Chunnel as metaphor (was Bootstrapping Hawaii)

>>
>>>>
>>>> That's not the appropriate analogy: the chunnel was impossible until
>>>> people had achieved similar but smaller goals.
>>>
>>> Actually it is - Here's my perspective.
>>>
>>> Chunnel = Orbital economy;
>>> Chunnel workers = orbital players working to same goal;
>>> Chunnel completion = establishment of multinodal economy with many
>>> interlinked profit centers.
>>>
>>> This is what I interpret where you're coming far. Correct me if I'm
>>> wrong.
>>>
>>> Chunnel = orbital project;
>>> Chunnel workers = orbital project workers;
>>> Chunnel completion = successful orbital project completion.
>>
>> This is where we disagree - I don't think any single project can serve
>> as a model for an economy.
>
> Neither do I.

I don't understand how this squares with your analogy above between the
Chunnel and an orbital economy.

> There is
>> simply no way for a small group of people to absorb and analyze all of
>> the information needed to maintain the necessary dynamism.
>
> Very true. That's why these bootstrapping ventures don't lead
> anywhere. They're all single projects, they don't interact, they
> don't create dynamism and specializtion.

Which bootstrapping ventures are you referring to?
>
> All of your examples aptly demonstrated my point. They were all
> interlinked to a greater economy. Bicycles and airplanes served
> functions within the whole rather than acting as the whole.

The only ET resource utilization ideas that have a hope of success are
those that are interlinked to a greater economy, namely earthbound
economies. There is no way for the whole to be constructed all at once,
independent and self-sufficient. It must necessarily grow out of the
earthbound economy. The network of connections will initially be with
earth based industry, and only later will there be interconnections
between space based (or space-oriented) businesses.

......Andrew