TL;DR: Watching Star Trek showed me how to love everyone as they are, regardless of what that is; Vulcans call it Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations; Billionaires need to step up and stop being evil assholes. All of them. Not mentioned below. but heavily implied, but also Black Lives Matter; Trans People are People; ACAB; and finally, Fuck the Patriarchy. I think that’s everything? OH! IDIC – LLAP
Past this point is extreme detail on Star Trek and how it has affected me in my life journey.
The United Federation of Planets in the fictional series Star Trek portrays a society that not only removed the stigmas related to therapy, racism, and sexism but embraced its reverse.
The Vulcans called it Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations. This statement, when heard the first time by moi, required Intense Reflection. I entered my Chrisalis and did just that. I came out with one sentence.
Love everyone as they are, regardless of what that is.
Pretty interesting idea. It is not lost on me that this line of thinking is the thing that got Jesus killed. I disagree completely with the stories past that point, so don’t even try.
Religion is an antagonist or a moral complication in Star Trek more often than not. One of the main villains of Deep Space 9 was a corrupt religious leader. Organized Religions are For Profit companies that attempt to control our lives for their own power. Also, fuck Mega Churches in particular.
This clearly required more thinking. Back I went to the Internet!
I eventually came to Memory Alpha, where I reviewed Starfleet Protocols and General Orders. I regularly read the Articles of Federation, but they are more Big Picture and I have that part. I am looking for more supporting statements about how they want society to behave and what happens when you break those rules.
I have read all of the Orders and Protocols that were published and created for the various Role Playing Games.
I have watched most of the available media, with the animated series, the S5 of Discovery, and Most Prodigy remaining unwatched.
I have observed the various fictional characters in Star Trek with an educational eye to learn more of these protocols in action where they were intended.
In the end, I have also forgotten most of them, and can’t give you the numbers for more than a few, but I remember the intent of them. It was that I was looking for anyway.
I like to wait for the disclaimer until folks are about to check out. It’s funnier to me. Thank you for indulging. Carry on. –Editor
Here is what I gleaned:
Members of Starfleet – with some exceptions – look for a way to interpret the rules (the Law) to do the most good instead of for personal gain. And that sometimes means violating stupid decisions made by their superiors, provided they don’t harm anyone in doing so.
From the mouth of our wise Space-Uncle Spock, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. You will note it specifically mentioned needs, not wants, so let’s talk about that.
We need Food, Shelter, Air, Water and Exercise to live well. Prioritizing these needs is what the protocols are talking about in general, but they also guided emotional needs. They are willing to help a person that was deceived by another, and put the blame where it belongs. If you cause harm in others in the process, however, you will still need to speak to that and accept what punishment that is suggested.
The Federation values life above all else and so do I. If you encounter me anywhere, you might as well expect that I am living by those ideals and all that entails.
You and I both know we can show examples of members of Starfleet doing horrible things. But they eventually caught and stopped them, likely jailed them humanely, while attempting to help them heal from whatever brought them to this point. There is also the Maquis, and various others.
The point of all that was to show that Starfleet folks are trying to make things better, willing to sacrifice themselves, as needed.
To show a better future where we all can be better people.
It therefore means we have to remove the NEED for capitalism to REMOVE or at least neuter capitalism. Those that want to earn stacks of cash can still do it, but not by exploiting others. Find another way, assholes.
With things like UBI (Universal Basic Income), free healthcare & therapy, while making strides to get everyone’s Basic Needs™ met without struggle, we can have our preferred future. If we can get the 1% to cooperate. If not, more of the same.
It really makes me depressed to know this, but that’s how it starts to get better. Now I know what I want the world to look like.
There is no place for the kind of Rich folk we have now. The ones that steal life from others to pursue their own selfish dreams. If all of the money anyone had above above One Billion was put forth to fund these programs, we could remove the billionaires from power AND everyone could eat. Last checked there is 14.2T that the 2700+ Billionaires are worth.
I am struggling with disability, pain, age and complex PTSD, but I can’t manage to consistently make rent without asking for help or being on government aid. There are many way worse off than me and I want to help them, but where I am, I struggle.
People have to be one voice to make that happen. The Billionaires have shown for generations that they will not change on their own and they train their children to continue it. It is why Unions exist.
Nothing is perfect, including systems we create. It is better to provide a framework for how to live and let individuals implement it, with a governing entity facilitating those ideals through support of the citizens. Never through fear or need for any Basic Need should we push our peoples to Do Better.
Everyone needs something. If we all got the ones that didn’t harm others, wouldn’t that be cool?
If this attitude were a dominant one, you would see a world more in line with the show. I propose that we do this as a whole to get ourselves out of this hellscape we’ve created and live better lives.
If you disagree, I am happy to discuss it with you. No yelling, or name calling. Just a discussion of how to make the systems that are failing better and get our lives back for a few thousand people who treat us like resources to expend and cast away when depleted.
Saying all of this, I feel a bit like Chancellor Gorkon:
IDIC – LLAP – We are Stronger together.
Thanks to John Wick for that title. IYKYK
Walking the Path,
Me.