US plans permanent base on Moon

[Syndyre]

But who will lay claim to the moon and whos laws will they adopt will it become another american state and platform for attacks on what they deem lesser countries. Imagine having a missile launcer on the moon. Some world group needs to step in here and start regulating. But who ? The UN cant even controll the US. Anyone else scared ?

There already are international treaties governing weapons in space so those would presumably apply, although I think Bush already plans to disregard them for "Son of Star Wars" anyway. It'll probably be almost like another race for colonies, like the imperial power's scramble for Africa before.

The UN can't really control anybody, when countries like Libya and Sudan are on the Human Rights Commission there's not much hope there!

 

[bwana]

Guess Bush is planning his legacy!

Or perhaps his retirement home?

But who will lay claim to the moon and whos laws will they adopt will it become another american state and platform for attacks on what they deem lesser countries. Imagine having a missile launcer on the moon. Some world group needs to step in here and start regulating. But who ? The UN cant even controll the US. Anyone else scared ?

Ok - just out of curiosity how much sense would it be to put a missile launcher on the moon 385000 km away?

 

[Syndyre]

Or perhaps his retirement home?

Should at least be peaceful up there!!

Ok - just out of curiosity how much sense would it be to put a missile launcher on the moon 385000 km away?

Exactly, geosynchronous satellite launchers would make more sense and would be easier to implement with current technology anyway.

 

[Debbie]

They say the next biggest wars will be over water. But who's going to fight over the moon? America is landing a big chunk of real estate here.

Full moon tonight- looking at it I thought "51st state?"

But who will lay claim to the moon and whos laws will they adopt will it become another american state and platform for attacks on what they deem lesser countries. Imagine having a missile launcer on the moon. Some world group needs to step in here and start regulating. But who ? The UN cant even controll the US. Anyone else scared ?

Regulation of the moon? Perhaps, though somewhat concerning is that we don't yet really know all the ins and outs of the effects of regulation, least of all for something like, er, other celestial bodies. We can't even sort out peacefully who owns what land here.

What's to stop a bunch of people from around the world getting together and just 'making up' a body to 'regulate' ownership of the moon? Where would legitimacy for this sort of thing come from? Should we even think we could 'own' it?

It'll probably be almost like another race for colonies, like the imperial power's scramble for Africa before.

I think the scramble for space is a notch or two up from what went down in Africa

Wow, the need for an evolving morality, or at least some framework structure to deal with these things...wow. Interesting.

 

[Nod]

If people born on the moon, will indeed look different, it might be that they won't be "compatible" strength wise to come to earth. There is a lot of unknowns with regards to longterm space travel, never mind living in space permanently.