The Federation is Socialist, but Star Trek is not a Marxist piece of media.
It follows a Liberal, Democratic-Socialist, Reformist line of thinking - that, at least once the world has been shocked by the brutality of global war and eugenics - Humanity will “come to it’s senses” and move towards Democratic Socialism through reform. When post-scarcity is achieved, the Capitalist class will just let this happen.
It is a Socialist world devoid of the ideas of class conflict; it presents a world compatible with Socialist ideals but not one compatible with scientific Socialist theory.
That’s not to say you can’t still like Star Trek as a show or use the Federation as an example of a good Socialist society. You just have to keep in mind that the world’s history does not make sense when viewed through the lens of Marxist class conflict.
once the world has been shocked by the brutality of global war and eugenics - Humanity will “come to it’s senses” and move towards Democratic Socialism through reform
The “brutality of global war and eugenics” already happened in WW2, but did Humanity come to it’s senses? Even after it ended?
Even if it did, has a certain bald eagle allowed them to come to senses?
Just because Star Trek depicts a post-class society (and is vague about how it arrives there), doesn’t make it not Marxist. It just focuses on the end result of Marxism (the abolition of classes / post-class), rather than the historic period of class conflict.
My point was that the Socialist society of Star Trek’s Federation was not arrived through class struggle - it imagines a world where the Capitalist class just “allowed” Socialism to happen, instead of manufacturing scarcity to maintain their positions.
I was not claiming that the Federation in Star Trek is not compatible with Marxism/is not a Marxist state; I am claiming that the world of Star Trek does not work according to the Marxist understanding of historical materialism. Instead, it uses the Democratic-Socialist framework - it ignores bourgeois class interests and imagines a world where progress can be made through peaceful Democratic reform.
You’re focusing on a period of socialism that Star Trek doesn’t depict, and criticizing things that are missing (the historic period of class struggle), not what’s there (a post-class society focused on exploration and mutual cooperation with other worlds).
It seems a stretch to say trek is demsoc, or that the transition was a peaceful reformist one. We’re given hints that the abolition of classes occurred after a violent nuclear world war which nearly destroys humanity, massive internal upheavals and poverty, and the arrival of vulcans. I agree it’d be nice if that was elaborated upon more, but that’s a different show, and certainly not one that would be allowed to be made in the belly of the beast.
The Federation is Socialist, but Star Trek is not a Marxist piece of media.
It follows a Liberal, Democratic-Socialist, Reformist line of thinking - that, at least once the world has been shocked by the brutality of global war and eugenics - Humanity will “come to it’s senses” and move towards Democratic Socialism through reform. When post-scarcity is achieved, the Capitalist class will just let this happen.
It is a Socialist world devoid of the ideas of class conflict; it presents a world compatible with Socialist ideals but not one compatible with scientific Socialist theory.
That’s not to say you can’t still like Star Trek as a show or use the Federation as an example of a good Socialist society. You just have to keep in mind that the world’s history does not make sense when viewed through the lens of Marxist class conflict.
The “brutality of global war and eugenics” already happened in WW2, but did Humanity come to it’s senses? Even after it ended?
Even if it did, has a certain bald eagle allowed them to come to senses?
Just because Star Trek depicts a post-class society (and is vague about how it arrives there), doesn’t make it not Marxist. It just focuses on the end result of Marxism (the abolition of classes / post-class), rather than the historic period of class conflict.
My point was that the Socialist society of Star Trek’s Federation was not arrived through class struggle - it imagines a world where the Capitalist class just “allowed” Socialism to happen, instead of manufacturing scarcity to maintain their positions.
I was not claiming that the Federation in Star Trek is not compatible with Marxism/is not a Marxist state; I am claiming that the world of Star Trek does not work according to the Marxist understanding of historical materialism. Instead, it uses the Democratic-Socialist framework - it ignores bourgeois class interests and imagines a world where progress can be made through peaceful Democratic reform.
You’re focusing on a period of socialism that Star Trek doesn’t depict, and criticizing things that are missing (the historic period of class struggle), not what’s there (a post-class society focused on exploration and mutual cooperation with other worlds).
It seems a stretch to say trek is demsoc, or that the transition was a peaceful reformist one. We’re given hints that the abolition of classes occurred after a violent nuclear world war which nearly destroys humanity, massive internal upheavals and poverty, and the arrival of vulcans. I agree it’d be nice if that was elaborated upon more, but that’s a different show, and certainly not one that would be allowed to be made in the belly of the beast.