Re: To sell the moon...


"J.Pascal" <julie@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1129609306.923525.35620@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> Cully_J wrote:
> > "J.Pascal" <julie@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> > news:1129586669.138904.285570@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > >
> > > Surely you jest?
> > >
> > > Ownership is a fiction. It's an artificial construct.
> > > A social agreement. Just like governments. Just like
> > > borders. Not only can we not prove that we own the moon,
> > > we can't prove we own the Earth.
> > >
> > > The Moon is *our* moon because we say it is our moon.

> > I suppose you're right about the Earth. Just because our cells evolved
on
> > it, doesn't mean we own it. But I also can't prove that my child is
actually
> > mine. One can do genetic testing to show that our DNA matches. But it
only
> > matches to an extent. According to those tests, there's a one out of
> > 65465465498798735 chance that, yes she's not mine.
> >
> > And, yes, I do know my sperm went into creating my daughter.
> >
> > After rereading the paragraph I wrote above - more specifically the
"Just
> > because our cells evolved on it, doesn't mean we own it" remark - I
realize
> > that maybe we do own it because we arose from its elements.
> >
> > Or, maybe, the Earth owns us.
>
> Nah, that's not ownership. It's relationship.
>
> > [snip]
> >
> > > If our aliens do not share the concept then we only
> > > own the moon if we have the ability to keep them off of
> > > it or remove them.
>
> > Good point. But do you think planet Earth would be willing to wage a war
to
> > keep aliens off the moon?
>
> Taking into account what everyone else has said about
> our probable inability to win that kind of war, no.
> But not because enough people wouldn't see it as a
> potential threat worth the cost of winning, but because
> there is no chance of winning.
>
> If we had a reasonable expectation of success... yes.
>
> Not that a few aliens on the moon wouldn't be just
> fine... the situation as presented is that they want
> to own it exclusively, which is different.
>
> -Julie



You're right.

But then you're implying that if there was something cool in *thier*
universe - let's say, like, an earthlike planet with tons of awesome alien
animals - that we could just go and settle on thier planet, uninvited.

And no, I don't "jest",
Cully


.

Relevant Pages

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