The TangoMan Doctrine

Consider,

The Louisiana Purchase in 1803 for territory held by France for
$15,000,000 added 800,000 square miles to the territory of the
United States for about 3 cents per acre;

In 1819 The Florida Purchase Treaty brought to the United States the
Florida Territory from Spain for no cost other than the assumption
of $5,000,000 in claim by American citizens;

The Alaska Purchase in 1867 for $7,200,000 acquired a Russian
territory twice as large as Texas.

Which parties got the better part of the deal, the United States as
the purchaser, or France, Spain and Russia, respectively, as the
sellers?

Is there a lesson to be learned here?

As George Santayana reminds us, "Those who cannot remember the past
are condemned to repeat it."

On the whole, was the Monroe Doctrine beneficial to the interests of
the U.S. or did it aid the intersts of the Old World?

For those unaware of the Monroe Doctrine, essentially, the United
States via President Monroe's message to Congress on Dec.2, 1823,
was informing the powers of the Old World that the American
continents were no longer open to European colonization, and that
any effort to extend European political influence into the New World
would be considered by the United States "as dangerous to our peace
and safety." The United States would not interfere in European wars
or internal affairs, and expected Europe to stay out of American
affairs.

Fast Forward to the Habitat Age.

Considerable expense and effort has been expended by either a
country or corporations to build the immense infrastructure
necessary to build the first Habitat.

After tireless effort over the years the first Habitat is completed
and the use of the infrastructure is considerably diminished thus
jeopardizing the investment and jobs assoiated with it. What to do?

As many pronogsticators point out, they can continue to build
Habitats for other groups or nations that are willing to foot the
bill, thus keeping the infrastructure and personnel employed and
earning a return. This would allow a variety of social, political
and national experiments to take place in orbit.

You are part of the decision making appartatus having to decide on
whether to take up the offer of the Chinese to buy a Habitat for
$100 billion dollars. You recognize that once they have a foothold
in space, it will be much, much easier for them to set up duplicate
infrastructure in order to compete with you in the Habitat
cosntruction business, thus putting downward pressure on your
margins. Further, they won't have to bootstrap the way you did. They
can industrialize for much less expense.

You also remember your history, and reflect on the cases mentioned
above, ponder who came out the better in the transactions, you try
to interpret the principles underlying the Monroe Doctine with
respect to your situation, and wonder what to do.

The other option is not to assist other nations in building Habitats
for sale, but to continue to build Habitats and to absorb immigrants
from other nations. To continue to build your "Habitat Nation."

If other nations, or corporate groups, wish to industrialize to the
point that they too can build Habitats, they will have to bootstrap
their own way up, just as you did. Meanwhile, you continue to add
population, diversify your industrial plant, and expand your markets
and tax base.

What shouold you do to best look after the interests of your new
Habitat society? You're now in a different position than that of a
Habitat booster.

TangoMan