Totally agree! Not that I’m a Trekie per say, but that’s why I’ve been a fan. Both Star Wars and Star Trek offer views of humanity’s future. Roddenberry envisioned a future with hope of a greater calling for humanity. In one of the original series episodes Kirk says something to the effect that “yes we are a killer race, but we can choose NOT to kill today.”
Star Wars, on the other hand, (and I am a huge fan of that as well, and own every movie), has all the flaws and corruption of our current world, just with greater technology… (“the ability to destroy a planet is nothing compared with the power of the force“, not withstanding, LOL).
Roddenberry foresaw two key pieces of technology that will change everything, the transporter and the food replicator…(and that technology is NOT in Star Wars). However well thought out his creation was, or if he was just truly inspired, I can’t say. But with those particular abilities, the entire social and financial infrastructure of our society crumble and are destined to change.
If you can “beam” matter, and replicated not just a steak and potato meal, but actually disassemble a living human being and reassemble him, then follow that thought through to it’s implications. What would then be the difference of beaming a priceless Stradivarius violin, or the Mona Lisa? And if you could replicate it the way the food replicator does a steak and potato meal, (which would probably be less difficult than the meal), then it would no longer be priceless. Everyone could have a copy of the Mona Lisa hanging in their living room at that point. And if done on the monocular level, no expert could even determine which one was the original!
Gold bars from Fort Knox could be reproduced infinitely and “beamed” to every home on planet Earth. So then who is rich and who is poor at that point? Money and financial wealth become pointless. All our material needs can be met. There is no hunger, starvation, or poverty, and material greed becomes a medical condition that calls for therapy. The very causes of war are eliminated.
So then being the wealthiest person on the planet is not a desirable goal. Then what would be the next best challenge for those highly competitive humans? We’d still have superstar athletes, musicians, actors, and the like, but wouldn’t the real brass ring be to command the latest cutting edge piece of technology and the crew that operates it? Yes, you’d have to be the best of the best to be the captain of a Star Fleet ship, and take on the Romuluans, LOL.
So on that note, who’d you have in mind for Commander of the Exodus? LOL
Mike
