My cousin and his kids like Star Trek.
They were watching one of their favorite movies, the one with the Borg. Nasty aliens that assimilate people, what is not to like about them?
In it, Jean Luc Picard makes a statement that they don’t have money in the 23rd century. That people just work to “improve themselves.”
Never mind that people collect antiques (convertible cars, firearms, alcohol) in the future – a finite item even if food, clothing and shelter are infinite or provided, how would the idea of owning an item like that not cause either a desire in others to possess those things or a barter system that would use currency as a modicum of trade.
The idea is absurd.
Further, having worked in government at various times where monetary compensation is set on a schedule (so the profit motive is gone) what occurs is a huge amount of in fighting over small status enhancers the office with a window, or the corner office, or the preferred parking spaces you name it, it will be fought over, right down to who gets which support staff, who gets to sit where, what color stapler, how gets priority to use the office car.
It is horrifyingly petty. I would expect the Star Trek Universe to be filled with people fighting over inane things like how close they get to be to the Captain on Bridge, which shift they are stuck with and how loud the music is in the cabin next door – the best cabins being the ones with a view, unless the Federation is at war with the Klingons, Dominion, Romulans or whatever group that just can’t get with the Communitarian spirit of the Federation at which point the cramped cabins in the center of the ship by the bulkheads are preferred.
I asked the oldest boy, “Do you think that would work?”
The boy thinks for a moment, “No. I’d spend my time eating, watching television, reading and playing soccer. I think almost everyone would do something similar.”
A twelve year old has better economic sense than the majority of people on the planet.
