When we first started Abject Geekery I generated a list of “geek” topics I wanted to write about. The list was supposed to be a touchstone for me as the months went by to make sure that I was staying true to the “geek” nature of the site. As you all know by now, I was already on a trajectory of increased political activity. I have invested a lot of my time in poli-pursuits and this has really cut into my “geek” ones. That of course isn’t to say that the geek bug hasn’t bitten me, it is better to say that the when bitten the symptoms presented in political ways. This was definitely the case with the list item “Economics of Sector 001 – Who Pays For Star Fleet”, a work I have yet to pen a single line of, let alone publish. (Although I did make a doc file for it a couple of months ago).
The problem is that economic theory and political theory are so loosely inter-related. Where does the theory of Participatory Economics stop and the political ideology of Anarcho-Syndicalism begin? What is Communism an economic system or a political one? The research into something that does not exist (the socio-economic system of the 24th century as envisioned by Roddenberry) leads to a sifting through clues and subtleties for a kernel of truth. I have seen a shimmering reflection of things that I know blending with things that I hope. My journey over the past couple of months (cluttered by holidays and work work work) has taken me through an introduction to several new ideas and old concepts.
I started my research for the piece in the traditional manner. I hit up the favorite nard sites like Wikipedia and geek sites like the Star Trek Wiki: Memory-Alpha. I mined them for morsels of knowledge. I googled the phrase “Economics of Star Trek”, read what other had written on the topic, and dove headfirst into reference theory after referenced theory. Attempting to gain a deeper knowledge why one theory is more valid then another and what is flawed about all of them.
The number of webcasts and written articles on the topic of Economics and Star Trek are low and pretty repetitive. I wanted to break the mold and do something that would stand out, but the amount of energy invested into some of the existing pieces is large. There is an entire website dedicated to the concept that the Federation is not Communist, but rather a Participatory Economy instead. To meet those pieces with the same intensity I would need to invest a similar amount of time and energy. Something I have not had and will not have for the foreseeable future.
My exploration of the topic carried me into so many tangential topics that it became exhaustive. This was especially true when the other items on the list begin to overlap. For example, a discussion of a libertarian reading of Serenity and of Star Wars blends itself with a discussion of how the worlds of Star Wars and Star Trek differ in a socio-political way.
As all geeks know, science fiction is a way for people to highlight particular behaviors of humankind. It points out the failures and successes of the species. Relating fiction to reality, for the purpose of discussion, has its limits. As others would point out, it is only fiction, and fiction of any kind is a reflection of who wrote it. But the best of fiction is written with a purpose that goes beyond simple entertainment. The best of fiction tries to effect a change in the greater tribe of humanity.
Science fiction is important because it is one of the few stages upon which the full brunt of new technologies’ impact on humanity can be vetted before implementation. To wit, science fiction drives science fact and even works to guide its development.
In this case, I am grateful for Star Trek, without it I could have never have asked the question (Who pays for Star Fleet?) in the first place. The search for an answer has put me on a journey of learning that has deepened my understanding of the world in which we live. A journey that is far from over.
I will put more of what I have come across down in words eventually. But for now I have work, the holidays, and of course my other writing to get in the way. Self set deadlines are the worst deadlines of all.