Finished the orville and I must say..

The Union is post-scarcity, but as they point out, making a utopia (or at least a much better world) still takes choices. Our current society is arguably post scarcity in terms of food. We do not have infinite reserves, but we still produce more than enough to feed everyone in the world. We waste 1/3 of it while people still go hungry and even more people struggle to get proper nutrition. In the US at least, there are enough homes (and buildings that could be converted into living spaces) to house everyone, but we still have homelessness.

Well said. I do like to think that the difference between the two universes of The Orville and Star Trek is that one is not a post apocalyptic society. I know it's a head cannon thing but what if whilst the human race was still on course to join the galactic community, the tone of the two shows are the product of there being a war or not?

They absolutely have finite resources, they may have enough for everyone, but we already do. Matter synthesis is just a very advanced manufacturing proces, it still takes energy. The absence of currency is a fundamental part of communist ideology usually. However I will give you that we don’t know that much about the economy of the world of the Orville cause, you know, it all happens on a ship.

I really liked that scene where Kelly explained all this to Lysella.