What currency do they use in Star Trek

darkman2

I'm not a big fan of Star Trek but im just curious. You never see any form of currency like money? How do they pay for stuff

tallaghtmick

gold pressed latinum is one

Correct me if im wrong but a lot of trades got done in the series.

JBnaglfar

There is some system of credits within the Federation, but no money. Other groups trade in latinum (which is encassed in worthless gold :P), so the Federation might use Latinum to trade with other groups, but not internally.

Johnny Storm

In the First Contact movie, Lilly asks Picard how much it cost to build the Enterprise - he replies that "the economics of my time is very different from economics in your time" or words to that effect. Also in the clip show that ended TNG season 1, where 4 people frozen early in the 21st century are recovered, one of the popsicles keeps asking about Wall Street and wanting to find out how his portfolio is doing. The crew have little clue what he's on about.
Its never made explicit but my general impression is that due to super effective energy sources and replicator technology the Federation is in post-scarcity mode and most material possessions are freely available to anyone who wants them.
Only "less evolved" species like Ferengi bother with commerce or money.

allibastor

AFAIK in DS9 Ben siskos dads mentioned that people can do what ever jobs they like or feel e system of wages good at. the system of wages and such, as far as i remeber is not present as people have access to all the technology that would be aboard the star ships. people will have replecators at home etc. i remeber it being said also in TNG that the money system was removed in the early 22nd century to help remove the leverage of the few over the many, or something like that by Picard.

the reason the ferengi use it is because they are a heavy capitilist race, a fact Tha Gene Roddenberyy hated in the general public, he was once quoted as saying that some of what he writes about could be possible if the greed of coperations was gotten rid off. eg look at shell BP who owns the rights to a fully workable electric car, just wont sell them off.

Manach

Well, if everyone is happy and content in the ST universe eden under Gov. control, what use is money to create discontent.

ixoy

None - resources are allocated out as required among the workers. In other words, they're a bunch of red-card carrying commies!

darkman2

ixoy wrote: »

None - resources are allocated out as required among the workers. In other words, they're a bunch of red-card carrying commies!

That's exactly what I was thinking. It's communism. We could go deeper and say why would anyone work in this make believe world if they have all they need for nothing?


It's a world without motivation and incentive. That cannot work such is human nature. Bizarre.

Myrddin

darkman2 wrote: »

That's exactly what I was thinking. It's communism. We could go deeper and say why would anyone work in this make believe world if they have all they need for nothing?


It's a world without motivation and incentive. That cannot work such is human nature. Bizarre.

There's still artists, musicians etc in the show...surely people are free to pursue whatever aspirations they desire? If thats what communism means, paint me red.

Surion

darkman2 wrote: »

That's exactly what I was thinking. It's communism. We could go deeper and say why would anyone work in this make believe world if they have all they need for nothing?


It's a world without motivation and incentive. That cannot work such is human nature. Bizarre.

I would work, or study or probably both! Not for the money (if all my resouces are cost-less!) but for self improvement. Dr Bashir gets a visit on DS9 from his parents, his father has had many many jobs, most recently a public space designer, but keeps changing careers cos he's yet to find the right one! Suggestive money isn't a problem.

I think it's totally readable, and most people would go about improving them selves or joining a Star Fleet or whatever!

mewso

Would you clean the bogs for nothing? Oh we have the EMH version 1 to do that.

tallaghtmick

Starfleet members get replicator rations so really you could have anything you want......so mick what did you replicate today.....ah the usual a few iphones ill pawn off:pac:

Buceph

Yeah, there's no currency for day to day items in the Federation. People work because they want to, and because they feel like they want to contribute to society. Take Boothby for example, he worked on the grounds of the Star Fleet Academy on Earth, he enjoyed gardening and he enjoyed dealing with the students. Picard regards him as one of the most wise men he knows and you can imply from that that Boothby would succeed in much more high-powered roles, but he didn't want that. He was happy looking after trees and shrubs and taking an interest in the students that came to him.

There is a credit system (which I think can involve latinum) for extravagent purchases and rare purchases. And people from the Federation definitely trade in other civilisation's money (how else would they get things in the Klingon or Ferengi worlds.) So there's probably some form of "social welfare" or "pay" for people in society. They just don't really need any of it when they're in the federation. Supposedly society has just gone past a point where people want for something. (Although not everyone, there are people who leave the Federation to make their riches elsewhere.)

tallaghtmick

I think its the same in starship troopers,you have to earn the right to be a citizen by enlisting and everything is handed to you:D

allibastor

Hi,

I think it was mentioned in TNG that the reason humanity has evloved so fast was due to people being able to do what they were best. not sure what ep it was but i remember pickard saying to a member of a differnt race that humaity has grown so fast in such a short time because people can do what they are interested in with resources to match.

to be fair it seems right that if someone has created technology that can re arrange matter into a useful item, the replicators, then what would people need. work gets done by peope who have an interest in it. would explain why science is so far ahead in the relativly little time between enterprise, and lets say ds9, or why the federation seems to be so young, yet so far advanced.

