From Newsgroup: alt.tv.star-trek.tos
From Address: sdlitvin@earthlink.net
Subject: Re: More Holes To Plug
"GeneK" wrote in message
news:a4KdnWkNZqgKFgXQnZ2dnUVZ5rednZ2d@giganews.com:
> "Steven L." wrote in message news:yvydnQ0--
> > Industrialization requires contracts between parties, and those contracts
can
> > only be enforced by the rule of law. That Iotia could continue to
> > industrialize even after the planet lapsed into anarchy, lawlessness, and
> > gangsterism is quite a stretch. Much more of a stretch than Mr. Oxmyx
paying
> > a few technicians to build one radar set.
>
> You could probably make the same argument about Trek's mirror universe, or
the
> Klingon Empire. I think the answer to it is that not everybody is wired the
> right way to be a successful gangster, back-stabbling politician or warrior,
and
> those who don't make it into the class that holds all the power have to use
> whatever talents they are born with or can develop to make themselves useful
to
> those who do.
>
> "Rule of law" doesn't necessarily mean a democratic republic. Ancient
societues
> didn't get their pyramids built or develop astronomy and methematics by
> establishing democratic republics and modern, industrialized society still
isn't
> quite sure how they did some of the things they accomplished.
Sure we are. With huge numbers of slaves.
And those ancient nations weren't industrialized.
The Roman Empire accomplished some very advanced technology for their
time: A road network, aqueducts, even indoor plumbing. But they had a
Senate and laws. They weren't an absolute monarchy like the Pharaohs of
ancient Egypt.
As for Star Trek, we did see in TNG that the Klingons do have a code of
honor after all. And Mirror-Spock predicted that the Mirror-Universe
Empire won't survive much longer.
-- Steven L.
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