What would happen if Russia, China, or India, sent a manned spacecraft to another planet and then planted a flag on it declaring it to be their land and property?
Way back in the day, a conquering nation could just go into uncharted territory, and if it wasn't necessarily claimed by another nation or tribe, they could just plant their flag on it and claim it as theirs.
But since pretty much all of the land on planet earth is claimed for (except for Antarctica & the North Pole), then we are left with space!
Admittedly, you could make the argument that you could claim a spot on the ocean, which would go something like this: Convince a group of people to go live with you in pods or ships; take with you technology that would allow you to extract valuable resources available in that area; become a strong economic presence as a people over the decades; create a sort of self-government; creep up on receiving State-like rights over little bits and pieces of legislation through the U.N. throughout the years until you finally end up being a full blown newly recognized State!
But barring that possibility, let's turn to space.
Uncharted, unclaimed, unmanned.
Virgin Territory. Which, by the way, is the serendipitously perfect tagline of Richard Branson's new venture into Space Tourism with his Virgin Galactic (with a $200,000.00 price tag and a passenger list already of the likes of Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Bryan Singer, Branson and his family, Stephen Hawking, Tom Hanks, and yes-even Paris Hilton).
To come to believe that now we are at the brink of a new age of manned exploration-already there's a dutch company sponsored to send a manned mission to Mars in a little over a decade: Linky.
So the question I'd like to raise here isn't really about delving into the complicated and fascinating subject of Space Property Rights, but rather this:
Put yourself in the position of an explorer 50 years from now, with the financial backing of a private company to go and colonize another sphere in our solar system. Whether it be the moon or Mars. And you have complete autonomy on how to organize the social, political, religious, cultural, and economic order of your new colony.
To come to believe that now we are at the brink of a new age of manned exploration-already there's a dutch company sponsored to send a manned mission to Mars in a little over a decade: Linky.
So the question I'd like to raise here isn't really about delving into the complicated and fascinating subject of Space Property Rights, but rather this:
Put yourself in the position of an explorer 50 years from now, with the financial backing of a private company to go and colonize another sphere in our solar system. Whether it be the moon or Mars. And you have complete autonomy on how to organize the social, political, religious, cultural, and economic order of your new colony.
You can model it after Nation-States here on earth, or try something completely different. Would you meld it into the global currency, or would you strive to become an independent economic identity?
Will enterprise be private? What will your Charter look like-what rights will individuals have? Will you continue to grant corporations the same status as a "Person"? How will you tax? What qualities of leadership will you look for in individuals for establishing functional governmental agencies overlooking everything from agriculture to immigration? What will your justice system look like? Will there be prisons, modelled after the increasingly privatized of prisons in the U.S., or will they have no fences or large walls modelled after the Finnish system?
Will enterprise be private? What will your Charter look like-what rights will individuals have? Will you continue to grant corporations the same status as a "Person"? How will you tax? What qualities of leadership will you look for in individuals for establishing functional governmental agencies overlooking everything from agriculture to immigration? What will your justice system look like? Will there be prisons, modelled after the increasingly privatized of prisons in the U.S., or will they have no fences or large walls modelled after the Finnish system?
Think of it: the ultimate laboratory! All the technology to establish a new world, while skipping the millions of years of evolution to get there!
(You've got the whole world, in your hands!)
So there you have it, Boys and Girls. A thought-provoking question, and a subject that will increase in its relevance over the next few decades. How do you think we should go about Space Property Law? Can any country claim a planet in the future if it establishes a base there, or do we make Space purely scientific territory? Even then, scientific inquiry is never fully divorced from politics through the organization or country it's being sponsored by. McGill University currently offers an innovative program on Air and Space law: Linky.
Nonetheless, it seems like the insatiable drive of capitalist economy will pivot the private sector to become the eventual major player in the exploration, and perhaps even ownership, of alien property.
And regardless of the complicated issues, the possibilities in experimentation on such a global scale for testing different social orders and constructs may lead to a new generation of explorers, adventurers, and colonizers.
...anyone interested?
-Frederic Limon
Nonetheless, it seems like the insatiable drive of capitalist economy will pivot the private sector to become the eventual major player in the exploration, and perhaps even ownership, of alien property.
And regardless of the complicated issues, the possibilities in experimentation on such a global scale for testing different social orders and constructs may lead to a new generation of explorers, adventurers, and colonizers.
...anyone interested?
-Frederic Limon
