THE UNITED FEDERATION OF PLANETS: A STUDY
So you have just finished watching an episode of Star Trek, thinking to yourself Gee I'd love to be on the Enterprise, sailing around the cosmos, enjoying the pleasure and harmony of the 24th century. Feelings like this are shared by a lot of people who often find modern day, 20th century life, a difficult challenge to meet head on. Subsiquently delving deep into the relative tranquility of the artificial worlds that Star Trek create for us.
But ask yourself this - Just how glorious and happy would life in this era actually be?
A lot of Star Trek fans seem to forget that 'Trek' does have its darker side, although it very rarely shows it (but then why should it, after all, Star Trek is a happy, family show. Not something that can be placed alongside Hill Street Blues or anything else of that character). However to get an idea of what life must really be like in the 2300's, we must first look at the Federation as something that could actually exist in the future, and not go by what we see on Star Trek.
(For those of you who hate indepth studies of something that doesn't exist, I suggest you stop reading now, unless you have already).
Sometime in the distant future, someone, somewhere will form a government that encompasses all of the nations of the Earth. It is possibly safe to presume that as space travel became a reality and contacts with other lifeforms became commonplace, the leaders of the Earth decided that instead of the many countries all trying to out do each other in cosmic exploration and extra terrestrial relationships, they should, in fact, unite together, combining their various technologies to form a greater whole. The idea sounds fine, but the logistic problems of attempting to set up a parliament of this type makes the whole thing sound quite impossible (that's probably why it hasn't happened already). In any case, eventually everyone bands together as they link arms, preparing to look outward, as opposed to each other, for new ideas to form, people to visit and worlds to conquer. Admittedly the beginning is tough, How do mix in so many elements that have for so long been at each others throats? But everyone finally calms down, and somewhere amongst all this, The United Federation of Planets is born. The governments of the Earth are now one.
With the massing of the technologies from the different countries, and assistance supplied by the many visiting races, progress rapidly speeds up. Ideas that are conceived today, become realities tomorrow. And before anyone is fully aware of it, space travel becomes the number one priority of this new government. Soon everyone wants to reach for the stars, the Earth has reached its limit of providing interest, now the heavens overhead, lay beaconing for those daring enough to face its untamed blackness. As you can imagine, there are no shortages of volunteers, and soon the human race quickly spreads its name throughout the galaxies. But something is different. Whereas once upon a time, man conquered without question, culled without mercy whilst in the progress of exploration, this time a 'gentle' approach has been adopted. The United Federation of Planets had indeed learned of the bloody reminders of explorers past, and chose to seek an alternate method of colonisation. The early human travellers would have come across many inferior races, far below themselves in technology and intellect, yet these civilizations were spared of any form of overtaking, and were left in peace. The United Federation of Planets (now often referred to simply as the Federation) begins to get a good reputation for itself by these many cultures, because of this 'Prime Directive' it has instilled. Many planets decide to unite with the Federation and ally themselves with her, rather than leading the lives of the lone individual any longer. From the point of view of the oberserver, everyone is happy. But are they?
Of all the planets in the Federation that receives the least attention, Earth suffers the most, as the planet slowly transforms into one huge administration department.