Is this my nerdiest post? Yes. Anyway,

The Star Trek wiki had something interesting…

Paul Schneider modeled the Romulans on the ancient Romans, naming the species’ homeworlds after the mythical founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. “It was a matter of developing a good Romanesque set of admirable antagonists that were worthy of Kirk,” Schneider related. “I came up with the concept of the Romulans which was an extension of the Roman civilization to the point of space travel, and it turned out quite well.” (Captains’ Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages, p. 34) D.C. Fontana reckoned that Schneider basing the aliens on the pre-existing Roman civilization was the cause for the writer receiving insufficient credit for creating the Romulans. (“Balance of Terror” Starfleet Access, TOS Season 1 Blu-ray) Gene Roddenberry, interested in ancient Rome himself, approved of the initial depiction of the Romulan species. “He loved Paul’s having endowed the enemy-Romulans with the militaristic character of the ancient Romans,” wrote John D.F. Black and Mary Black. (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 2, Issue 11, p. 19) Roddenberry’s original concept of the Romulans, however, was that they represented 1960s’ Chinese Communists.

Yes, Romulans are somewhat based on the Roman Empire and are xenophobic conquerers, but Westerners often ignorantly attribute these traits to communist countries anyway.

Then there is the Klingons, again, the Klingons are nothing like communists, (they’re a patriarchal empire) and yet I’ve seen people say they were based on the Soviets.

So what do you think?

  • 1simpletailer
    English
    18·
    6 months ago

    It may not have gained the mainstream appeal of TOS and TNG, but DS9 is Trek at its absolute best. It is also Trek at its most overtly leftist. A cast that would be considered diverse today back in the 90’s, an anti-facist insurgency portrayed in a nuanced but mostly positive light, absolutely biting racial commentary, a main character that could be considered a trans allegory, and one of tvs first homosexual kisses (again, in the 90s) to name just a few things. The entire series is about leftist ideals and convictions being tested and it’s asperational AF. It’s not perfect by any means, it had to make it on American television after all, but rarely does something so overtly leftist do just that. I recommend any comrades who haven’t seen it check out the episodes “Bar Association” and “Far Beyond the Stars”.