Cookie_Monster

the system of credits was mentioned a few times

how else could you buy a cargo ship, can't just have everyone going "I'd like one of them please" or why else would there be any need for waiters etc. Who would want to work in Sisko's restaurant for example without compensation?

Stabshauptmann

Its not explained at any point; but there is the begging question of who would do the menial labour if there were no incentive.

Energy is not infinite, or costless in ST; scarcity may not exist on the same level but it exists. Not everyone can just replicate a fully assembled star ship. And on VOY there are replicator rations and many episodes where they are low on deuterium. They must use **** loads of deuterium, because its a very common isotope.

Labour is scarce I would imagine for crappy work, but more interesting, opportunities are also scarce for interesting work. It has been shown to be extremely difficult to get into Starfleet Academy.

My theory is that it is the mega welfare state, with a good dose of brain washing. Being idle is probably perceived as immoral.

Skerries

I bet 40 Quatloos on the newcomer

Skerries

I bet 40 Quatloos on the newcomer

FloatingVoter

Nobody cleans the toilets, it all gets beamed in to space. Some people enjoy making chips for the general public.:rolleyes:

What has not been covered is a storyline involving the 24th century smoking man. Doper in a spacesuit....whoops it has, Q had them tripping all along. Explains the "we don't need cash" philosophy.

nyarlothothep

It seems like a nice world to live in once you don't realize that if you're not in starfleet you're condemned to wearing earth tone one piece suits and that rock music is banned.

kowloon

nyarlothothep wrote: »

It seems like a nice world to live in once you don't realize that if you're not in starfleet you're condemned to wearing earth tone one piece suits and that rock music is banned.

You're going to have to tell me more about that one.

Doom

EuroBonds and their still worth fcuk all;)

somuj

Skerries wrote: »

I bet 40 Quatloos on the newcomer

I was just about to post they use quatloos too

nyarlothothep

kowloon wrote: »

You're going to have to tell me more about that one.

Was there ever rock music in star trek, with the exception of the space hippies? I mean what happened to Marilyn Manson or Led Zeppelin etc, all they seem to listen to or play is new orleans jazz or bach. They don't even have funk!

darragh666

Im not sure if it is mentioned in any way but there could be a greater emphasis placed upon social titles or job titles. For example the Captain of a star ship but no one is going to hand over a star ship to some one irresponsible. Even with replicators I imagine some items are still built with the authentic materials and therefore a star ship would not be something anybody could possess.

So to show how responsible someone is they would have to earn trust and display expertise and so forth. The best way to do this is with experience. To gain experience someone would have to start at the low ranking levels of a job and do menial tasks until the gain promotion and eventually achieve the desired job or requirements to fulfill their desires.

If someone wanted to be a chief and run a restaurant they would probably need experience waiting tables. Then after a period they can progress until they own their own restaurant and manage their own waiters who also seek the experience to run their own restaurants.

Also menial tasks would probably be a lot easier, I wouldnt have a problem washing the dishes of all I do is throw them into the replicator.

kowloon

nyarlothothep wrote: »

Was there ever rock music in star trek, with the exception of the space hippies? I mean what happened to Marilyn Manson or Led Zeppelin etc, all they seem to listen to or play is new orleans jazz or bach. They don't even have funk!

It would have been great to hear one of them listening to an old 20th century classical piece, some Swedish death metal maybe, or the theme to Countdown.

allibastor

i suppose the use of rations or sanction would make sense, or else some nutter could replicate a bomb or something and blow up the place.

it know in voyager these use ration because of limited matter to make the food/parts etc. i suppose them must have some sort of base matter that the replicators use.

i just thought it has been mentioned a few times that people are able to work at what makes them happy or what they are good at. i suppose the waiting line at the academy is due to most people wanting to explore and them having a surplus choice of people who want to go into space.

i suppose some form of incentive scheme must be in place to get people to do the less nice jobs.

Benny_Cake

allibastor wrote: »

i suppose the use of rations or sanction would make sense, or else some nutter could replicate a bomb or something and blow up the place.

it know in voyager these use ration because of limited matter to make the food/parts etc. i suppose them must have some sort of base matter that the replicators use.

i just thought it has been mentioned a few times that people are able to work at what makes them happy or what they are good at. i suppose the waiting line at the academy is due to most people wanting to explore and them having a surplus choice of people who want to go into space.

i suppose some form of incentive scheme must be in place to get people to do the less nice jobs.

There was a TNG episode (Lower Decks,I think,which featured a waiter from Ten-Forward, think he mentioned taking the job so he could see the galaxy,which makes sense on some level I suppose. I'm not sure why anyone would want to wait tables for Ben Sisko's dad though!