I’d like to preface this article is in no way attempting to shame anyone for enjoying the newest Star Trek movie, or any of the reboot movies. We are all allowed to enjoy whichever movies we want, so please watch away!
A large theme in the new "Star Trek" film was that of unity. The main villain—a war veteran from before Earth joined the Federation—thinks that humanity has weakened because we are no longer forced to fight for survival. How many times have we heard an older relative complain about how easy “kids these days” have it, because they don’t have to walk uphill both ways? This perspective believes that struggles should not be eliminated in our real world because they build a person’s character instead of breaking it down. However, the battles that most humans face are not wars and combat; billions of people fight against poverty or oppression every day, and the systems of power are winning. Star Trek has always shown us that our energy and intellect can propel us where no-one has gone before, if we can only put that energy to good use instead of fighting for basic rights. I applaud this message wholeheartedly, and think it would definitely get the Gene Roddenberry stamp of approval.
However, the overwhelming political narrative of the three new films has seemed focused on terrorism. In each movie of the reboot, a main villain—Nero, Kahn, and Krall—has sought to destroy our civilization and way of life because of ideological differences. This rhetoric parallels that particularly in the United States, but also in Europe, that Islamic Terrorist organizations hate the freedom, peace, and unity of “western civilization.”
Terrorist organizations certainly commit atrocious crimes, but the narratives put forth by the Star Trek reboot would make it seem as if the only stumbling blocks in an otherwise progressive, Utopian society are jaded citizens filled with hatred for that progress. In the United States the threat of terrorist organizations in the Middle East has been used to justify some equally atrocious acts on our part, and has detracted from addressing missteps of our own. Instead, there are a host of obstacles that prevent us from having a perfect society: systems of oppression such as racism and sexism, environmental degradation, poverty, colonization, and capitalism. These issues pervade each and every country and must be tackled globally in order to create the type of future Star Trek has always promised is within our grasp.
Future Star Trek films would benefit from studying the wide variety of problems addressed by the original series and films. Occasionally there was a big bad guy to fight (Kahn…), but more often than not the issue was with the Federation’s mistakes, an unknown phenomena of nature, or human nature and our ingrained prejudices. Quarrels with other species, such as the Klingons or Romulans, have always been phrased in terms of perspectives instead of right and wrong, and the vast majority of hostile encounters have arisen because of a miscommunication.
Throughout its history, Star Trek has sought to explore our ideas and beliefs on countless issues without fear of treading on American nationalism or going against popular political opinions. Star Trek has always been political, and while they kept fanning the same original spark of peace, unity, and progress, the stories could become wildly more explorative and impactful by reaching beyond a nationalist narrative and questioning beliefs that the viewers hold about ourselves, our world, and the universe.
