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Source link: http://blog.mises.org/6037/all-colonization-should-be-private/

All Colonization Should Be Private

December 19, 2006 by

Any money spent by the government for the colonization of the moon, or space, is a misallocation of funds, writes Curren Kemp. Colonization of the moon needs to be done by private investors, and Locke’s principles needs to be applied. The same is true of other places that have previously been considered inhospitable, such as Antartica. Antarctica is not a park; the continent is as big as the United States and Mexico combined. Tectonic history indicates potential vast reserves of mineral resources that can be used to physically advance mankind. FULL ARTICLE

{ 6 comments }

Sam December 19, 2006 at 9:02 am

What a boring space-filling article. Obviously private interests are not climbing over each other to colonise the moon or Antarctica is because there’s no obvious return. Why on Earth would anyone, even misty-eyed President, want to spends vasts amount of money plonking folk on the moon for no reason other than bragging rights?

But who knows? Maybe global-warming will melt all the ice off Antarctica and mining resources will be wonderfully cost-effective. And if politicians won’t let private enterprise mine there then maybe the mineral resources clean out by mining pirates or something.

Mike December 19, 2006 at 10:42 am

coal in Antarctica? that would mean that there was a warmer climate there at one point since coal comes from decayed plant matter. wonder what the global warming crowd will say about that????

adi December 19, 2006 at 10:50 am

Better not to go to Antarctica because Great Old Ones will be there: remember how in Lovecraft’s book “At the Mountains of Madness” whole expedition was destroyed when they searched places around some mountain ranges. :)

Michael A. Clem December 19, 2006 at 11:16 am

Great article! I thought it was pointing out the obvious until I read the comments. Antartica, and space, for that matter, are ideal frontiers for entrepreneurs to utilize, and once again prove nay-sayers wrong. As you say, it’s merely a matter of time (and changing circumstances).
“At The Mountains of Madness” is indeed a good story, but more realistically, I once read a book about a group of people who decided to colonize Antartica. After getting set up and announcing it to the world, they successfully fought off U.N. Forces, but then succumbed to another country, Argentina or some such. It was a depressing ending, but it did illustrate that Antartica is a vast, untapped resource just waiting for us. I wish I could remember the name of the book and author. Maybe a Google search will find it.

Mark Brabson December 19, 2006 at 11:19 am

Antarctica was covered by a very lush tropical rainforest during the Cretaceous period. It was not until approxiametely 35 Million years ago that intense glaciation of Antarctica started. There are likely significant oil and coal reserves to be had there, among other things.

David White December 19, 2006 at 11:27 am

I recently watched this amazing National Geographic video on TV — http://shopngvideos.com/products/amazing_planet_2/amazing_planet/PopupClip — which depicts the continents moving all over the surface of the Earth amid climate change the likes of which one can barely imagine.

I’ve got it on pre-order for my son.

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