Star Trek as liberal propaganda

The root beer scene from the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode of “Way Of The Warrior” is my single favorite work of liberal-as-in-Isaiah-Berlin-and-liberal-democracy propaganda.

If you don’t know Trek, a little grounding:

• The guy with the ears is Quark; his society are quasi-libertarian space capitalists
• The guy with the neck is Garak; his society are space fascists
• The Federation are our space heroes, the liberal society that Kirk, Spock, and Picard come from, space rivals to the other two space societies
• Over the next season of the show, the Federation will in fact decisively win the space war they are talking about

I have watched this dozens of times and find it moving every time. (Evidently actors Andrew Robinson & Armin Shimerman deserve credit for it!)

It has become common to mock conservatives grumbling about Star Trek “going woke”, since original Trek was very deliberately and transparently liberal-as-in-not-conservative propaganda in countless ways. But Trek is also structurally about liberalism in the deeper sense. A Star Trek story goes like this:

1. Our protagonists encounter Something Strange.
2. The Something Strange seems hostile.
3. Our protagnoists assume that they do not understand why the Something Strange is presenting the threat.
4. Our protagonists work together as a team, combining their different knowledge, talents, and perspectives to figure out what is up with the Something Strange.
5. Though a blend of heart and reason, they figure it out. Yep, this was a big misunderstanding.
6. Armed with this knowledge, the protagonists do something difficult — even risky — to help the Something Strange.
7. Aiding the Something Strange makes it no longer a threat.
8. Now our protagonists have a new friend.

Star Trek is the dream of liberalism always working, just as Superman is the dream of refusing to accept the terms of the Trolly Problem and saving everyone.

Is this formulaic? Heck yes. This post started as a Twitter thread, where I noted a conservative wag mocking the then-forthcoming Marvels movie:

Wait, wait … hang on … just a wild guess here, but I bet Carol Danvers discovers that only by Working As A Team and by Utilizing Diverse Strengths can she defeat the Big Baddie. Also, quips! And multiverse!

Calling the Marvel Cinematic Universe formulaic is an insult to formulas.

That guy does not hate that Marvel movies are formulaic. He hates that they are a formula for liberalism.

Not that the formula always works, either in Marvel or Trek. I need to follow up this post with a look at the ways pop liberal propaganda fails at its own project, often revealing cracks in the foundations. I am particularly grumpy at how recent Trek so often misfires.

But I remain committed to libdem. When Trek delivers formulaic boosterism for liberalism, that is the good comfort food. I count root beer as the sacred libation of Aphrodítē Pandēmos — god of love for all in the shared space of the ἀγορά, and thus for me god of liberal democracy — and my thirst for it is bottomless.

Garak
Might I trouble you for a glass of kanar?

Quark
Help yourself. It’s on the house.

Garak
How uncharacteristically generous of you.

Quark
I’m in an uncharacteristic mood. Besides, I’ve got eighty cases of this stuff sitting in my stockroom. And the way things are going, I’ll never unload another bottle unless it’s to you.

Garak
How thoughtless of me not to consider the effect the destruction of my homeworld would have on your business. These must be trying times for you. Be brave.

Quark
I should’ve listened to my cousin Gaila. He said to me, “Quark, I’ve got one word for you: weapons. No one ever went broke selling weapons.” But did I take his advice? No. And why not? Because I’m a people person. I like interacting with my customers. Like you and I are doing right now. Talking to each other, getting to know one another.

Garak
I can see the attraction. For you.

Quark
But when you’re dealing in weapons, buyers aren’t interested in casual conversation. They just want their merchandise, no questions asked. It’s so impersonal.

Garak
Your charms would be wasted.

Quark
Exactly. So now Gaila owns his own moon, and I’m staring into the abyss. And the worst part is, my only hope for salvation is the Federation.

Garak
I know precisely how you feel.

Quark
I want you to try something for me. Take a sip of this.

Garak
What is it?

Quark
A human drink. It's called “root beer”.

Garak
I don’t know.

Quark
Come on. Aren’t you just a little bit curious?

Garak drinks, looks disgusted

Quark
What do you think?

Garak
It’s vile.

Quark
I know. It’s so bubbly and cloying and happy.

Garak
Just like the Federation.

Quark
But you know what’s really frightening? If you drink enough of it … you begin to like it.

Garak
It’s insidious.

Quark
Just like the Federation.

Garak
Do you think they’ll be able to save us?

Quark
I hope so.