“It is a bitter thought, but you must face it. The planets you may one day possess.
But the stars are not for man.” – Karellen, the Overlord, in “Childhood’s End” by Arthur C. Clarke
I grew up watching “Star Trek.” To use a cliché from the original series, I was fascinated by the prospect that one day humans might not only find a way to get along but might also team up with other humanoid species to explore the galaxy. In short, the narrative of Star Trek gave me hope. Despite the unrest of the 60s and 70s, it seemed to me we could make progress and no longer see skin color as a reason to relegate people to an inferior status. Back then I thought, “it might take time, but we will eventually give up our irrational prejudices and find common ground.”
That was then. Now, I’m not so sure. I want to have hope, but it’s getting more difficult. I’ve followed the recent editions of Star Trek and I still like to think we could end up exploring the stars, but I have many doubts…and questions. How can we travel to the stars if we can’t find a way to work together on Earth? What makes us think we should go to the stars if we can’t even take care of the planet we live on? If we can’t put our own house in order, what business do we have spreading our distrust and hatred to other planets? Of course, one of the themes of Star Trek is that there will always be some sort of conflict, yet Star Trek predicts a future in which political, racial, and religious strife is largely absent – from Federation worlds, at least.
Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity, as the French motto goes, are also Star Trek ideals – not party over country, much less the beliefs that some men are above the law or that some must “rule” over others, no matter what. Despite our technological progress, we are still mired in a cold war between nation-states and are no closer to global unity than we were in 1966. It seems to me that too many people manufacture conflict where none exists just to make a political point, or more money. In Star Trek, the characters followed the scientific method wherever it led, and whenever someone followed politics or profit, the results were usually disastrous.
To quote another famous fictional character, Dr. Who, “The very powerful and the very stupid have one thing in common. Instead of altering their views to fit the facts, they alter the facts to fit their views…which can be very uncomfortable if you happen to be one of the facts that needs altering.” Now, anything that does not fit the party line is chalked up as “fake news” or simply a “hoax,” regardless of the evidence. Those who are in search of power will say and do practically anything to gain more of it. In Star Trek, there were agreed upon limits to power. Without these, we can devolve into a society governed by Jim Crow or fascist assumptions, in which anyone who disagrees with the party or religion in power can be branded an inferior, a misfit, or a traitor – certainly not a “real” American.
I remember Star Trek for its optimism. But it’s fiction, after all. Reality is tainted by stupidity, superstition, and feelings of supremacy. Travel to the stars will require us to give up all three. The project is greater than any one group, no matter how great they think they are or how great they want to be again. If we want to explore the galaxy, we need to put aside our pet beliefs and work together on a global scale. There is no other way. Even if our hope is to make it possible for our children’s grandchildren to live on this planet, there is no other way than to achieve a global understanding of who we are and how we are going to work together. Declarations of exceptionalism or superiority will not cut it. Even if it turns out the stars are not for man, the Earth still is. The only question is whether we will make it a crumbling prison or a thriving paradise.
MurrayWorks 