10 Most Meta Star Trek Moments

The Sanctuary Districts of Deep Space Nine's Past Tense were both a reimagining of historical debtor's prisons and a chilling prediction of what could come in the future for the poor of America. By 2024, every major city in the United States had at least one district. It was here that the poor, disabled, and others were effectively imprisoned with the promise of finding work that would never materialise.

Medieval debtor's prisons were the original inspiration here. People who had fallen behind on payments could be arrested and thrown in jail until their debts were settled, which was of course next to impossible to do while sitting in a cell. This led to a cycle of poverty that was incredibly difficult to break out of.

Under the Trump Administration, Sanctuary Districts were far more likely than at any point in history. The then-President issued a statement that said the people of San Francisco, where these episodes were set, and Los Angeles were fed up with the homeless problem and that they were looking into ways of fixing the issue. With that particular Administration's history of rounding people up in cages, this Trek prediction was in danger of becoming far, far too real.