For or Against . . .

I hardly see trade and self-sufficiency as mutually exclusive. Of course there is trade. Let's not lock onto such a literal definition of self-sufficiency.

Jack

There is absolutely no need for a space colony to be
self sufficient.

No nation on Earth is self sufficient, so why impose
this fictious requirement on a space nation ?

Every nation exports and imports.

The only requirement is that over the long term the
VALUE of the exports should more or less balance the
value of the imports, in terms of their domestic
currency.

Even this is not an absolute requirement, the USA has
been running a huge balance of trade defecit for
decades, and somehow it seems to remain more less a
viable economy.

Charles R.