The Problems in Thinking about Humans and Space

spacedaily.com ^ | Mathew Faulk

[<1/1,000,000th%]

They missed the most important issue of where to go for fast food.

[RockyMtnMan]

How about Helium 3.

[RightWhale]

Action based on economic advantage is even less likely to be swayed by a philosopher's essay

Sometimes a philosopher or group of philosophers can have a huge effect. Marxism is pretty well relegated to mythology, but it caused worldwide revolution for a few years. At the moment it looks like neo-Confucianism will rule in outer space in the decades ahead.

--There is a philosophy gap
Dr Strangelove

[Gorjus]

That's where the land office comes in. Granted, it does not confer complete ownership rights, but it's way ahead of no rights.

Well, good luck with your faith in bureacrats. I'm afraid I can't share it. I don't believe a Land Office, or a signed decree from the Secretary-General of the UN himself, will stop the bureaucrats when there's money to be extorted. In essence, a piece of paper is indistinguishable from no rights, unless the people themselves insist on those rights . . . and in that case you don't need the piece of paper. The only thing a formal title would help (in my opinion) is in resolving arguments between private citizens. But the problem is that the governments themselves - the ones who would need to enforce the legality of the piece of paper - are the very thieves who want to steal the economic value supposedly protected by it. Sorry, I'm not convinced it would make enough difference to matter.

[Gorjus]

At the moment it looks like neo-Confucianism will rule in outer space in the decades ahead.

You're welcome to your opinion, of course, and you may be right. My counter opinion is that, in the absence of credible economic incentive, there won't be anything to rule in outer space in the decades ahead. A philosophy multiplied by zero (the number of practical adherents) is still zero.

[RightWhale]

One thing the land office would do is allow the lending institutions to proceed with investments in outer space development. As it stands right now, they can't justify a loan for anything related to celestial resources. Commsats, etc., are valid investments because they are private property as acknowledged by the UN Outer Space Treaty, but an asteroid mine would not be.

[Gorjus]

As it stands right now, they can't justify a loan . . .

"Yessir, Mr. Banker, sir. I got me this piece of paper right here that says none a' them bureacrates is gonna want to skim all the profit off my asteroid mine. Nosirree Bob, they ain't a gonna want their share off the top, jus' as soon as I show it can be done and before I pay back this here loan."

Yep. That oughta work.

Actually, that's not really the issue that concerns me anyway. Instead, it's the most dreaded line of all . . .

"I'm from the government, and I'm here to help you."

[Diamond]

"People have actually landed on the moon..."

Really?

Cordially,

[KevinDavis]

Humans belong in space. Yes it is dangerous, but we have to go in order for the human race to survice.

Space Ping! This is the space ping list! Let me know if you want on or off this list!

[irv]

Marxism is pretty well relegated to mythology

Not entirely true. Last year I took a sociology course at the local community college. Karl Marx was described as one of the great Sociologists and his "Sociological Theory of Power Relationships" was considered an extremely important contribution to the "science" of sociology.

No, it doesn't work in the real world, but they're teaching it as a mainstream idea. It's not going away yet.

[RightWhale]

local community college

Not to denigrate your local community colleg, but they might be a little behind the times. Marxism is dead history, Maoism is not feeling so well, either.

[irv]

Not to denigrate your local community colleg, but they might be a little behind the times.

The textbook was a fresh edition (2002). If anything, the teacher (who I disagreed with about almost everything) tried to downplay the blatant Communist proseltyzing and extreme Leftist propaganda included in the book.

I don't think it's as dead as you think it is. There are still believers out there who would be thrilled to see it make a come-back.

You and I both know lots of people will die unnecessarily if that happens, but that won't stop the academics and other loonies from trying.

[RightWhale]

There are still believers out there

Sure. There are still followers of every social or religious idea that ever came along. Doesn't mean a thing. It isn't going to come back, although some new variant is always possible to cause a few decades of misery for all.