The TangoMan Doctrine

--- In ssi_list@... "victoriatangoman"

Doesn't anyone want to try this scenario on? Maybe dispute it? It
could be interesting?

TangoMan

> 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