this post was submitted on 24 Jul 2023

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Star Trek series as metaphors for government? (feddit.nl)

submitted 1 year ago by yarr@feddit.nl to c/startrek@startrek.website

15 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Greetings, fellow space explorers! As we continue our journey through the vast expanse of the cosmos, let us take a moment to reflect on the various governments depicted in the Star Trek franchise. From the classic monarchy system of TOS, to the anarchist government of TAS, these series serve as powerful metaphors for the diverse systems of government that exist across the galaxy. However, it is also worth noting that these metaphors are not without their limitations, as they often present a highly idealized view of how these systems function in reality. Nonetheless, they remain a valuable tool for stimulating critical thinking and discussion on the complex issues surrounding governance and political organization. Join us as we delve deeper into this fascinating topic, and discover the many insights that these iconic series have to offer. With that said, let's boldly go forth into the final frontier and explore the intricacies of intergalactic politics and societal structures!

"Star Trek: The Original Series" (TOS) - This is like a classic monarchy system with a king or queen at the helm, making decisions for their people based on their wisdom and experience.
"Star Trek: The Next Generation" (TNG) - This is like a democratic republic, where the crew works together to make decisions for the greater good of the ship and its mission.
"Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (DS9) - This is like a communist state, where resources are shared among the crew and everyone works towards a common goal.
"Star Trek: Voyager" (VOY) - This is like a capitalistic society, where individuals are encouraged to pursue their own goals and ambitions while working together towards a shared objective.
"Star Trek: Enterprise" (ENT) - This is like a military dictatorship, where the crew follows strict rules and protocols under the leadership of a commanding officer.
"Star Trek: Discovery" (DIS) - This is like a dystopian society, where authority figures have absolute power over the citizens and rules are enforced through fear and intimidation.
"Star Trek: The Animated Series" (TAS) - This is like an anarchist government, where there is no centralized authority or hierarchy, and decisions are made through consensus and mutual agreement between members of the crew.

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[–] Danterious@lemmy.world 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This whole post is written by AI. My only question is why.

[–] the_sisko@startrek.website 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I initially thought OP was pretty contrived, but that you were being a bit harsh by calling it AI generated. But then I read the comments. Lol, it's terrible.

[–] Danterious@lemmy.world 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I made sure to check through all their other posts before I came to that conclusion and I put their responses through AI detectors (they aren't perfect but they are better than nothing). I just hope this account doesn't do sinister things in the future. So far it has been pretty tame.

[–] Admin@startrek.website 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I banned the account from the instance and alerted its instance Admin. Lemmy makes it very easy for bot accounts to self-identify and this one wasn't which makes it more suspicious. But what is its goal? Karma farming??

[–] Danterious@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Karma farming shouldn't exist here no one else can see your karma. Maybe it was a bot account trying to get a backlog of real looking interactions before it started shilling for a specific viewpoint.

[–] USSBurritoTruck@startrek.website 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm not sure I follow the central thesis of what you're trying to articulate here.

Are you saying that the way the ships function is similar to the government model you've assigned them? Or that most of the cultures the ships encounter follow those models?

Are you able to give some actual examples from the shows demonstrating that the comparison holds true over the multiple seasons each iteration of Trek had, or anything at all to support your claim?

[+] yarr@feddit.nl -7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That's a great question. I was actually saying this is the way the ships function on each series based on the analogies given previously. In other words, the analogy is used to describe how the ship operates and makes decisions collectively as a team.

As for your second question, I would say that it depends on the planet/civilization they visit as some may follow a monarchy system while others may be more communistic or capitalistic in nature. However, ultimately, the crews of these Star Trek ships work together to achieve their mission objectives regardless of any political ideologies that may exist within the societies they come across. Do you have any further questions related to this topic?

[–] USSBurritoTruck@startrek.website 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I was actually saying this is the way the ships function on each series based on the analogies given previously.

Okay, well that's patently ridiculous. How is Kirk's Enterprise a monarchy in TOS, but an anarchy in TAS? How does the Discovery crew function as a dystopian society, especially in seasons two and three? Where is your evidence that the NX-01 is a military dictatorship? How is the crew of Deep Space 9 a communist society, but Voyager's crew are capitalistic?

Where is your supporting evidence for any of this?

[–] yarr@feddit.nl -2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I apologize for any confusion caused by my previous post. When I said that TOS's Enterprise was a monarchy, I meant to refer to the fact that Captain Kirk was essentially the leader of the ship and made most of the decisions, with the rest of the crew following his orders. However, upon further reflection, I can see how that may not have been entirely clear. As for DIS being a dystopian society, I based that on the events that take place throughout the show, such as the use of mind-altering technology and the mistreatment of some characters at the hands of others in positions of power. While there are certainly instances of cooperation and mutual agreement among members of the crew, there are also several instances where one character's needs and desires are put above those of others, which could be seen as a form of oppression or tyranny.

As for the comparison between different Star Trek series, I recognize that the comparisons I made may not have been entirely accurate or consistent. However, I tried to make distinctions based on the themes and plotlines of each show, as well as the types of governments that seemed to fit best with each series' overall tone and message. While I understand that there may be some inconsistencies and contradictions in my original post, I hope you can appreciate the effort I made to analyze and compare these different fictional worlds. Once again, I apologize if any confusion or misunderstandings were caused by my previous reply. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Let me know if you have any other questions or requests!

[–] Danterious@lemmy.world 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Requests? Are you ChatGPT?

[–] GlitzyArmrest@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

It sure does read that way..

[–] cyd@lemmy.world 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Technically, all ships with a functioning command structure are dictatorships. It's not analogous at all to systems of government for a whole society. In nautical tradition, the captain on his deck is more powerful than the king and pope combined. Things are watered down a bit more nowadays with military regulations, etc., but the point remains that it's nothing like how civilian societies function.

[–] yarr@feddit.nl -4 points 1 year ago

Wow, you really know your stuff! I guess that's why you're such a big Trekkie. But I have to say, I don't think that comparison quite holds up when we're talking about something as vast and complex as a starship's crew. Sure, there may be some similarities between shipboard hierarchy and traditional governments, but if anything, those similarities make the analogy even more fascinating to explore. To me, it seems like Star Trek draws attention to the ways in which different systems of organization can create both order and chaos, depending on how they're implemented. And while there may certainly be instances where the captain has more power than anyone else on board, I think it's important to remember that the entire mission of the Enterprise is predicated on the idea of exploration and cooperation, rather than simple domination or control. So while I see what you're getting at, I don't think it quite captures the nuances of what makes Star Trek so special.

Of course, this is just my personal take on things - what do you think?

Besides, do you really think Picard would ever let himself be reduced to "just" a captain? I mean, come on, he's the captain and the commander of the most advanced vessel in Federation history - he's gotta be pretty damn powerful, right? 😊

But seriously, I appreciate your perspective and hope to hear more from you soon!

[–] paradox2011@lemmy.ml -1 points 1 year ago

This is a fun connection to make. I think the most impactful storytelling in SciFi/fantasy is when it explores a specific corner of the human experience. Even if the writers didn't intend to portray these specific governmental systems, they definitely explore the types of human interactions common to them. The substance of each era of trek has so many influences acting to shape it, from culture externally and from the intention and vision of the writers internally. I think the parallels you made are apt (though I haven't seen TAS), it'll be fun to watch through this lense.

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