Predictions coming true

Tacklebox

The acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force in our lives, we work to better ourselves...

Just found it on YouTube

TheValeyard

Tacklebox wrote: »

Didn't Picard mention that people no longer got paid a wage to make themselves better, but they actually had a different outlook on life.

I suppose with beaming from one place to another, they had the ultimate beamer

It's a great ideal to be fair. That what you can do to benefit society is far greater than the need for material gain.

pixelburp

I think that sentiment was nice, but definitely touched on an element of Rodenberry's naivety towards human nature; bettering ones self only goes so far, and it presumes nobody would simply want to live a consequence free, hedonistic life. Learning ancient Iconian is all well and good, but maybe some Federation citizens would simply want to drink and screw all day long.

Always thought Iain M. Banks' books, specifically his Culture series, took a ... blunt approach to a post-scarcity society that was clearly modelled on the Federation. While murder and violence is prohibited, everything else is on the cards so folks tend to just drift around a little aimlessly, exploring every vice imaginable. People still explored artistic, academic pursuits etc. but it was definitely a society that let people be people - in all aspects.

AtomicHorror

pixelburp wrote: »

I think that sentiment was nice, but definitely touched on an element of Rodenberry's naivety towards human nature; bettering ones self only goes so far, and it presumes nobody would simply want to live a consequence free, hedonistic life. Learning ancient Iconian is all well and good, but maybe some Federation citizens would simply want to drink and screw all day long.

Always thought Iain M. Banks' books, specifically his Culture series, took a ... blunt approach to a post-scarcity society that was clearly modelled on the Federation. While murder and violence is prohibited, everything else is on the cards so folks tend to just drift around a little aimlessly, exploring every vice imaginable. People still explored artistic, academic pursuits etc. but it was definitely a society that let people be people - in all aspects.

I always assumed such people existed in the Federation, but were simply not the subject of the stories due to being of little interest.

I definitely think Banks considered the consequences of a post-scarcity human society in greater detail and with a more pragmatic eye than Star Trek. The Culture is my all-time favourite sci-fi series.

Sonics2k

pixelburp wrote: »

I think that sentiment was nice, but definitely touched on an element of Rodenberry's naivety towards human nature; bettering ones self only goes so far, and it presumes nobody would simply want to live a consequence free, hedonistic life. Learning ancient Iconian is all well and good, but maybe some Federation citizens would simply want to drink and screw all day long.

Always thought Iain M. Banks' books, specifically his Culture series, took a ... blunt approach to a post-scarcity society that was clearly modelled on the Federation. While murder and violence is prohibited, everything else is on the cards so folks tend to just drift around a little aimlessly, exploring every vice imaginable. People still explored artistic, academic pursuits etc. but it was definitely a society that let people be people - in all aspects.

Is that not essentially just Risa? A planet renowned for it's more 'relaxed' approach to meeting people.

In regards to Picards quote, I always loved it, even though he is lying at the time he says it (First Contact). Let's also consider that by the time money had been largely removed from society, this was after the Federation has established itself and taken over.

seamus

AtomicHorror wrote: »

I always assumed such people existed in the Federation, but were simply not the subject of the stories due to being of little interest.

They kind of hinted at it in Voyager. After getting thrown out of Starfleet, Tom Paris basically just drank, played pool and screwed.