Will Colonization = Manifest Destiny

Since China, Russia and the U.S. have all expressed the wish to return to the Moon recently, the U.S. with publicly announced goal of making base on the Moon for a Mars mission.

It seems a race may be on to claim new territories, what do you believe about this possibility?.

I will start by saying that if the U.S. decides a treaty is not in its best interest it will drop out of that treaty (ABM treaty for example)

The space treaty of 1967 has Article XVI, stating;

"Any State Party to the Treaty may give notice of its withdrawal from the Treaty one year after its entry into force by written notification to the Depositary Governments. Such withdrawal shall take effect one year from the date of receipt of this notification."

If discovery of valuble resources are made it seems that any country capable of defending itself both here on Earth and in Space would drop the treaty and take them for its own.

This link has a good take on the subject;

Washington Times

link

[Edited on 7-3-2004 by Phoenix]

Isn't there a U.N. treaty prohibiting the formation of bases on moon signed by U.S. and U.S.S.R. during the cold war?

there was a treaty saying that no one can own anything in space... but yet this and other similar things exist:
www.lunarrepublic.com...

and i think that yes, it sort of is a new manifest destiny. i don't think that that's a proper term for it though. i do believe that this may lead to a new cold war type situation, and with three powers it could mean bad news.

Yeah its the one I quoted,
The space treaty of 1967 has Article XVI, stating;

"Any State Party to the Treaty may give notice of its withdrawal from the Treaty one year after its entry into force by written notification to the Depositary Governments. Such withdrawal shall take effect one year from the date of receipt of this notification."

And it would appear to have no teeth, just a one year notice period - alot can happen in a year.

I don't think it is manifest destiny, but could be the starting of the it.

As far as I have learnt, Manifest Destiny is where U.S. brings more and more inferior lands into its influence and establish economic ties.

How does a base on moon connect with that?

manifest destiny was before the US had the lousiana purchase and anything more westward than the mississippi. it was the destinty of the nation to keep expanding more and more westwardly until we could no more.

Then Roosevelt Corrarly was added to it, changing it according to the time.

I believe the correct term was "To Ocean to Ocean and beyond."

Let me try to be a little more direct here to get back on track.
The question is if resources are found by any country on another planet, moon or even asteriod - will they abrogate the space treaty and claim it for their own.

I used the U.S. as an example because we are most capable to do this before others.

The reference to manifest destiny is one denoting expansionism by divine right - ergo, it is my destiny to take what is rightfully mine.


[Edited on 7-3-2004 by Phoenix]

i don't think we'll claim the moon for ours, just that whatever that we put on there is ours. we'll weasel our way around whatever treaties there are, because that's THE AMERICAN WAY!