Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by AtheistTech on July 2, 2010 at 1:17pm

I agree that while Earth is footing the bill, that will be the case, but when there are groups of people off Earth living off the land they will need a government. What will that need bring? Or is this not for this group's discussions?

Permalink Reply by Vyktor Alzirr on July 2, 2010 at 1:18pm

Even so. some government will have to be decided once the colonies have reached a sufficient size to detach themselves from earth. The thing here is that it depends greatly on the colonists, as the decision on the form of government will finally be theirs. Preferrably a social democracy, please ^^
Many factors can affect. Beliefs of the colonists, resources, attitudes... But I'd volunteer for the trip anyways

Permalink Reply by Wonderist on July 4, 2010 at 2:03pm

It really bugs me when sci-fi shows/movies/books have galactic empires and the like. Really? We advanced to be able to colonize the galaxy and couldn't come up with anything better than an empire? Ugh.

I sure hope we figure something out before we get too far into colonization. Let's try a friggin meritocracy for a change, or something.

Permalink Reply by AtheistTech on July 4, 2010 at 3:51pm

Sci-fi and the like was written by artists using the current known science as a base and what has science learned about human governments so far?

Well, I haven't looked, but are some scientists writing books on the subject? I think it would be a good idea to start thinking about it now. I also think that society tends to react to changes instead of planning for them. As scientists, they should be able to predict general things about the future and I think it is a rare opportunity where scientists could create an adaptable form of government and have it ready for the colonists when they need it instead of having them build it on the fly. Aren't we going to send people to colonize space in 20 to 30 years (this is the general prediction I was talking about a few sentences back)?

Permalink Reply by Apeman Jim on October 15, 2010 at 2:47pm

Para-military despotism. Freedom cannot be allowed in space or it would make the quibbling powers of earth centered government meaningless.

Permalink Reply by Mrina on January 25, 2011 at 5:14am

Some of you might be interested in this society/website http://www.marssociety.org/

They have set out to answer several of the questions you all have asked, and many other aspects of Mars exploration and colonization.

Permalink Reply by Wiley Coyote on March 10, 2011 at 2:03pm

It'll be whatever is imposed by whomever is flipping the bill.

Permalink Reply by Dee Neely on January 6, 2012 at 10:05pm

The only viable system of government is space is a socialist one. In the beginning that is. I know a lot of space enthusiast are of the capitalist persuasion, but capitalism isn't a good system for living one a space colony or station. I think this is one of the prime reasons that sci-fi tends to rely on military models since the military is the model of a socialist system.

When the lives of everyone relies on the lives of everyone else the capitalist system just won't work. You don't get to decide if you are going to be on latrine duty and you don't get to decide if you want to work in hydroponics today. You don't get to corner the market on air or water. You don't get to monopolize the new system of processing waste you invented so you can make money on it.

For the record, I am not making a mistake thinking that capitalism is a system of government. It is. Most people just like to think that it isn't.

Permalink Reply by David Layton on January 7, 2012 at 1:09am

Early on, the people doing the colonizing may be scientists, but they will be military scientists. Where some science fiction gets things wrong is in thinking that space will be like the wild west, with independent colonists lighting out for the territories and trying to make it on their own. The operation will in reality be military-industrial, and so the government such as it is will follow the needs of feeding the capitalist beast through its primary passageway, the military.

Permalink Reply by Madhukar Kulkarni on January 7, 2012 at 7:05am

Those who will go there to settle will be representatives of one ot more governments. It is possible that more than one governments will create their own settlemwnts there and then the settlements there may loook like small replicas of earth.