Capitalism / Corporations / Industry / Consumerism

[T'Girl]

I don't understand the Voyager view of replicators. Surely the replicators are the most efficient and effective replicators that could ever be developed. In that case, the replicators should be relied on extensively for recycling. Why Voyager needed to reduce the usage of replicators to save power when the warp drive must have used many orders of magnitude more power just doesn't seem verisimilitudinous to me.

The warp core can only generate so much power, in TNG in order to reach the highest warp they sometimes had to use the energy from the impulse engines on top of the maximum output of warp core. I can't remember if it was the TNG tech manual or in one of the episodes, but at high warp the replicators would have to be shut down.

The replicators simply consume a lot of energy.

 

[Pavonis]

Let's see how much power the crew needs to maintain their metabolism. A person needs about 2000 calories per day , or 8368000 J per day. Let's call it 10 MJ/day. That's 115 W per person. For a crew of 1000, that's about 100 kW of power just to maintain the crew's metabolic rate. That's what the replicators have to supply. That's a mass equivalent of about 10^-10 kg. Unfortunately, that amount of mass cannot be consumed by the crew. The replicators have to supply food in much larger masses.

A kilogram of mass has 9 x 10^16 joules. Assuming the replicator operates on direct mass-energy conversion, a sandwich, say, of 0.1 kg would be an energy equivalent of 9 x 10^15 J. If it takes the replicator, say, 3 seconds to make the sandwich, that's a power of 3 X 10^15 W, or 3000 terawatts! Just for one sandwich, for one person. Say three meals a day for 1000 people, that's 3000 x 3000 TW, or 9 million TW.

Yes, that's a lot of power, just for the replicators. But, how much power does the warp core system generate and how much does the warp drive consume? Without knowing that, we can't say that the replicators take "a lot" of power relative to the power generation capability of the ship.

 

[jefferiestubes8]

a new Star Trek bad guy

If we're going to a have a new Star Trek bad guy then instead of it being a particular empire/government let it be Companies/corporations of a certain species.

I think it would allow more interesting stories if the Trek bad guys were an alien race rather than a small group of a company. A lot more to allow more complex characters instead of just motivated by greed.

Unlike most other species in Trek the Lakappa are a purely capitalist people. The democratically elected Lakappa Government

It really doesn't matter as it would come down to one lead bad guy. And we would possibly see a Captain or officers goto meet the new bad guy or a few bad guys and of course there would be a violent skirmish. Trek's alien bad guys reappear so keeping the number bad guy character names down will help keep it less confusing.

The Lakappa species trade only within their own Empire and it is forbidden to trade with other species especially when it comes to weapons systems.

This is a nice touch.

As far as Trek it would still have to have the Federation economy which includes all of these elements from the Trying to figure out the Federation Economy discussion.

Federation first contact with the Lakappa is via Galaxacorp. Galaxacorp is expanding it's mining operations and enters Cardassian space to acquire new territory.

I see it more of an issue with skirmishes with Lakappa & Cardassians with the Federation Trek characters coming to help them out in a already-in-progress battle. Unless in an early season episode you had the actual first contact with the Lakappa to start the story arc through a season.

 

[T'Girl]

I think it would allow more interesting stories if the Trek bad guys were an alien race rather than a small group of a company. A lot more to allow more complex characters instead of just motivated by greed.

One of the advantages of it being a corporation, as opposed to a government is that it wouldn't be the same old thing. It could be different just to be different. Someone like Picard (especially a first season style Picard) would be incomprehensive down to his socks facing these people. Instead of a Klingon and their honor, the Starfleet Captain would face a corporate raider and his profit motivation. Or maybe some young buck who is looking to fight the Enterprise (or whatever name) not for diplomatic reasons but because she wanted the "Prize Money" that would come her way if the Enterprise could be taken fairly intact. The British Navy used to do that.

Unlike most other species in Trek the Lakappa are a purely capitalist people.

