View Single Post
  #13  
Old July 21st 09, 02:35 AM posted to alt.philosophy,rec.arts.sf.written,sci.space.history,sci.physics,sci.econ
Dimensional Traveler
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 24
Default Why Colonize Space?

Rod Speed wrote:
wrote
Immortalista wrote


Today I was reading some opinions of people who believe that there
is no reason for humans to leave earth. Are all arguments for moving
into space and onto other bodies in space really that weak and irrelevant?


There's lots of theoretical, e.g. asteroid devastates the Earth,
military, e.g. weapons platforms, emotional, e.g. we climbed the
mountain, political, e.g. our flag is there, reasons for humans in
space, there is just no economic reason for humans in space.


And much better things to spend that sort of money on.

Strange then, isn't it, that a lot of self-made wealthy people are
spending lots of money on starting private manned space flight?

The military will definitely have humans in space.


Bet they wont, because we wont be stupid enough to pay for that.

The Chinese already _are_. If the choice is live under Chinese rule
later when they control the high ground or spend money now on something
that from past experience we know will have all kinds of spin-off
benefits, I'll get my checkbook out.

As for anything else, it will depend on what value the nation or
nations that put people in space put on non-economic reasons.


The US put a huge value on the political value of beating the USSR to the Moon.


And now the world has moved on, just like it always does, and the USSR is completely irrelevant, long gone.

Only twenty years and of course its demise secured peace in our time.

--
Things I learned from MythBusters #57: Never leave a loaded gun in an
exploding room.