Comment The Problem (Score 1) 888
One of the funniest moments in the Star Trek series came when they brought aboard a frozen 20th century businessman. The tragedy of the commons became all too real when the businessman discovered he could just touch the wall and demand to see the Captain.
Federation society was based on an ethic of getting along, not demanding everyone's attention for yourself. If that ethic exists in humanity, it is certainly not nurtured by the corporate capitalism that now controls the world's resources. Sadly, this may explain why we never hear from technologically advanced society's -- either they destroy themselves or they learn to hide.