Space Colonies and Cultural and Biological Diversity

--- In ssi_list@... Michael Mautner
>
> While it is instructive to consider the social structures of space
> colonies, the large number of colonies will allow a freedom of
choice
> without offending or threatening any neighbors. Most likely there
will
> be capitalist colonies, communist colonies, Christian colonies,
Islamic
> republics, gay colonies, all male and all female colonies, and
later
> colonies for bioengineered geniuses, colonies for human/machines
> cyborgs, colonies for biological immortal posthumans, and many
other
> unforseable variations. As well, there will be billions of post-
humans
> living in free space, coming home periodically to space colonies
for
> refueling and repairs. All of them can co-exist without
interfering with
> others and with their resources.
> The freedom of social and biological evolution that space
colonization
> will allow seems to be one of the most appealing arguments for
this
> program.
>
> Michael Mautner

Yes, you make good points and there are many people who embrace this
point of view, or perhaps their favored portions within the argument
you've made.

I'm not sure if your answer comes from your position as an advocate
for the colonization of space, or in the scenario I've constructed,
from the position of the decisionmaker in the new Habitat. Will you
advocate this position as being in the best interests of your new
Habitat?

As Vladimir Lenin, noted, "When the time comes to hang the
Capitalists, they will compete with each other to sell us the rope!"
Will we fall into the same trap? Will we cheaply sell the means of
production to a future competitor in order to garner an immediate
fiscal benefit?

As a future colonist, where does one's allegiance lie? To better the
circumstances of a new nation/entity, or to foster a brighter future
for mankind by increasing orbital diversity and wealth?

If the latter, then why is there competition between countries
today? Why aren't we lifting all of mankind to betterment rather
than just looking after our own national interests? Why doesn't the
U.S. take a lot of its wealth through much higher taxes and give it
to Africa to increase their longevity, health, education, economies,
etc?

TangoMan