Star Trek mining episode explains Bush's domestic policy

[BadgerKid]

Continuing with the Trekkers' theme....

In short: one people separated into classes between managers and laborers.

Series: 'The Original Series'
Episode Title: 'The Cloud Minders'
Episode Number: 319
Synopsis: "The Enterprise goes on a supply mission to a planet where the wealthy live in a beautiful city in the clouds while the poor mine a mineral which makes them go insane."

Original Airdate: February 23, 1969


Links to synopses:

http://www.startrek.com/startrek/view/series/TOS/episode/68808.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cloud_Minders

[valerief]

1. Wow! Merak II. Reverse last 2 letters and it could be Merka!

The U.S.S. Enterprise comes to the planet Ardana to acquire zienite, a rare mineral needed to stop a planet-wide plague on Merak II. The zienite is not available, however, because the miner class Troglytes are rebelling against the rulers of Ardana, who live in the cloud-city of Stratos.

The Stratos-dwellers insist that the Troglytes are naturally inferior beings, but Kirk discovers that the Troglytes are being affected by a gas emitted during mining.

Unable to get both sides to settle their differences, Kirk traps the Troglyte leader Vanna and the High Advisor of Ardana's Ruling Council, Plasus, inside a mine. When the gas takes effect, Plasus realizes what is happening and promises to help the Troglytes. With peace restored, the U.S.S. Enterprise is able to secure the zienite it needs.

[zbdent]

2. Voyager had one where the Doctor was forced to use meds which

would save the lives of the underclass ... for cosmetic reasons on the "elite" (wealthy, powerful, connected).

Until he managed to get the name of the director of the database out of the "elite" group, and the director was scared shitless ... and found the humanity of the lower caste ... Dr. and director manage to finally get some changes to the system, but the friend the director made from the forgiving lower caste succumbed to the disease that the meds cured before the changes could be enacted ...