What is Post Warp?

  In this blog I am analyzing the Star Trek spin-off series Deep Space Nine (DS9) for elements of international relations (IR) theory.
     I know what you're thinking. "Why would I possibly care about IR theory in some science fiction series from the nineties? Why would anybody?" It's a good question. Let's put it this way. Blogs by their very nature are specialized. They cater to a niche audience, but there's more to it than that. In many cases, it's an exercise in revealing what goes unseen, of digging a little deeper than the cursory scan can penetrate.
     The subject of this blog may be somewhat obscure. Indeed, to find it interesting, you may have to either have a basic interest in IR theory or be a fan of the Star Trek franchise. But do not let that dissuade you, should neither apply. For this is a process of exploration. You could even use Star Trek itself as a metaphor. Virtually every series (with the exception of DS9) focuses on a space vessel on a mission to explore "where no one has gone before."  If you are new to either the TV show or the social science, that metaphor may suit you best. However, the best analogy that can be drawn from what I seek to accomplish would be found in archaeology. I am not looking at anything new. DS9 started in 1993 as a spin-off to the popular resurrection of the franchise Star Trek: The Next Generation which premiered in 1987.
     In reviewing episodes from DS9, a show based on a space station far from earth, it is possible to glean lessons not only in present day IR theories, but also how these theories may alter in a future where planetary civilizations interact in similar fashion. Traditional IR theories, for the most part, base themselves on the very basic assumption that the nation-state is the primary actor in international relations. However, it's worth noting that the nation-state is a relatively new development in the history of mankind. Only recently have human societies cohered to form nations, each with their various values and forms of governments. In the Star Trek mythology, nation-states are Pre-Warp conceptions.
     While it is certainly possible for warp engines (the fictional technology that allows for faster than light travel through space) to be developed by a nation-state, it generally follows that a global government is formed shortly after. For warp vessels are both figuratively and literally the vehicle through which planets enter the galactic society. But, as with Pre-Warp civilizations, where there is typically no global government, in Star Trek's Post Warp universe, there is no galactic government. In IR terms, that would be called an anarchic system. Thus, based on that very fact alone, one can simply substitute "international" with "interplanetary" and debate or employ many of the same concepts from today's IR theory.
     At the same time, while we may apply some lessons from the 20th and 21st centuries to the 24th century, the series makes the attentive viewer think hard about how Post Warp IR presents its own abundance of complications and questions.
     It is important to note that throughout the Star Trek franchise there has been a particular ideology propagated as the correct and righteous one. On the surface it may seem like it preaches rather simple and easy-to-swallow concepts: that peace is better than war, that tolerance is better than racism, sexism or xenophobia, that logic is better than superstition and that compassion is better than aggression. There's actually more to it than just that. Star Trek is and always has been a modern liberal utopia. In many ways the word liberal here does apply to domestic politics. Take economics for instance. The economy of the future has no money. How this works has never really been teased out and that's probably because even the writers can't figure it out (If they could, someone would have started a hippie commune and tried it by now). It's not exactly communist but it's probably anti-capitalist. I've already addressed social issues. Some like race were more prescient during the 60s when the original series was on the air. Though homosexuality is indirectly addressed with science fiction metaphors, since it was still not very mainstream for television back then, the practice would undoubtedly be met with societal acceptance and legal recognition in Post Warp earth. Not to belabor the point but San Francisco is the capital of the world!
     What I really mean by "liberal" is actually the IR term, which means something else entirely. It is also interchangeable with idealist. As such it is also very skeptical of it's counter school of thought, realism. I'll explain these terms with greater detail in the Primer Directive at the bottom of the blog, along with some basics you may need to know about the Star Trek universe I have failed to touch upon thus far.
     For now, as the old Vulcan adage goes, live long and... try not to fall asleep reading this blog.