The story as I have it thus far.
Historical evidence shows that groups of people living in cooperation with their fellow men and women while balancing available resources tend to have the most leisure time and are among the least technologically advanced.
Historical evidence also shows that when a few fevered egos tell everybody what they should do, rule by force, strip resources, and decimate the land for their own selfish ends, people as a whole tend to be unhappy and technology progresses rapidly.
I've been contemplating the evidence as presented to me for several days now. I don't want it to be true. Yet I find myself just stammering, "but, but, but..." After all, if I believe we can live without leaders and live in orbital colonies, it must be true.
I would never accept such a ridiculous faith based statement from a political or religious source. I can not accept it from myself.
Are my dreams of living in space and anarchism diametrically opposed? Historical evidence makes it seem so.
We need to hurry up and get into space so I can stop worrying about that dream and focus on the other one!
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3 comments:
What is this evidence? Switzerland, with with very little central government and few natural resources has consistently been one of the most well-educated and technologically advanced countries in the world.
The only correlation I can see is that totalitarian governments may use technology effectively, but they stifle innovation. The only advantage less technologically advanced countries have against authoritarian regimes is that the lack of communications and infrastructure make attempts to rule more difficult.
Additionally, pioneering societies are generally by definition beyond the reach of the long arm of the law, for better or worse.
The real question is, what is the appeal of an orbital colony? From an economic standpoint very little beyond the novelty of floating tattooed boobies. Unless the colonies can create something of value to justify the cost of constructing and maintaining them, they would need to be heavily subsidized by some terrestrial entity... most likely a government or corporation who wants to maintain them for bragging rights. Possibly there would be tourism value, but even that is dependent upon a wealthy earth-based clientele. And if you want to know what living in a place like that would be like, then I challenge you to spend a week on a cruise ship without going on a homicidal rampage.
The best thing may be to use technology to reach an unpopulated planet then start a new society and enjoy the first years of anarchy.
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