It really doesn't matter as it would come down to one lead bad guy. And we would possibly see a Captain or officers go to meet the new bad guy or a few bad guys and of course there would be a violent skirmish. Trek's alien bad guys reappear so keeping the number bad guy character names down will help keep it less confusing.

Remember the character of Burke (Paul Riser) from the second Alien movie? He and the corporation he worked for would be a excellent model for this race. The British East India Company had it's own military forces and basically it own diplomatic corp too. They exercised considerable influence over the governments of a dozen nation, occasionally they'd simply invade nations and install their own governments. Usual the new governments were better run.

Federation first contact with the Lakappa is via Galaxacorp. Galaxacorp is expanding it's mining operations and enters Cardassian space to acquire new territory.

I see it more of an issue with skirmishes with Lakappa & Cardassians with the Federation Trek characters coming to help them out in a already-in-progress battle. Unless in an early season episode you had the actual first contact with the Lakappa to start the story arc through a season.

After the Dominion war the Cardassians were weak, I doubt the Federation was going to lift a finger to assist them in holding on to their former conquests. The Cardassian union was falling apart..If the Lakappa were coming from the farside of Cardassian space the Lakappa might have sensed easy picking in the power vacuum and that's what drew them in that direction.

 

[Cheapjack]

I think that GR would have loved this lappaka idea. The OP would have been hired. But, like the Ferengi idea, these lot would have been seen to be comedic, or at least that's what the research would have said, and they would be the 'comedic relief', or maybe a little too close to home for some! Maybe not, as they DO seem a very extreme lot, like the Klingons. It might work.

Not surprise T'Girl has a lot to say about it!!

 

[T'Girl]

they DO seem a very extreme lot, like the Klingons

Star Trek, for better or for worst, does seem to prefer extreme opponents. While a subtle, smooth, reasonable, but insistent enemy would be different ... would that work within the story?

 

[TerraNovan]

Some of yall have really surprising view points on the economic system.


The federation works in a privileged based economy.

No one is need of primary resources food, shelter, clothing is all covered by the state.

Just like in canada, where if you dont wanna work you can go on welfare.

Yet the majority of people have no interest on going on welfare, despite the fact you get all your resources covered for.

People in 21st century canada are not motivate by the need to aquire resources.

If fact most rich canadians intend on living in high rise condos. and if you ever lived in one quickly realized the clutter of junk is a big no no in small high cost condo.

People in Canada are clearly motivated by status and privilege just like most people are. People wanna live closer to downtown, closer to the action, they want power and privilege.

Obviously this is why people work in star trek, they dont want a pay check, they want the privileges of success.

Just as sitting around doing nothing is shamefull now so is it in the future.


Anyway to the OP I prefer the idea that their are inner systems of the federation that are still capitalistic. Who have free trade zone, from old charter of the federation.

 

[T'Girl]

Some of yall have really surprising view points on the economic system.

A 49 month bump, wow!

No one is need of primary resources food, shelter, clothing is all covered by the state.

It's difficult to say "no one." The Federation is a vast mixture of alien cultures and societies. All of whom have different indigenous government styles, yes at least some of them might have cradle to grave social welfare, but with others that wouldn't be the case.

Just like in canada, where if you dont wanna work you can go on welfare.

If that species even has anything remotely like welfare.

People in 21st century canada are not motivate by the need to aquire resources.

America thanks you for the oil, I'm sure you appreciate the money and the taxes that comes with it. Social welfare systems are notoriously expensive.

 

[Hober Mallow]

Since the means of production are controlled by seemingly anyone with a replicator, it's a yet-to-be-named-ism.

Exactly. Socialism and Capitalism are two sides of industrialism. The world of Star Trek is a world beyond industrialism. The rules of the industrial age, which are the rules of both capitalism and socialism, no longer apply. The conflict between socialism and capitalism would be as antiquated in such a world as the conflict between ancient sedentary planters and nomadic cattle herders is to us now. The world of Star Trek would be a whole new paradigm.