Sci-Fi/Consensus Economics

[or "part-scarcity neo-bartering"]

I'm referring to the economics possible in an almost
"non-economy". What this means is that there is a fixed
amount of certain goods like real estate, antiques
starships etc while at the same time goods such as
food and fuel are produced freely/by the government
such as it is.

By 'Sci-Fi' I am providing a scenario
that could be/could have been adopted by the space-based
societies described or implied in 'Star Trek' (particularly
Deep Space Nine although any planet, ship or habitat
can be implied), 'Battlestar Galactica' (either
incarnation) and certain 'Ulterior' sections of 'The
Culture'.

All these scenarios have these requirements in common.
What am proposing is a kind of 'Time Bank'. Roughly
similar to LETS schemes the idea is that a fixed product
can be loaned out for a particular length of time
in return for use of a particular good or service
for a specific period. At the same time an individual
will work, or promise to work, on a particular service
for an agreed length of time.

The Time Bank acts as a go-between, the idea, hopefully,
that all participants can come to an agreement
on the specific values on different goods and
services.

The way the Time Bank works is also that a promise
to work in the future basically acts as an
interest-free loan while interest is effectively
earned on the donation of a fixed product.

Star Trek economics

As Utopian as 23rd/24th century Earth appears, I suspect
there may in reality be a darker side. Money appears to be
no object although it does in fact still exist, implying
some remaining monetary elements.

[for sources I am using, as they are generally all
self-consistent, all the Star Trek feature films bar
the stupid Nokia JJAbrams abomination; the Next
Generation; Deep Space Nine; and Voyager]

However, on Earth at least money is not needed.

Part of me suspects a sinister side to this, mainly
because I cannot personally reconcile a centralised
government with a voluntary economy and secondly
because the economy is not entirely voluntary
because money is often mentioned!

This sort of leads me to allow three conclusions:
1.People work, for free, and all goods/services
are also free (more or less) but the unemployed
have three options: Prison! (or 'Reeducation Camps'),
to join an offworld colony or join Starfleet.

2.That there is paid work of a sort in that
individuals working for Starfleet or the Federation
get some sort of allowance or renumeration.
I'm assuming that there is a tax on certain
traded goods which pays for all this.

3.Some form of market economy does exist, possibly as
described in http://legalsmeagol.blogspot.com/2010/07/sci-ficonsensus-economics-or-part.html
but large estates etc are Federation owned, while
voting rights, free healthcare and education* are only
available to individuals and families who work for
the Federation in some way.

Housing may or may not be freely provided although
presumably it is along with food and medicine via
public and private replicators. It is implied
that all means of production are owned by the Federation
in some way.

*I'm extrapolating/ripping off the novel/'manifesto'
Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein, readers may
also check out "Forever Peace" by Joe Haldeman.
Both show a very dark side to state collectivism.

BSG...I should add as a correction to the previous posts
that the ranks of 'Petty Officer' cease to be used in
series 4 and the final series, being apparently replaced
by 'Specialist' (grades 1 to 3). This is indicated in
some of the end credits with certain crew members being
given the ranks 'Sp2' and 'Sp3'. Since Dualla's promotion/
commission
(Dualla's rank was specifically given as 'Petty Officer 2nd
Class') to Junior Lieutenant,
different grades of PO are not mentioned and non-marines/
enlisted crew members are either referred to as
'Chief','Specialist' or simply 'Knuckledragger'
e.g. Tyrol before and after his demotion,resignation
and re-instatement as (the) Senior Chief.

There is no mention of any 'Master Chief Petty Officer',
although it has been indicated that Socrata Thrace was
a Sergeant-Major in the Colonial Marine Corps (in-show she
is described as being a Corporal before being discharged)
so the rank of Senior Chief could be equivalent to
Sergeant-Major (i.e. Senior NCO). Assuming again that
the enlisted crew, i.e. Deckhands and Marines, of
Galactica are all in the same chain-of-command
an estimate of the enlisted ranks can be given below:

Senior NCO=Sergeant-Major/Senior Chief
Gunnery Sergeant/Chief Petty Officer
First Sergeant/Petty Officer (2nd Class)
Sergeant/Petty Officer (3rd Class)
Corporal/Specialist (2nd Class)
Lance Corporal/Specialist (2nd Class)
Private First Class/Specialist (2nd Class)
Private/Crewman (or Deckhand Recruit?)

Note: all the enlisted ranks for the CMC are either
given in show or implied by character dialogue.
Combining PO with Sp allows for consistency.

