Trekonomics
The Economics of Star Trek, part two
I want to expand on my last post about how a post-capitalist society can still have private property, with particular respect to "Trekonomics". I talked about how citizens can have social housing or live in inherited mansions, well I would have implied that and now I repeat the assertion.
For example, one could own or perhaps rent a plot of land which one would build a house on.
One could apply for a house to be constructed to their desires free of charge but there would be a wait based on available labour and/or materials. However, the wait could be reduced by spending one's savings in labour notes.
If, on the other hand, one is effectively a homeless citizen an empty plot of land or empty property could be allocated. One could live there for as long as one desires but there would be no property rights over the land. It cannot be rented or sold.
An alternative to the labour notes system could be a lifetimes' ration of replicator credits. This doesn't contradict the previous system and the two can exist in tandem, but is more likely to cover all Federation planets. Simply put, when one is born one is allocated a lifetime's use of public replicators for basics like food, medicine and clothing. These can be earned or traded for limited goods such as antiques or real estate in the same way as money and perhaps exchanged to currencies such as latinum.
The credits and notes system can be run together, but with labour notes dominating on Earth and replicator credits dominating when a citizen goes off-world. For example they could use their credit ration to book transport off-world and exchange it for latinum if travelling outside the United Federation of Planets.
An Earth landlord could be allowed to rent property to non-family members with the renter not actually handing over credits or latinum. Instead, the landlord would receive further labour notes from the central government. Plus, lets say a citizen would still receive an allocation of replicator credits at birth.
These could be saved or used at any time but any extra rations would only apply to that week (for example) and could not be saved or carried over to the next week. Every Federation citizen would receive a weekly dole or ration of credits until they die. These credits would not be transferred to family members as an inheritance but certain Federation officials and (commissioned) officers in Starfleet would be allowed to keep their surplus rations in lieu of labour notes. A similar arrangement could be made for scientific researchers and other academics.
University students, Starfleet recruits and officer cadets would receive labour notes during study or training periods and extra weekly rations for clothing, equipment, uniforms etcetera. Enlisted personnel and civilian advisors working for Starfleet would receive labour notes for every hour of their shift plus non-commissioned officers and private landlords would be allowed to keep a percentage of their credit ration on top of received labour notes.
Notes:
1. Gold is almost worthless in the Star Trek universe, even though it cannot apparently be replicated, but it can be used to contain a valuable liquid called "latinum". Hence, "gold-pressed latinum".
2. I have the comments made by Quark regarding the value of gold and the actor Max Grodenczeck (sic), who plays Quark's brother Rom, that gold cannot be replicated as sources for this.
3. Replicators seemingly create objects out of thin air by converting matter from one location into energy and rearranging its structure on its appearance in another.
4. Starfleet is organised in the same way as a modern Earth navy, specifically that of the United States, although is ostensibly a non-military civilian organisation.
I want to expand on my last post about how a post-capitalist society can still have private property, with particular respect to "Trekonomics". I talked about how citizens can have social housing or live in inherited mansions, well I would have implied that and now I repeat the assertion.
For example, one could own or perhaps rent a plot of land which one would build a house on.
One could apply for a house to be constructed to their desires free of charge but there would be a wait based on available labour and/or materials. However, the wait could be reduced by spending one's savings in labour notes.
If, on the other hand, one is effectively a homeless citizen an empty plot of land or empty property could be allocated. One could live there for as long as one desires but there would be no property rights over the land. It cannot be rented or sold.
An alternative to the labour notes system could be a lifetimes' ration of replicator credits. This doesn't contradict the previous system and the two can exist in tandem, but is more likely to cover all Federation planets. Simply put, when one is born one is allocated a lifetime's use of public replicators for basics like food, medicine and clothing. These can be earned or traded for limited goods such as antiques or real estate in the same way as money and perhaps exchanged to currencies such as latinum.
The credits and notes system can be run together, but with labour notes dominating on Earth and replicator credits dominating when a citizen goes off-world. For example they could use their credit ration to book transport off-world and exchange it for latinum if travelling outside the United Federation of Planets.
An Earth landlord could be allowed to rent property to non-family members with the renter not actually handing over credits or latinum. Instead, the landlord would receive further labour notes from the central government. Plus, lets say a citizen would still receive an allocation of replicator credits at birth.
These could be saved or used at any time but any extra rations would only apply to that week (for example) and could not be saved or carried over to the next week. Every Federation citizen would receive a weekly dole or ration of credits until they die. These credits would not be transferred to family members as an inheritance but certain Federation officials and (commissioned) officers in Starfleet would be allowed to keep their surplus rations in lieu of labour notes. A similar arrangement could be made for scientific researchers and other academics.
University students, Starfleet recruits and officer cadets would receive labour notes during study or training periods and extra weekly rations for clothing, equipment, uniforms etcetera. Enlisted personnel and civilian advisors working for Starfleet would receive labour notes for every hour of their shift plus non-commissioned officers and private landlords would be allowed to keep a percentage of their credit ration on top of received labour notes.
Notes:
1. Gold is almost worthless in the Star Trek universe, even though it cannot apparently be replicated, but it can be used to contain a valuable liquid called "latinum". Hence, "gold-pressed latinum".
2. I have the comments made by Quark regarding the value of gold and the actor Max Grodenczeck (sic), who plays Quark's brother Rom, that gold cannot be replicated as sources for this.
3. Replicators seemingly create objects out of thin air by converting matter from one location into energy and rearranging its structure on its appearance in another.
4. Starfleet is organised in the same way as a modern Earth navy, specifically that of the United States, although is ostensibly a non-military civilian organisation.
Labels: labour notes, latinum, post-capitalism, post-scarcity, socialism, Star Trek, Trekonomics
posted by Legal Smeagol at 8:32 AM
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