wrote in message
ups.com...
On Oct 7, 2:40 pm, "Logan Kearsley" wrote:
"Space Cadet" wrote in message

ps.com...

Hi All
Got this email from a friend of mine:

Hi all, I am working on a new lesson for my second graders focusing on
Moon Laws. If YOU were given the task of creating a constitution,
laws,
bill of rights for people in a future lunar colony what would YOU
include? I'd love to have your input! Thanks,

My first thought is that doesn't the OST say or at least imply that
the country that launches an object/probe/spacecraft is responsible
for said object? And whatever rule of law applies to that country
would apply to said object?
Even if you would go with a privately funded moon colony. That
company would be based on some nation on Earth, and whatever laws
apply to that country would apply to the colony?

Yes, but... that doesn't mean that the people living in the colony have
to
agree with the Earthlings who signed that treaty. They could just declare
themselves soveriegn and say "*we* never signed the OST, so bugger off".

Well wait a minute most of the people living there will have been born
on Earth,and be from one of the nations that signed the OST. So,its

Yes. So? Most of them probably wouldn't *want* to declare independence;
there are lots of very good practical reasons *not* to. But there's nothing
to stop them from doing so if they *did* want to. There's nothing magical or
more special about nations than any other group of people that causes them
to exist on their own or by Authoritative Permission of someone else.

not quite that easy. And their children, even if born on the moon,
will likely be claimed as citizens from the country their parents were
born in. Sort of like kids born at military bases in other nations.

Why should they care if some other nation considers them to be citizens? It
just means they get double citizenship for free.

Children from parents of two different nationalities, who lived on the
moon their whole life,and having offspring - their kids might be able
to make a claim like this - but you can bet the folks on Earth would
have a thing or two to say about it. Especially if they paid for the
infrastructure that kept them alive all those many decades.

Or,
if they don't form an independent nation, there's still nothing to stop
the
originating nation from passing new space-specific laws different from
those
that operate in their territory on Earth.

Sure, just like Argentina can go out and claim the Falkand Islands
from Britain. Britain wouldn't care about the 90 or so people living
there would they? haha.. NOT

You seem to be responding to the wrong part of my post there. It would be
more like England saying that people in the New World colonies have to pay
some extra taxes that those in England itself do not. Except we're talking
about much more than just tax law here.

You might make that analogy in the case of the colony declaring itself
independent. And indeed, you will see that I later said:

OK, sure, it might be a practical problem if they get reconquered, or if
they need things from Earth and no one will supply them. But even then,
they
could be effectively independent for, oh, probably a week, at least.

There's nothing to stop them from doing the claiming and making their own
laws. And the reconquering would be rather more expensive than war in the
Falklands, unless you have the option to just starve them out.

-l.
------------------------------------
My inbox is a sacred shrine, none shall enter that are not worthy.