Musk's Mars colony a racist plot (says a minority "scientist")

Oh dear...

http://thepunditpress.com/2015/04/17...ars-is-racist/

On Tuesday, April 21, 2015 at 9:43:10 PM UTC-6, RichA wrote:
Oh dear...

http://thepunditpress.com/2015/04/17...ars-is-racist/

Well, she's *right*. Or at least _partly_ right. Enough right that even if we
fervently believe that human settlement of Mars is vital for all of humanity,
regardless of color, she is pointing out some... unexamined assumptions that
should be addressed.

Canada, unlike the United States, only had a very small population of black
people inherited from the days of slavery - in many parts of the country, our
most significant non-white minority was Native Americans.

But starting around 1968, Canada began to admit a considerably larger number of
non-white immigrants.

So it makes perfect sense to me that someone could think:

Hmm. We can't deport non-white people who were born in Canada but whose parents
were immigrants, that would be considered very wrong. So if we want to live in
a white country again... we'll have to find a new open frontier, a new empty
space in which we can settle.

But that Mars colonization might appeal to people who _are_ racist is only
*one* of the questions opened up.

Someone whose goal isn't to get away from people of color might still want to
get away from other things by going to Mars.

An exploding population - that will eventually make it hard for rich countries
to maintain their levels of comfort and privilege. And therefore sustain
technology, that is the only hope of progress out of this mess for humanity.

If one's idea of "normal", though, is what the people of Africa have to put up
with today, then clearly going to Mars is all about preserving white privilege.

Well, for the very few who actually get to go to Mars. Not all of whom may even
be white.

While the end result might be to admit she is "right", but then say that one
doesn't really *care*, because the survival of what the lucky and fortunate
part of humanity has achieved - so that it can eventually benefit all of
humanity - is worthwhile in itself, despite the unfortunate fact that we can't
afford to share everything out equally... we should have our eyes open.

John Savard

On Tuesday, April 21, 2015 at 11:43:10 PM UTC-4, RichA wrote:
Oh dear...

http://thepunditpress.com/2015/04/17...ars-is-racist/

Might we assume that her application to be a Mars colonist was rejected?

For her to call the Mars mission "white colonialism" is to presume that Mars already has an indigenous population (of little green men?)

On Wednesday, April 22, 2015 at 5:28:35 AM UTC-6, wrote:

For her to call the Mars mission "white colonialism" is to presume that Mars
already has an indigenous population (of little green men?)

.... Earth already has a population of taxpayers, and I think she was complaining on their behalf, not that of Martians.

John Savard

On Wednesday, 22 April 2015 00:41:09 UTC-4, Quadibloc wrote:
On Tuesday, April 21, 2015 at 9:43:10 PM UTC-6, RichA wrote:
Oh dear...

http://thepunditpress.com/2015/04/17...ars-is-racist/

Well, she's *right*. Or at least _partly_ right. Enough right that even if we
fervently believe that human settlement of Mars is vital for all of humanity,
regardless of color, she is pointing out some... unexamined assumptions that
should be addressed.

Canada, unlike the United States, only had a very small population of black
people inherited from the days of slavery - in many parts of the country, our
most significant non-white minority was Native Americans.

But starting around 1968, Canada began to admit a considerably larger number of
non-white immigrants.

So it makes perfect sense to me that someone could think:

Hmm. We can't deport non-white people who were born in Canada but whose parents
were immigrants, that would be considered very wrong. So if we want to live in
a white country again... we'll have to find a new open frontier, a new empty
space in which we can settle.

But that Mars colonization might appeal to people who _are_ racist is only
*one* of the questions opened up.

Someone whose goal isn't to get away from people of color might still want to
get away from other things by going to Mars.

An exploding population - that will eventually make it hard for rich countries
to maintain their levels of comfort and privilege.

There is NO population growth in the "rich" countries other than from 3rd world immigration and recent immigrants (at least from male births, the 3rd world immigrants are too busy aborting females, which explains the rapid growth of private ultrasound clinics in Canada). ALL population growth on this planet now is amongst those least able to support themselves.