Money in the Trek Universe

[xox]

Treymiar,

Your post, while wonderfully appropriate for simms seems to gloss over the philosophical, political and fundamentally cultural questions raised by the concept in general. I would also suggest that your take on things has a somewhat absolutist feel to it.

The presence of a broad economic system does not preclude Federation citizens from functioning without concerns of wealth, nor does it force anyone to participate. And yes, the "poor" will indeed always be present...but the terminology itself is in question here.

If you call someone "poor", are you referring to their lack of wealth, be it money or things? Are you suggesting that they lack the means to provide for themselves or their family? Or, are you placing them in a socioeconomic class based on your relative perspective?

This is an important question...one that I'm afraid has very little to do with simming.

[Treymiar]

Treymiar,

Your post, while wonderfully appropriate for simms seems to gloss over the philosophical, political and fundamentally cultural questions raised by the concept in general. I would also suggest that your take on things has a somewhat absolutist feel to it.

The presence of a broad economic system does not preclude Federation citizens from functioning without concerns of wealth, nor does it force anyone to participate. And yes, the "poor" will indeed always be present...but the terminology itself is in question here.

If you call someone "poor", are you referring to their lack of wealth, be it money or things? Are you suggesting that they lack the means to provide for themselves or their family? Or, are you placing them in a socioeconomic class based on your relative perspective?

This is an important question...one that I'm afraid has very little to do with simming.

I did indeed focus upon the practical. Realities make a good buffer against unrealistic fantasies.
And the reality is, vices and virtues of mankind 5,000 years ago would persist 300 years from now... and beyond. So would the consequences.

As long as free will and selfishness exists, there will be no redefinition of humanity as a whole.
Any attempts to force such a thing will result in an oppressive, freedom shattering tyranny.
In Trek-verse, this ultimate manifestation of technological communism came in the form of Borg.

My purpose was to establish a simm where monetary and money-less characters could harmoniously intermingle.
If I'm being absolutist, it's in not believing Mr. Roddenberry's assertion that money (or equivalent social contract over resources) will cease to exist.
He was wrong. But even so, people certainly may choose to be non-materialist. And, they can choose to community with like kind.

What is poverty? We hall have a sense of what it means.
The generous sensitize to it. The greedy numb and delude themselves to it.

PSF

[xox]

Mr. Roddenberry's assertion that money (or equivalent social contract over resources) will cease to exist.

I don't think that this was ever explicitly asserted for anyone to refute, though. In fact, the numerous examples given in the linked to article demonstrate that there is indeed a system of sorts...but, that it does not govern the daily lives of every character in the Trek-verse is the point, I think.

[Treymiar]

I've had players ex-plode during missions when such issues arose. Authority of the CMO, calling a starship a ship of war (among their roles, they always were), presence of religion, continued existence of Romulus... serious conflicts erupted.

Explicit or Implicit canon, it's good for CO's to establish the stance of their simms, put it into the 'read the rules before you join' section.

PSF

[xox]

Treymiar,

I think you and I are having two very different conversations. I bid you a grand evening of simming.

Cheers.