Do you often wish that you were living in Star Trek now?

[mendelin]

The question is ambiguous, but in general, if life in Star Trek means:
1. effective and advanced medicine;
2. lifespan 150 years and more;
3. contacts with other civilizations, effective and friendly exchange for technology and knowledge;
4. opportunity for all people to do what they really likes, what is really useful and they can do it good.
then yes, I want live in Star Trek right now and without any doubts.
Despite of:
1. Huge interplanetary wars;
2. Strange and dangerous villains like Changelings;
3. Permanent danger to loose Earth in conflicts like V'Ger;
4. and many other bad things.

 

[Vandervecken]

I'll incorporate my new company, 21st Century Homo Sapiens, Inc. (one employee, owner, and attraction, unless I can round up those folks from "The Neutral Zone") on Ferenginar (probably an awesome tax shelter, as long as you grease the right palms in the FCA), let the bids and latinum roll in, and buy myself (or build myself) a ship to rival any Starfleet vessel and hire a crew. We'll cruise around the Alpha and Beta Quadrants like 24th-Century Lords of Flatbush, or Kahn without the 'tude.

 

[T'Girl]

I can come up with a list, but a beginning few would be ...

Lack of privacy, the hero crew can access personal information on anyone inside (and often outside) the Federation on a whim.

The "you're no supposed to feel anything when someone dies," this was applied once to a child who lost his mother. This was already brought up in this thread.

The Prime Directive, especially as applied in the 24th century. Yes there is a chance they might screw it up, but a planet full of screwed up natives is better than a planet littered with corpses.

The fact that Roddenbeery had a problem with Code of Honor, there should have been many more planets of "dem black folks" and not none at all. there were way too many white people planets to start with.

No gays on display, but plenty of heteros, at a certain point it ceases to be a co-incidence.

 

[Joel_Kirk]

I can come up with a list, but a beginning few would be ...

Lack of privacy, the hero crew can access personal information on anyone inside (and often outside) the Federation on a whim.

The "you're no supposed to feel anything when someone dies," this was applied once to a child who lost his mother. This was already brought up in this thread.

The Prime Directive, especially as applied in the 24th century. Yes there is a chance they might screw it up, but a planet full of screwed up natives is better than a planet littered with corpses.

The fact that Roddenbeery had a problem with Code of Honor, there should have been many more planets of "dem black folks" and not none at all. there were way too many white people planets to start with.

No gays on display, but plenty of heteros, at a certain point it ceases to be a co-incidence.

Preach it, sista T'Girl!

Definitely some excellent points.

(I've posted this to my Facebook, and will post this to my blog. Many want to remain in denial as to why Star Trek isn't as progressive as it wants to think it is).

 

[Rarewolf]

You'd never get me out the Holodeck

 

[Joel_Kirk]

You'd never get me out the Holodeck

Just be sure to put the 'lock' feature on. Too many people seem to be able to walk in on people without notice.

 

[urbandefault]

Life is what you make of it, no matter where or when or how long you live.

As long as humans exist, there will always be the same human failings. Greed, hatred, lust, sloth, gluttony, wrath, pride ... these are the things we all struggle to overcome. Picard boasts that these deadly sins have all been cast aside, but his own words betray him. His smugness about humanity's "evolved" state is evidence that the basics of humanity still exist, in spades.

As for myself, the future would be a nice place to visit, but I still have a lot to do here.

 

[Timewalker]

I'd like things to be better like in Trek. Life now-a-days is filled with disasters, killings, politics,hate crimes and, greed. I like it that in Trek, all of this stuff has gone away and things are good.

Yeah, Star Trek never had any disasters, killings, politics, hate crimes, or greed. Nope. None whatsoever.

But this "no money" business, for example ...

How are things acquired/owned in a world without money? Is it "First Come, First Served" for things like, oh ... Scotty said he'd just bought a boat in TUC. Was he just lucky enough to have gotten to it before anyone else? Or do Famous Celebrities get first dibs on everything? Does "status" still exist, sans money, and does it, then, imply "purchasing power" that maybe Joe the Plumber in 23rd Century America can't have? Must Joe strive harder to improve himself, lest he be stuck living like Trailer Trash?