Probable Enlisted Ranks re-imagined "Battlestar Galactica"

A fairly concise list of Colonial Marine Corps ranks can be
surmised from the show, based on those of the United States
Marine Corps (how original!) but there is a 'shortage'
of described enlisted Navy ranks.

i.e. only the (vague) rank of 'Chief' is given
alongside 1st and 2nd Class Petty Officers
('Chief' Tyrol is however described as a 'Senior NCO')

This may be considered strange considering the plot basically
concerns a battleship in space which serves the 'Twelve
Colonies of Kobol'.

Ranks of Sergeant-Major, Sergeant, Corporal, Private
First Class and Private are all mentioned, while crewmen
are only referred to as 'Deckhands' (or 'Knuckledraggers')

Probable enlisted ranks CMC:

1.Sergeant-Major
2.Master-Sergeant
3.Gunnery-Sergeant
4.First-Sergeant
5.Sergeant
6.Corporal
7.PFC
8.Private

Similarly, there are likely a similar rank system
for the navy crew as all crew and officers are in
the same chain of command regardless of duties or
position. The only caveat to this is the titular
(or brevet) rank of 'Commander' which is automatically
given to Battlestar commanders (below Rear Admiral
and above Colonel)

No mention of Generals or other Field ranks for the
CMC are given which is strange considering that it
is a distinct part of the colonial armed forces.
Also, despite Naval terms like Petty Officers and
the existence of an Admiralty from what I can
gather there is no specific mention of a Navy,
instead the Colonial's military acts more like
an Air Force with a Marines section included in
it's overall chain-of-command.

I'm actually uncertain as to what the military
is actually called, OK other than references
to the 'Colonial Fleet'.

Senior Commissioned Officer's ranks roughly follow
that of the modern US Air Force (and most Armies)
and would appear to be the same regardless of
position (i.e. Marines or Fleet):

Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel, Major and Captain

while Junior ranks are based on those used by the Navy:

Lieutenant, Junior Grade Lieutenant and Ensign.

(Marine Ensign?????)

Above Colonel and Commander, the 'flag' ranks given
are Rear and Full Admiral. The position of
'Vice-Admiral' may be assumed while it the actual
number of Admirals is never given.

A 'Colonial Intelligence' section is never mentioned
nor is a security branch outside the CMC either although
both of these are plausible.

Probable enlisted ranks Colonial Fleet
(each position is equivalent
to the same position in the Colonial Marines):
1.Senior Chief Petty Officer
2.Master Chief Petty Officer
3.Chief Petty Officer
4.Petty Officer (1st Class)
5.Petty Officer (2nd Class)
6.Petty Officer (3rd Class)
7.Deckhand
8.Recruit

I should add that despite the continual references to
Ancient Greece and the apparent setting in the ancient
past it seems strange that very modern ranks and officer
/NCO systems are in use. Never mind!

Rough 'explanation' (as far as I am concerned)

Humanity evolves on Earth

Some time later an advanced civilisation develops

Millenia later....

For some reason this civilisation splits into three parts:
Elective Primitives who remain on Earth, an Advanced
Civilisation who,eventually, colonise the planet Kobol

(failed attempts probably include the 12 colonies themselves,
'New Caprica' and 'the algae planet/Jupiter's Eye'
as they all contain some abundance of carbon-based life)

and the quote unquote 'Angels'

Millenia later....

"Summing happens" on Kobol, the 13th Tribe flees to
(an?) Earth and the 12 Colonies are settled

Millenia later....

The Cylons are created (not for the first time),
the 12 Colonies are annhihilated and the remnants
of Humanity, eventually, colonise Earth

Millenia later....

Civilisations are established on Earth

Millenia later....

I write this

The End!

Memory Foam

Or a memory in stone

Traumatic events
Fossilised
Holographic emotions

Try to shave
To eat
To clean

A period of sleep
A vivid dream

Warm in bed
Or cold outside

Rain keeps coming down
Even in the Sun

Revisionist
Trying to erase the memories
Of the lies I was told at school

Institutionalised ignorance
And indoctrinated selfish lonliness

Burn!

You just exist

A Golem, created by my parents
Or Modelled in Primary School

Before Education I did not exist

Books, never read

Writings always criticise
Or pathetic attempts at self-expression

Not to mention the self-harm

But that's how I was brought up

Burn!

Solidify the clay

Phoenix or Quetzalcotl

Rising from the flames

Old Bearded White Man
Old Father Time
Or....Tonight..
......our very special guest...
D'eath!

The world's biggest practical joke
And a faked ending, played on me

Moon landings
A cage for my emotions
Rejection

Burn!

There is nothing left to burn

The empty taste
Of cold ashes

A taste of victory
From the flaming brand of the
Television remote control

(15.6.2010)