Utopia, a poll (with other completely unconnected question)

[andrewducker]

"The Culture" in this case refers to the space-faring civilisation in Iain Banks' awesome series of novels.

[Poll #1792224]

Comments

[danieldwilliam.livejournal.com]

Steve does wonder whether there there is such a thing as theft in the Culture, at the very least in the "taking a token to count coup on a rival" sense. Or counterfeiting, for that matter

Both of these examples I think touch on my view of the hightenend importance of unique objects where those objects are unique because of some social cache that attaches to them generally or to some sentimental attachment. Where there is no practical limit to the amount or quality of stuff that one can have the only stuff that matters is the stuff that touches on psychological welfare. Stuff that serves as a reminder of a particular relationship or experience or stuff that indicates *you* were *there* or were considered the right sort by someone who was.

Reputation, family history or brand, appears to be quite important to Cultureniks. Entry to Contact and Special Circumstances seems to be important and there are elected positions of prestige. I think it not an unfair assumption that other considerations of status would be important to them.

I am assuming that the elected President of Masaq Orbital would consider her dignity to impeached if the gown she wore at her inaugaral ball was “stolen” and used as a prop in a soap opera.

So using that object to count coup would be “hilarious” for one of her electoral rivals and presumably an electoral rival so motivated would be interested in a counterfeit.