The end of capitalism in the ST universe...?

[FordSVT]

I don't think Quark would be required to give it for free, he'd just have to deal with people who never have money and expect things for free who would think he's strange for charging money and go some place else instead (this is assuming a currency free Federation as opposed to the idea of one where they do have money, it's just that the pursuit of wealth isn't desired).

Quark complained at several points throughout the series that Federation membership for Bajor would mean the end of his business on DS9. I would assume that would only be due to the lack of an ability to make a conventional profit as there are obviously proviately owned businesses within the Federation.

 

[Damask]

Both Ferenginar and DS9 are outside of the Federation, the latter until the end of DS9 when Bajor joined (and Quark had to either close his for profit business or operate it under Federation rules: for free).

During the series though he wouldn't be allowed to let people gamble for money under Federation rules. However there are also a number of times that Quark has said to Federation officers that there were "no refunds" for food or holodeck time. So they were paying with something.

Although I agree that people like Joseph Sisko, etc would have done it for nothing. Although I'm wondering about the other people who worked in the restaurant. Was it a case of "well you want to be a chef, so you have start out cleaning tables, then move on"?

 

[Philo]

I think it's hard for us to wrap our heads around the idea that capitalism could not exist because our individualistic, property-based culture is so ingrained in us. But those are, after all, only culturally based values. Greed can still exist, but it would be greed for whatever your culture values, such as intellectual enlightenment or the prosperity of brother and community.

 

[PhoenixIreland]

Everything we've seen about 24th century humans sugests they would not wrecklessly gamble ala las vegas, but would still do it, and I think it's a mistake to sugest they would not be ALLOWD to do it, that kind of opression doesn't seem compatable with the federation we've seen.

 

[FordSVT]

Both Ferenginar and DS9 are outside of the Federation, the latter until the end of DS9 when Bajor joined (and Quark had to either close his for profit business or operate it under Federation rules: for free).

During the series though he wouldn't be allowed to let people gamble for money under Federation rules. However there are also a number of times that Quark has said to Federation officers that there were "no refunds" for food or holodeck time. So they were paying with something.

But again, during the series, DS9 was a Bajoran space station under Bajoran law that was being administered by the Federation. I think it's a given that Starfleet personnel (and probably your average Federation citizen) have access to a certain amount of credits or GPL they can use when dealing with people outside the Federation.

Although I agree that people like Joseph Sisko, etc would have done it for nothing. Although I'm wondering about the other people who worked in the restaurant. Was it a case of "well you want to be a chef, so you have start out cleaning tables, then move on"?

That's totally possible and not at all unlikely. Smaller operations may resort to family labour quite often as they do today. Maybe a menial job at a place like Sisko's affords one a nicer apartment or one in a nicer area closer to where you work than what you'd get if you chose to do "nothing". As the provider of a good or service, maybe Sisko gets a certain amount of replicator or travel or energy "rations" from the government to give to his employees. Not credits per se but useful excesses over what a "baseline" would get. Also, it might be worth noting that (at least in some of the novels), robot and holographic servers are often used, so truly entry level, simple jobs would be far fewer and far less physically difficult to do.

 

[stj]

There is little typical of modern capitalism. Stock markets, banks, complicated credit instruments, mammoth corporations, mass media advertising, business influence on government on politics, none of this appears in Trek. Indeed, some handicraft operation like Sisko's or Picard family's usually go by the wayside in genuinely capitalist economies. Trek simply doesn't depict anything about the workings of the "economy" but with replicators it would be unbelievable if business like today was portrayed on the show.

The really dumb notion is that the Ferengi are capitalist! Maybe in the sixteenth century---isn't there a resemblance between Quark and Shylock?

 

[Lieut. Arex]

At least one corporation is mentioned in TNG's "Conspiracy", Dytalix, a mining company which owned the planet Dytalix-B.