Would The Royal Family Exist in the 22nd Century?

[Elessar]

I always thought there was a huge communist influence on the Federation.

[JadziaKathryn]

Well, maybe some - at the very least leftist influence. I think TOS was more utopianist than communist. Especially leftist influences in TNG, which was all sterile and very nearly gets into the end-of-history idea. (A theory which enjoyed brief prominence after the collapse of the USSR, is hubris-filled, and states that human society reached the pinnacle of progress.)

[Elessar]

Well, maybe some - at the very least leftist influence. I think TOS was more utopianist than communist. Especially leftist influences in TNG, which was all sterile and very nearly gets into the end-of-history idea. (A theory which enjoyed brief prominence after the collapse of the USSR, is hubris-filled, and states that human society reached the pinnacle of progress.)

Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy flirts with the idea. Great book. Also reads like the original incarnation of Futurama

[Linda]

Over the weekend when I am usually offline, I see this thread has advanced quite a bit. So I will wade in here with my comments early this Monday morning.

Michelle was mentioning that Vulcan might have an equivilant to royalty. It sort of does and I don't know if it is just from the non-canon novels or is actually mentioned in canon. Sarek and Spock's clan, which is also T'Pau's clan, is supposed to be related to Surak.

As far as Americans wearing kilts and such, well many still have relatives they correspond with and visit in Europe. I have relatives in Scotland as my grandparents immigrated to the U.S. from Beith in Ayrshire in 1913. Yes I own a kilt and used to do Highland Dancing, even competed and got some medals. I belong to the Robert Burns Club of Milwaukee and even had an article on Burns published in the journal of the Burns international society (I will look up the citation in my copy at home if anyone is interested). It is that culture and family transcend national borders, don't you think? To paraphrase Frost's poem "something there is that doesn't love a wall and wants it down". Of course, my family also has roots right here in Wisconsin which go back give or take an ice age - Native American. We use the Ojibwe language a bit at home, trying to keep the language alive. And the latest young adult part of our family is branching out to include African-America roots. Maybe that is part of the reason I like Star Trek so much - my family is so IDIC.