Imagine we can easily colonize Mars...

[Masquerouge]

How would you like things to happen?
And how do you think things will actually happen?

Ideally, I would like Mars to be an completely independant world. The first settlers would start a Martian government and coming settlers would give up their original citizenship to become Martians. Mars would be treated as an independant country on Earth is treated today.


Realistically, chances are high to see a completely fragmented world where people stick with their fellow citizens, backed by their government on Earth.

Even more realistically, one country will probably secure access to Mars which will then become a colony, and in a few hundred years people from that colony will revolt and become independant, basically ending up with my ideal Mars but only several hundred years later

 

[ArneHD]

I think that Mars will be a mining colony for a few thousand years untill they can become independent of earth products and terraform the planet slightly.

 

[Masquerouge]

I think that Mars will be a mining colony for a few thousand years untill they can become independent of earth products and terraform the planet slightly.

It will certainly go faster than that, I think. Building viable space on Mars is not a technical challenge even with today's technology.

 

[Yuri2356]

"British Empire - Dominion of Mars"

 

[skadistic]

It'll become a giant hoodlum repair point for deepspace ships. The surface will be peachy keen and clean run buy the collective governing body. The truth however is that the world is run by a mafia type clan. They run the bars/pubs and the gambaling. They also control the loan sharking and prostitution. Oddly violent crime will be extreamly low save for the drunken bar fights.

 

[Sophie 378]

Why Mars in particular? No atmosphere, no magnetic field to hold an atmosphere, hardly any water, probably no life. Everyone would be living in habitation domes.

Or are you proposing a hypothetical Mars which would be easy to colonise, easy for the colonists to live there, and easy for transport in between the planets - and are just wondering about what would happen politically?

 

[JohnRM]

As far as I know, significant colonization of Mars is far more unlikely than previously thought, because the ice caps on the poles that were once thought to have been water ice are actually carbon dioxide. There are some scant water resources on the planet in such places as craters, but short of there being a reservoir of water underground, the ability of human beings to colonize Mars is doubtful. As it is, transporting anything into space and then to Mars, nonetheless, is as of yet, not cost effective. Not to mention that we don't have enough water just for the people on Earth, now, much less to support a colony on Mars. I don't see this happening anytime within the next few hundred years.

 

[IglooDame]

I can't imagine any nation voluntarily breaking the citizenship bonds with the colonists. But the colonists aren't going to revolt until they're largely self-sufficient, so Masque's third scenario probably is most likely.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

Ideally, I would like Mars to be an completely independant world. The first settlers would start a Martian government and coming settlers would give up their original citizenship to become Martians. Mars would be treated as an independant country on Earth is treated today.

I dont think there will be 'first settlers' per se. Travelling to and fro from Mars will take a great deal of time and resources. Martian stints would probably be for four or five years at a time. The first permanent residents of Mars most likely wont start out intending to be permanent. But babies will inevitably start being born, and people who already enjoy the work of making Mars livable, will opt to stay, so as not to remove the baby from its native habitat (gravity) or subject it to the hazards of long spaceflight. Thats in the very beginning. Later on though as things become more settled and established, there'll be actual settlers.

Realistically, chances are high to see a completely fragmented world where people stick with their fellow citizens, backed by their government on Earth.

There wont be too many countries that have the wherewithal to start and sustain Martian colonies. The US, China, Japan, and maybe the EU will have a collective European settlement. Oh and also India, they should be up to it by then. We're talking within the next hundred years or so, right? But anyway, initially, they'll be split up along national lines, but the realities of carving out an existence in an alien world will make those divisions fade over time, and they'll all start seeing themselves as Martians with a shared past, present and goals for the future.

Even more realistically, one country will probably secure access to Mars which will then become a colony, and in a few hundred years people from that colony will revolt and become independant, basically ending up with my ideal Mars but only several hundred years later

I think it'll be independent (in practice, if not officially) alot sooner than several hundred years, by necessity. Its just too far away to maintain control over. Little rovers are one thing, settlements with a few hundred people, or more are something else entirely. If the Martians decide to declare their independence, whats Earth going to do? Slap together a 'Terran Armada' and send it to subdue the rebellious Martians? Or withhold supplies until they relent? What for? Why bother?

 

[Azale]

Why Mars in particular? No atmosphere, no magnetic field to hold an atmosphere, hardly any water, probably no life. Everyone would be living in habitation domes.

Or are you proposing a hypothetical Mars which would be easy to colonise, easy for the colonists to live there, and easy for transport in between the planets - and are just wondering about what would happen politically?

