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naraburns  nihil supernum  1yr ago (text post)   29310 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of December 12, 2022

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How will the Martian cities function? Will they be full of men who, like Musk, leave behind a dozen children raised by three single mothers, one of whom was likely never even romantically involved with the father of her children? Will they contain men who run several vastly important businesses (in addition to the above family) but who spend hours every day engaging in banal reciprocal bitching with irrelevant minor press figures on twitter dot com? What is the structure of this society? How is it to be governed? What will its social systems consist of? What will provide its spiritual, religious core? These questions remain unanswered

All these things are details. The main question that is unanswered - aside of question whether Earthly life can survive and prosper long term in Martian gravity - is:

Why? What exactly would the settlers on Mars do, how would they make money, where exactly would come the promised super profits that would justify the super expenses?

Old time colonialism was not done for "destiny", if was done for very concrete benefits (gold, silver, slaves, spices, sugar, tobacco etc...). What Musk promises is, at best, 19th century flag planting in most remote shitholes of the world for "national honor", only several magnitudes more expensive.

The only reason technoutopians justify Martian bases seems to be “in case Earth is destroyed”.

Some libertarian types see space colonies as "land of freedom", as place to hide and escape from "the gubmint". This is even more delusionary take.

If/when Elon delivers what he promised, Mars will be as remote and hard to get to as Antarctica and Arctic are right now. Are people fleeing to Antarctic bases or Arctic oil platforms for freedom or for place to hide?

Some libertarian types see space colonies as "land of freedom", as place to hide and escape from "the gubmint". This is even more delusionary take.

Indeed, Heinlein's Lunar Authority as it existed before the unlikely events of The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is probably a better model. Whoever controls the air is the totalitarian leader of society, and if you don't like it you can breathe vacuum.

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