For me the amusing thing is he completely misses why the TNG/DS9 Federation is a moneyless society.
The Replicator and the Holodeck.
Here we have a reliable, mature technology that can create anything you can describe. Want the Mona Lisa on your wall? Ask for it! The British Crown Jewels? They're yours! The only cost is the energy budget, and given that the Federation uses antimatter as a power source, that's not a problem. So no one needs for anything.
Then we have the Holodeck. Want to live on a cliff overlooking a stormy sea? Set you apartment to "Dark Shadows" and you, and all your stuff, and there! Even if you actually live in a 50sq.meter utility, the Holodeck uses tractors to simulate the size of the place, and the transporter beams whatever you need into your current "room" (Hell, you wouldn't need many possessions beyond clothing and items of personal emotional value.) You even have a staff, if you want it, your personal butler, the chef who serves your replicated food...
So even if you're at the lower end of the social strata, you can live like a king.
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Date: 2005-04-24 07:26 pm (UTC)The Replicator and the Holodeck.
Here we have a reliable, mature technology that can create anything you can describe. Want the Mona Lisa on your wall? Ask for it! The British Crown Jewels? They're yours! The only cost is the energy budget, and given that the Federation uses antimatter as a power source, that's not a problem. So no one needs for anything.
Then we have the Holodeck. Want to live on a cliff overlooking a stormy sea? Set you apartment to "Dark Shadows" and you, and all your stuff, and there! Even if you actually live in a 50sq.meter utility, the Holodeck uses tractors to simulate the size of the place, and the transporter beams whatever you need into your current "room" (Hell, you wouldn't need many possessions beyond clothing and items of personal emotional value.) You even have a staff, if you want it, your personal butler, the chef who serves your replicated food...
So even if you're at the lower end of the social strata, you can live like a king.