This is the title of a video essay I just watched.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZAsWY8IBXE&list=TLPQMjUwNDIwMjZNutW-
p6ZpqQ
It's not snark. It's a serious look at the Trek world, focusing on the TNG/DS9/VOY era. It's often seen as a utopia which has moved beyond
poverty and prejudice and other bad stuff, but has it really?
The host makes several good points. One is that this future clearly does
have differences in status, even if they're no longer financial. Another
is that the future seems unaccepting of religion, though there are still
some who practice it.
Both of those two specific points highlight ways in which the later
shows differed from TOS. The original show had money, "credits" instead
of dollars. It also seemed to have a vague Christianity in the
background. It's seldom mentioned, but there's a line where Kirk says,
"We find the one sufficient," when Apollo says humanity needs gods.
There's also the more blatant scene of Uhura explaining that the sun worshippers are actually Son worshippers, Christians in space.
If that is so, it could mean several things. Perhaps the utopia of
ST:TOS wasn't quite finished, for example. Then again, perhaps some
other force intervened to get rid of the traditional economy and
religion. As the video notes, people seem obligated to work even though there's no money.
The video concludes that Star Trek isn't really a dystopia hiding behind
a utopia, just a good place with some flaws. That does make sense.
--
The True Melissa - Canal Winchester - Ohio
United States of America - North America - Earth
Solar System - Milky Way - Local Group
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