I guess you could consider time as a resource, but manpower wasn’t an issue initially - they had the synths and any number of automated systems, along with the ability to build more as needed.
The problem being, of course, that suddenly they had neither time nor synths. But the real issue remains that there was no political will to rescue a proven long-term enemy.
Why would they build 10,000 ships they didn’t know they’d need? Don’t tell me it would be just in case: I don’t think anyone would have predicted that level of catastrophe!
You said they had unlimited resources. If resources are truly unlimited, then there is no cost whatsoever for doing anything. Without constraint, if everything is completely without cost of any kind, why wouldn’t you build a billion ships?
The answer, of course, is that there is a cost.
Time, manpower, raw materials, manufacturing capacity, maintenance and upkeep… all resources.
Why would they make synth workers if resources were already unlimited? Manpower was obviously a limitation.
Why didn’t Voyager simply replicate itself some more fuel? Obviously you can’t, so fuel is a resource.
Basic economics: the cost of a thing is the other things you have to give up to acquire it.
Ok, I’m stepping back at this point. I don’t think we’re going to agree and I’m not that bothered about it - plus we’ve really derailed the thread! (Sorry @Lurker)
Looking through this (as a civilian, so I’m not sure I entirely grok MWR) I would argue that Starfleet doesn’t have “MWR facilities” in the sense that a modern-day military does. Now, to be sure, the organization certainly cares about the Morale, Wellness, and Recreation access of its members. But Star Trek’s consistent “exploration mandate/not a military organization” argument for Starfleet (which can be debated elsewhere) makes it clear that there is a significant effort towards an appearance (at the very least) of integration with civilian infrastructure. So even though Starfleet has an awful lot of the trappings of a military, the evidence would suggest that MWR efforts are just sort of integrated into a ship or starbase’s facilities, and regular shore leave allowances.