BT>> The original ST does have a lot of political statements related to the
BT>> time it was made. But instead of criticism against political actors,
BT>> especially not specific ones, ST used to show a vision about better
BT>> alternatives and kept the science within the fiction as "possible as
BT>> possible".
BT>> This is probably the reason so many nerds and science people love it.

> Quite true. In my view, those 'statements' regarding political events or
> policies seemed to wax philosophical. They seemed to be intellectual
> exercise or
> thought experiment on moral implications.

Yes, but to me that made it so interesting and yet touchable. You could  
transfer it to any political system or society that you knew or lived in.

And you could identify with some values although taking opposite political  
positions.

> Think of the episode 'Who's watching the Watchers' from Season 3 of TNG. It
> was a brilliant exercise on the long term manipulation of an entire people
> when they
> mistake Picard for an ancient mythological god when the culture had long
> discarded their myths.
> Picard took a stand by stating that in doing so, he would be erasing their
> achievement.

> Quote: 'Millenia ago they abandoned their belief in the supernatural. Now
> you are asking me to sabotage that achievement. To send them back into the
> dark ages
> of superstition and ignorance and fear? No.'

Oh yes, that episode was brilliant! There are very few "untouched"  
cultures left on Earth, but once we expand into space - or even when we  
rethink our relationship with former colonies and occupied countries, it  
will give you a different perspective on the implications of what is done.

BT>> Yes... we will likely have to accept, that "our" Star Trek might never
BT>> return again.

> mhm :(

I remember 25 years ago, I was writing into a German ST board on FIDO,  
that there was still hope for another season of Picard and his crew. And I  
really liked an idea for a time travel branch with Admiral Picard in  
charge of a new "Time Fleet"...

That still would have been more star-treky than the show had become...

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