If find a comparison between Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek to be quite revealing of some basic worldviews.
The civilization in Battlestar Galactica is always at war, always on the verge of extinction, and must always be prepared to sacrifice self and others to save the whole. Sure it has a democracy, but one mainly guided by continuous martial law. Owing to the ability of cylons to infiltrate in human form, the cast of BSG always have to be vigilent even in each others' presence, never sure whom they can trust, the focus being not so much on cultural rights or individual rights, but on the basic physical survival of the species.
On a political front, this could be compared in the real world to a fairly typical republican worldview, always at the ready, never trusting, always prepared to sacrifice basic rights for the greater good in the face of certain extinction. McCarthyism comes to mind, as does the idea of pre-emptive strike.
Then we have Star Trek. The world it represents is a powerful, populous, and developed federation of explorers, ever seeking collaboration and peaceful and mutual expansion of the federation, ever so concerned about niceties like the neutrality the Prime Directive, ready to sacrifice self and federation for principle, always willing to give the benefit of the doubt.
Maybe a Swedish paradise of sorts comes to mind.
How do you see the world?
The civilization in Battlestar Galactica is always at war, always on the verge of extinction, and must always be prepared to sacrifice self and others to save the whole. Sure it has a democracy, but one mainly guided by continuous martial law. Owing to the ability of cylons to infiltrate in human form, the cast of BSG always have to be vigilent even in each others' presence, never sure whom they can trust, the focus being not so much on cultural rights or individual rights, but on the basic physical survival of the species.
On a political front, this could be compared in the real world to a fairly typical republican worldview, always at the ready, never trusting, always prepared to sacrifice basic rights for the greater good in the face of certain extinction. McCarthyism comes to mind, as does the idea of pre-emptive strike.
Then we have Star Trek. The world it represents is a powerful, populous, and developed federation of explorers, ever seeking collaboration and peaceful and mutual expansion of the federation, ever so concerned about niceties like the neutrality the Prime Directive, ready to sacrifice self and federation for principle, always willing to give the benefit of the doubt.
Maybe a Swedish paradise of sorts comes to mind.
How do you see the world?
