Comments on: To Boldly Go On: A Long-Time Fan Re-Examines His Love Of ‘Star Trek’

By: Dr. Geek, Ph.D.

Dr. Geek, Ph.D. — Thu, 07 May 2009 18:19:32 +0000

Paul, my article is a personal statement regarding my feelings about Star Trek, not a treatise on United States foreign policy or the geo-politics of petroleum consumption. So, I hope you’ll forgive me for using a little poetic license and hyperbole when it comes to my feelings regarding Star Trek. Call me slightly cynical, but the United States has often pursued policy that has both involved doing “right” (as it sees it) while acting in the best interests of its own leaders and elites for the last 60 years. If we are to talk about 9/11 at all, the human race has stepped beyond the sort of ethno-religious hatred that 9/11 embodies in the time of Star Trek. The fact that narrow-minded religious fundamentalism in both the United States and abroad has continued to flourish, that ethnic hatred is passed to another generation, that we argue about the “fact” of evolution, or whether or not to immunize our children… these are steps backward, away from the world of Star Trek. In once read a review of the concluding episode of Star Trek: TNG where the reviewer remarked that Star Trek like few other shows felt like “future history” to its fans… well, that future history seems more remote to me now than it did 25 years ago.

By: Captain Karl

Captain Karl — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:12:33 +0000

Star Trek’s genius (and value) is its optimism. Don’t forget while the original series ran, the U.S. had Vietnam, the MLK, Bobby Kennedy assassinations, and the unrest at the ‘68 Democratic convention. When times are tough, Star Trek’s emphasis on the possibility of the human spirit becomes more relevant than ever.

By: Empress Eve

Empress Eve — Thu, 07 May 2009 11:38:05 +0000

@Paul
Why would you go straight to 9/11 with the virtue comparison? There have been plenty of wars or sending in of troops under the guise that it’s “helping” civilians or fighting the war on terror, meanwhile, no wars are fought for altruistic reasons. And guess what, our conflict in the middle east has a lot to do with oil. It’s naive to think otherwise. The point being made in this article is that the original Star Trek projected a future for us that was about peace-keeping and bridging the gap between not only all of humanity, but of all beings throughout the universe, but the way things are going now in real life, it seems like that utopian future is so far out of reach — almost like we’re going in the opposite direct. That’s just what I got out of this piece, I’ll let its author elaborate on it.

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 07 May 2009 03:55:13 +0000

I wonder would Kirk would do if Romulans flew a couple civilian transport shuttles straght into defenseless civilian space stations, killing thousands of innocents. Your jab at the War on Terrorism as a simple “War of virtue” for oil/fuel just shows that you know nothing about the state of world affairs, and that there are people who wouldn’t think twice about cutting your head off, ala Daniel Pearl.