be attracted to it that care less for its ideals and are just 'in there for the advantages' and wouldn't hesitate to bend the system for personal gain. And I don't see that changing in the foreseeable future.

(Which doesn't of course mean that we should just give up on such ideals ....)

 

[Stephen375]

Okay, here's my idea. Keep in mind this is very general and I haven't taken the time to to research into specifics, yet.

I envision a small community of 100-500, to start with. Authority would be organized in two ways. The first would be democratic, in that the "big" decisions are made by the community as a whole, by popular vote. The second would be an administrative hierarchy that carries out the decisions of the community vote. An example: The debate is whether to put in a new water well or construct a new building. The community votes and the well wins. Then the administrative hierarchy of the community (the same people) organize the construction of the well.

As some have already mentioned, the first order of business would be to become self sufficient in regards to food and water. This would require land, around 50 acres to start. It would also require the "core members", those who have the ability and motivation to maintain the infrastructures of the community, perhaps 15-25 people.

Okay off to work. Will post more if anyone is interested.

 

[T'Girl]

the Federation is based on post scarcity economics which we have yet to achieve

I doubt (at least I hope not) that the Federation is "based on "post scarcity. Rather the Federation is an example of social co-operation and acceptance of diversity, diversity of a degree that we on Earth have never seen.

It's a assemblage of multiple distinct societies that somehow get along with each other, without having to lose who they are and becoming a single culture in the process. There are instances in different series that show the Federation members don't necessarily even like each other.

A community that recognizes that there will be an ongoing need to protect and defend itself from those who exist outside.

A society that exhibits a enjoyment of life and experiences. Social interaction, music, art, sports, adventure.

I truly don't feel that the Federation has achieved "post scarcity economics," but they do have a materially comfortable life. For a modern day Federation a replicator type device would not be a requirement. Besides, both the Klingons and the Cardassians possess replicator technology, and neither society are wonderful examples of "desirable cultures." Replicator technology is not the hinge pin to a Federation.

because I think unless humanity changes profoundly, there will always eventually be elements of power and corruption that make this kind of utopia infeasible

Such people and concepts will likely be with us alway. A society should be able to withstand and control these elements, and not depend on them being absent.

.

 

[JoeCabby]

Can't seem to find this link. It was a video on youtube. I should say it has nothing to do with the federation and isn't being done by some star Trek Fan. But i did see similarities in that he was looking to build a community whose main goal was scientific advancement. It's probably more closely related to the Dharma initiative in Lost than Star Trek. Since I can't find the link, i could only assume he couldn't get anyone else to sign on. This was a few years ago that he was looking for people to join him.

 

[Stephen375]

I would also like to incorporate elements of Moore's Utopia.

 

[Greg Cox]

Don't forget the ban on human genetic engineering.