I would think the problem with the camp X-Ray approach is the same as happened historically in Botany Bay or fictionally in the Moon is a Harsh Mistress.
When (not if) the ongoing support of the penal colony collapses what happens? The children are in legal limbo; neither convict nor citizen. (No one is going to pay the expense to ship them home). The colonists are cut off from the home world/empire. They had little love for the home world/empire in the first place. Cut adrift and left to their own devices why wouldn't the colonists/prisoners declare independence and have an interplanetary war of secession? -----Original Message----- From: Tyler Durden [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, January 18, 2004 3:22 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: Lunar Colony >Interesting OpEd piece in the NYT today pointing out that a manned Mars >expedition becomes *much* more affordable if no return trip is planned. >This is not a suicide mission; supplies could be sent for rest of the >emigrants natural lives, Gotcha. The obvious next place for a greatly expanded Camp X-ray operation. When we start rounding up the millions of terrorists amongst us we'll need a much bigger place to put 'em. And while they're there, might as well have 'em do some martian coalmining or whatever. -TD >From: John Kelsey <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: "Trei, Peter" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "'Justin'" ><[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Subject: RE: Lunar Colony >Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 21:20:51 -0500 > >At 04:39 PM 1/15/04 -0500, Trei, Peter wrote: >... >>Interesting OpEd piece in the NYT today pointing out that >>a manned Mars expedition becomes *much* more affordable if >>no return trip is planned. This is not a suicide mission; >>supplies could be sent for rest of the emigrants natural >>lives, and with the time they'd have they could actually >>start towards building a self-sustaining colony, instead >>of rushing to get science done before a return trip. > >I think this is the right way to do the exploration, but also that our >culture is more-or-less incapable of it politically and socially. Letting >people make such a harsh personal choice, letting them die of old age or >ill health on TV, it's hard for me to imagine the American people going for >that. > >>Peter Trei > >--John Kelsey, [EMAIL PROTECTED] >PGP: FA48 3237 9AD5 30AC EEDD BBC8 2A80 6948 4CAA F259 > > _________________________________________________________________ Check out the coupons and bargains on MSN Offers! http://shopping.msn.com/softcontent/softcontent.aspx?scmId=1418
