Which is not to say that it is perfect or superior to Earth and the larger Federation’s comparatively egalitarian post-scarcity economy, or even particularly ethical.
However, from what we’re shown, the Ferengi political structure (which is clearly part and parcel with it’s commercial structure) does not, with the one HUGE exception of it’s treatment of women, make use of divisive social issues to distract its work force from the disadvantages of capitalism. Unlike contemporary Western capitalism, everyone on Ferenginar from the wealthiest to the poorest appears to operate from the same transparent, if morally bankrupt, ruleset, and the powerful, importantly, don’t pretend otherwise.
This is a dark but kind of brilliant aspect of the rules of acquisition - All members of society, including laborers, are taught from birth to operate from a position of mutual distrust and can operate comfortably with full knowledge that the person on the other side of the table will disregard all other concerns in order to take complete financial advantage of them, and they will do the same. This bypasses a lot of steps that would otherwise be required in terms of building trust or engaging in any kind of sales or negotiation, although there is likely a lot more onus on each individual to do the calculus on any given business transaction internally to ensure that all of their vulnerabilities are accounted for. The phrase ‘trust me’ must be a complete joke in all contexts.
Furthermore, because greed is not just a social value but a desirable and marketable job skill, the playing field, which is horrific from the perspective of most 24th century humans, may actually be more level than even modern capitalism. There’s evidence to suggest that if even the poorest worker can successfully skim profits without leaving immediate evidence behind, this is almost blameless. Quark knows that Rom shaves the latinum, for example.
This is not a complete theory and I’m sure there are plenty of counterexamples, but mostly I just wanted to gripe that shit is so tough irl right now that even working as a Ferengi waiter seems like a dream by comparison.
“Ferengi talk about Wall Street as if it were holy ground.”
—Kathryn Janeway
I seem to recall a producer, maybe the Great Bird himself, saying that Ferenginar was created to show the ridiculous logical conclusion of the US obsession with capitalism and accumulating wealth.
Oh definitely. I think everyone writing Ferengi episodes had this in mind.
But at some point in DS9’s run, I think someone (probably Ira) realized that the worship of the “free market” was becoming even worse than the fictional and cartoonish economics that they invented for the sole purpose of making fun of capitalism, to the point that they somehow got away with giving Quark, of all characters, the moral high ground when criticizing human history.
…to the point that they somehow got away with giving Quark, of all characters, the moral high ground when criticizing human history.
Honestly, your “the most stable and ethical expression of capitalism” thesis has made me realize just how right Quark was. With humanity, the wealth gained through unchecked capitalism inevitably gets parleyed into political power that destroys the free market that enabled it in the first place. For Ferengi society to be stable, that dictatorial tendency would have to be absent, which means they really are better.
@CaptObvious @commander_la_freak
Yes, TNG started before the breakup of the USSR, so criticism of capitalism was a pretty radical thing to put in primetime in America in the late cold war. The Ferengi were explicitly analogized with “Yankee traders” to make it clear that they were basically “Evil Space America” as a twisted mirror alternative to the Federation’s “Good Space America” with only the nice parts.
Imagine how difficult it would be to hire a ferengi lawyer to sue your ferengi accountant. shudders
Although this would be a densely layered and hilariously pedantic scenario, I kind of doubt that Ferenginar has lawyers, as such.
Obviously someone must arbitrate disputes but I wonder if it wouldn’t just be like;
Plantif: I want to file suit against my accountant!
Counsel: Alright - My consulting fee is 70 slips a minute.
Plantif: Fine - My accountant embezzled from me!
Counsel: And you just let him? There’s no case here. By the way, I charge by the hour; that’ll be 2 bars 2 strips. Next client!
I would imagine that they do. Ferenginar still has rules and things that you must abide by even when gaining a profit, or else they would have no need of the commerce authority to act as a regulatory body in the first place.
An embezzlement case might involve you paying your counsel more if they can recover a portion of your money through the legal system, winding their way through regulations, or having their own tricks to get it back.
Lawyers are also good for more than suits. A Ferengi business might have one on hand for dealing with all of those complicated laws, so they can focus their lobes on the business itself, instead of being mired in paperwork.
This analysis brings to mind the Liaden of Sharon Lee and Steve Miller’s Korval ™ books.
Liaden society has a profession called quendra that are a mix of accountants, lawyers and commercial adjudicators. It’s also a society based on ‘balance’ counting-coup where everyone, all their lives, is keeping score in everyone else. Even Ferengi might be horrified.
I think you’re on to something. Contemporary society claims to adhere to a higher moral compass, but then trashes it if a profit can be made. The Ferengi Alliance makes no such claim, so everyone is getting stabbed in the front - so to speak.
I agree. But there were a few moments where the Ferengi were shown not to behave consistently with the principles they espoused.
They shouldn’t have had any problem with (Edit: Rom) forming a union, for instance. After all, what’s wrong with a little collusion and price-fixing between the sellers of labor?
I guess some hypocrisy is to be expected in any society.
You make a good point. Although it’s not an economic system I’d like to be a part of, at least everyone knows what the rules are, and people expect to be taken advantage of by everyone else.