Terraforming is probably the route he is thinking. Would take a while, but a few hundred years (thousands?) and viola, you have a mini-Earth. Probably still colder, but humans do ok living in places like Norway and Alaska.

You could not keep Martian-Earthlings "in thier place" for very long. I think it would best just to keep Mars as an ally of Earth based on the human species thing alone, but basically leave them to themselves when it comes to thier planet. IMO anyway. The goal is the perpetuation of the human race is it not? Well, with that accomplished, Earth does not really need to "control" Mars, just keep relations friendly.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

The first permanent Martian settlements will most likely be underground. Terraforming Mars sufficiently for people to walk around without breathing equipment or pressure suits will take many thousands of years. The guy who wrote the Red, Blue Green Mars stories must have been on dope.

 

[Yeeek]

Guessing when the first "space war" happens would be a better idea!

If somehow, we find ressources only to be found on Mars for next generations's technologies. I could see conflicts going on Mars and above. Very much like during the colonial times. Though this time there won't be any natives, per say.


Establishing a scientific base on Mars, like what we have in Artic would be a huge step forward towards mankind's destiny.

 

[El_Machinae]

I thought the game-plan was to subsidize the colonists until they were independant, and then overtax them. After awhile, they'd rebel and become the dominant civilization in the solar system. No?

 

[Bill3000]

Why Mars in particular? No atmosphere, no magnetic field to hold an atmosphere, hardly any water, probably no life. Everyone would be living in habitation domes.

Or are you proposing a hypothetical Mars which would be easy to colonise, easy for the colonists to live there, and easy for transport in between the planets - and are just wondering about what would happen politically?

"Mars is the Roman Empire of non-Earth planets" is probably the best response, regarding legacy and love of it.

As well as the fact that it's close and the easiest to terraform.

 

[Masquerouge]

Or are you proposing a hypothetical Mars which would be easy to colonise, easy for the colonists to live there, and easy for transport in between the planets - and are just wondering about what would happen politically?

Yes. I took Mars because that's where the movies make us move next, usually. But what interests me is the political aspects of space colonization - choose Venus if you so wish

Terraforming is probably the route he is thinking. Would take a while, but a few hundred years (thousands?) and viola, you have a mini-Earth. Probably still colder, but humans do ok living in places like Norway and Alaska.

No, the scientific aspect of colonization does not interest me. That's why I said "imagine we can easily colonize it". But I could have been cleared, granted.

You could not keep Martian-Earthlings "in thier place" for very long. I think it would best just to keep Mars as an ally of Earth based on the human species thing alone, but basically leave them to themselves when it comes to thier planet. IMO anyway. The goal is the perpetuation of the human race is it not? Well, with that accomplished, Earth does not really need to "control" Mars, just keep relations friendly.

True, but how willingly do you think Earth will let Mars be independant?

The first permanent Martian settlements will most likely be underground. Terraforming Mars sufficiently for people to walk around without breathing equipment or pressure suits will take many thousands of years. The guy who wrote the Red, Blue Green Mars stories must have been on dope.

It was a great story though! And basically KSRobinson's political take is that Mars will be controlled by megacorporations. I'm not sure that's likely, mostly because corporations currently do not have the will to look long term enough for space ventures to be undertaken. If they won't make money in the next quarter, they won't do it.
So as of today only governments can go on a space program.

 

[Bill3000]

True, but how willingly do you think Earth will let Mars be independant?

Earth really doesn't have a choice. The minimum communication time is too large for there to be an effective dialogue that will permit a common cultural identity.


...I just realized that what I just said sounds like technobabble. I meant it though!

 

[Masquerouge]

Earth really doesn't have a choice. The minimum communication time is too large for there to be an effective dialogue that will permit a common cultural identity.

I know. But it doesn't mean that Earth is going to try and prevent it. I mean, communication between Europe and the Americas took much longer than what's gonna take place between Earth and Mars, yet Europe tried all it could to maintain control over its colonies there...

 

[IglooDame]

Earth really doesn't have a choice. The minimum communication time is too large for there to be an effective dialogue that will permit a common cultural identity.

...I just realized that what I just said sounds like technobabble. I meant it though!

What, between 10 and 30 seconds? That beats hell out of days/weeks/months, back pre-telegraph when dialogue was via horseback riders or oceangoing tall ships (or both).

Edit: X-post with Redmask...

 

[Swedishguy]

I think more than one country will try to colonize mars.

 

[Perfection]

I think it should be sold of to corperations