Moon Base

[Revoltion]

[Alusair]

It's very likely that if space exploration and planet colonization (whether permanent or temporary) occurs, planetary (or asteroid) mining will become a common practice. Eventually I'm sure when that day comes, there will be bickering about broad horizon strip mining planets (somewhat akin in destruction to slash and burn/deforestation tactics against rain forests) vs controlled and limited mining.

As for the money issue- I think there's worse and more dead-end things we're already investing money into than space exploration. Plus, if it was an international project, the money likely wouldn't be "given away" so much as just be shifted around in the same places it came from.

[Rodri]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtBy_ppG4hY

I don't know why I put this song in here. I just enjoy the poetry and the beat.

[Gnerphk]

OK - so "money" is just a convenient way to keep track of available resources. The more money there is available, the more resources there are (adjusting for market factors).

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Now, that little parenthesized phrase, "(adjusting for market factors)", is an enormous cheat that lets me present this argument without introducing a ton of oeconomobabble. Yes, it's sufficiently exaggerated a statement that it almost qualifies as a flaming lie, but by accepting it as a frame of reference one can comprehend a simply-worded explanation. It's like saying "There is no difference between good flan and bad flan" or "There is no war in Albania".
===

Moving on...

So, logically, if we're to go to low orbit (effectively), high orbit, the moon, and beyond, we'll need to devote vast resources in the form of fuel, work-hours, and manufactring and mining capacity. Put Bill Gates and Ross Perot together and they still can't do it; there would need to be a corporation with vast resources and ability to generate a return on its initial investment in a totaly new fashion; stock shares could be exchangeable for such durable resources as the right to a colonist's position in an ecodome on Mars or the Moon.

Even so, this sort of effort would drive international economies to the breaking point and would require such a massive workforce that other multinational concerns would suffer in relative importance. No extant capitalist system could encompass the initial investment.

So how can it be done?

International grants from individual governments in exchange for the right to compete for hosting the manufacturing and mining concerns necessary to complete and then manage the fruits of the project; that's the only thing that I can think of that would be a sufficient motivation.

Any thoughts?

[Gamble]

Bro, where have you been. America is the world.

only to an american with no passport

[Gamble]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtBy_ppG4hY

I don't know why I put this song in here. I just enjoy the poetry and the beat.

i find that to be racist

[Rodri]

i find that to be racist

Do you?
I found Planet of the Apes (the original version) rascist but maybe that's just me?

[Gnerphk]

...I found it speciesist...

So: was my post just too long to read? I'm trying to improve my forum communications; it's tough without meaningful negative feedback. And no, please don't post red on me.

[Rodri]

...I found it speciesist...

So: was my post just too long to read? I'm trying to improve my forum communications; it's tough without meaningful negative feedback. And no, please don't post red on me.

What do you want? I stated my position earlier and it hasn't changed. We got one planet. If we mess that up there are no second chances that I can see. The universe is big for a reason I think; To keep bad species from reaching out and contaminating others with their destructive and poisonous behaviour.

Then again, time is a wheel so we get another chance eventually and another one after that and so on, until we sort it out. [and by "it" I mean us. We need to sort ourselves out first.] Once we do that, who knows? Astral travel?

[Gamble]

Do you?
I found Planet of the Apes (the original version) rascist but maybe that's just me?

that is a fantasy si-fi movie, how can you compare, your just being silly!!!