This "no money" thing is one of the most misunderstood things about Star Trek.

Every society that's advanced beyond hunter/gatherer bands needs some kind of economy, even if it's just bartering. A society as advanced as the Federation has some kind of economy - it's just one that's more complex than any we're used to, since it has to take into account a lot of different things like planetary economies, governments, philosophies, and the basic problem of communication. If Lieutenant __ from Planet Somewhere goes on shore leave and wants to buy a souvenir on some border starbase, how will he/she pay for it? Federation credits? Gold-pressed latinum? Some local currency? Barter? Sing for it? Arrange an electronic transfer via subspace from some Federation bank or a bank on his/her homeworld?

The universe works on the principle of TANSTAAFL. There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch. Starfleet officers and major Federation worlds may have done away with cash. But they certainly have not done away with money. There's a difference.

No gays on display, but plenty of heteros, at a certain point it ceases to be a co-incidence.

That's what fanfic is for. There's a myriad of stories with K/S, Sulu/Chekov, Spock/Sulu, Garak/Bashir, Janeway/Seven, and other combinations as well. In the Valjiir stories many of the characters, both male and female, are bisexual and those who aren't, don't irrationally judge those who are (well, mostly).

 

[Joel_Kirk]

Life is what you make of it, no matter where or when or how long you live.

As long as humans exist, there will always be the same human failings. Greed, hatred, lust, sloth, gluttony, wrath, pride ... these are the things we all struggle to overcome. Picard boasts that these deadly sins have all been cast aside, but his own words betray him. His smugness about humanity's "evolved" state is evidence that the basics of humanity still exist, in spades.

As for myself, the future would be a nice place to visit, but I still have a lot to do here.

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

The world of Star Trek isn't as complete as the real world - it would be like living in an interstellar scale version of the Tombstone illusion from Spectre of the Gun. So, write me down for "no".

 

[Michelle]

Yep, I would happily leave everything behind and move far far away and never look back...

 

[Vandervecken]

I'll incorporate my new company, 21st Century Homo Sapiens, Inc. (one employee, owner, and attraction, unless I can round up those folks from "The Neutral Zone") on Ferenginar (probably an awesome tax shelter, as long as you grease the right palms in the FCA), let the bids and latinum roll in, and buy myself (or build myself) a ship to rival any Starfleet vessel and hire a crew. We'll cruise around the Alpha and Beta Quadrants like 24th-Century Lords of Flatbush, or Kahn without the 'tude.

Hell, we (me and my old Neutral Zone gang) could open a 21st Century Theme Park! Bet we could get some nice spot in an unused/undeveloped area of Risa. Offenhouse would be lots of help, although I can see storm clouds of disagreement on the horizon unless we get a good Ferengi lawyer to handle our Articles of Incorporation. But we'd work it out. We're both greedy, but we both want to be rich so it'd be in our interest to make it work. After all, we're the prime attractions.

I'm telling you, you guys are just not seeing the rarity value of a 21st-century person in the 24th. I'll own Risa in 10 years. The world would be our thing with pearls inside!

 

[mendelin]

No gays on display, but plenty of heteros, at a certain point it ceases to be a co-incidence.

What's wrong with it? By the way, in DS9 such relations were shown between Jadzia and Dax's ex-wife.

That's what fanfic is for. There's a myriad of stories with K/S, Sulu/Chekov, Spock/Sulu, Garak/Bashir, Janeway/Seven, and other combinations as well. In the Valjiir stories many of the characters, both male and female, are bisexual and those who aren't, don't irrationally judge those who are (well, mostly).

Don't get me wrong, but on what basis people write such stories? Why it's necessary or funny to imagine sexual relations between Kirk and Spock, for example? Why is true friendship less valuable than gay-sex? Is it really our future, if we need it in Star Trek (in 24th century)?

