> I've always felt that "In Praise of Idleness" would be the basis of the fictional post-scarcity economy of Star Trek (and it's likely that this essay influenc

> I've always felt that "In Praise of Idleness" would be the basis of the fictional post-scarcity economy of Star Trek (and it's likely that this essay influenced the screenwriters). The "problem" is that Star Trek has always been about the adventure at the frontier, with a quasi-military (and precisely how quasi varying based on series) organization exploring new worlds, meeting new civilizations, and fighting with well-known civilizations the Federation is currently struggling against. Very little time is devoted to the people at home actually living that post-scarcity existence. (And, no, I don't see that as a problem. I like adventure-oriented Star Trek. It just means that these ideas have little relevance to that show.)