A given level of technology allows a county with given resources (e.g. petroleum, good engineers, conquered peoples being exploited far away, etc.) to have some total amount of wealth. The ruling class will give the bottom 99% some part of the wealth (not 99%, but hopefully 50%) to keep them subdued.<p>The closer technology is to Star Trek&#x27;s replicators, the more realistic free housing, food, utilities are. In such a society, people are by default artists, not farmers or workers. The people  who becomes doctors and teachers and do not get compensated by their patients or students, need to be compensated by the government which needs to have something people want.<p>In the USSR, people spent most of their money, time and energy just hustling for the basic necessities.<p>Note: I was born in Leningrad, but know of life there only from my parents.