 

[Timewalker]

No gays on display, but plenty of heteros, at a certain point it ceases to be a co-incidence.

What's wrong with it? By the way, in DS9 such relations were shown between Jadzia and Dax's ex-wife.

That's what fanfic is for. There's a myriad of stories with K/S, Sulu/Chekov, Spock/Sulu, Garak/Bashir, Janeway/Seven, and other combinations as well. In the Valjiir stories many of the characters, both male and female, are bisexual and those who aren't, don't irrationally judge those who are (well, mostly).

Don't get me wrong, but on what basis people write such stories? Why it's necessary or funny to imagine sexual relations between Kirk and Spock, for example? Why is true friendship less valuable than gay-sex? Is it really our future, if we need it in Star Trek (in 24th century)?

You'd have to ask the people who write those stories. I've never written any slash stories, and have actually not read that many of them - very few at all, when you consider how many tens of thousands have been written since the '60s. The "Sulu is bisexual" stories were published in print form decades before George Takei came out, so it can't be said they were part of the "George Takei is gay, so Sulu must also be gay" attitude I've seen on this forum. It just made sense to the writers to take the characters in that direction. As long as it's not disgustingly explicit (yes, I know these things are extremely subjective) and make no attempt to imply the actors themselves are involved in such a relationship with each other, I don't see it as a problem. Star Trek isn't the only kind of fanfic that takes some of their characters into gay/lesbian/bisexual relationships.

 

[The Wormhole]

No gays on display, but plenty of heteros, at a certain point it ceases to be a co-incidence.

And the worse part is, the only gay people we do see in Star Trek are in the Mirror Universe, which is supposed to depict Star Trek turned "evil and wrong."

 

[Levi]

I wish.

 

[Nightdiamond]

I pointed out a while ago in another thread about the issue of homosexuality being a catch 22, because Trek has always strongly implied there is no social oppression of any kind anymore.

So we have to assume there is homosexual lifestyles in Trek but historically, the problem is the show has been reluctant to show any of it.

So, sooner or later there are bound to be nitpicks about Trek's version of Utopia. Some people are going to feel left out, others will feel there is something wrong.

I love all the benefits that the science, medicine, moral and social change that Trek offers. That's where the utopia lies IMO.

Not to sure what they're trying to say about 'higher evolved tastes' and things like that though.

 

[mendelin]

No gays on display, but plenty of heteros, at a certain point it ceases to be a co-incidence.

And the worse part is, the only gay people we do see in Star Trek are in the Mirror Universe, which is supposed to depict Star Trek turned "evil and wrong."

I thought, all this Mirror Universe is an alternate variant of reality. Not "evil and wrong", but where things were not so optimistic and perfect.

As I remember, Gene never showed smoking people, despite of cigs popularity. And he was right.

 

[BillJ]

The world of Star Trek isn't as complete as the real world - it would be like living in an interstellar scale version of the Tombstone illusion from Spectre of the Gun. So, write me down for "no".

+1

 

[The Wormhole]

No gays on display, but plenty of heteros, at a certain point it ceases to be a co-incidence.

And the worse part is, the only gay people we do see in Star Trek are in the Mirror Universe, which is supposed to depict Star Trek turned "evil and wrong."

I thought, all this Mirror Universe is an alternate variant of reality. Not "evil and wrong", but where things were not so optimistic and perfect.

Mirror, Mirror is a story about the Enterprise crew meeting evil versions of themselves. The Enterprise bullies planets into cooperation by obliterating the populations of planets that don't cooperate. Everyone moves up in rank by assassinating their superiors. The ship's security is compared to "the ancient Gestapo" and enforces brutal discipline. And the ship's medical staff tortures patients and takes bets on how long the patients can take the torture. That's more evil and wrong than it is less optimistic and perfect.

Folks, Mirror, Mirror is not some profound exploration of society developing slightly different. It is very much about the crew's evil twins and nothing more.

As I remember, Gene never showed smoking people, despite of cigs popularity. And he was right.

There are "No Smoking" signs on the Enterprise. People must still be smoking if they have to be told not to.