Sovereign Mars?

[Razmear]

This question has been kicking around my head for a few days:
What if a liberty minded group of individuals and companies (Virgin comes to mind) were to privately organize and successfully colonize Mars first?
Could they then declare Mars to be a sovereign planet with no ties to Earth governments or laws, and themselves the rightful rulers of the planet?
Lets face it, all the Earth governments are screwed up and the odds of it getting better are pretty slim, so the choices seem to be hang on and wait for the messiah to take you away or do what our forefathers did and find a new land to settle on and govern as we see fit.
I honestly think this is a doable project, and would take off in a heartbeat if given the chance. btw, I'd propose the first act of a sovereign Mars be to rename the planet to show its new beginning as a free world.

eb

 

[rpfan2008]

Now imagine a private company did it and brought workers to mars. Suddenly those workers revolted and took control over the planet ousting the former owners...oops it was George Washington and crew.

 

[Annihilia]

lol, this is a sci-fi plot I have had rolling around in my head for quite some time.

 

[Razmear]

It was sci-fi 40 years ago, but now this is a doable task, provided you have a few billion at your disposal.

Also, planetary defense should be easier than it was defending America from the red coats. You'll have about 6 months to take down any enemy ships headed your way, and space craft are not very well armored. Toss enough junk in their flight path and you've repelled an invasion.

eb

 

[tmosley]

Yup. Any planetary colonization will inevitably reflect the model of Early America. Maybe we can get it right this time.

 

[TastyWheat]

It's theirs so long as nobody disputes it or they fend off all challengers.

 

[Met Income]

Yup. Any planetary colonization will inevitably reflect the model of Early America. Maybe we can get it right this time.

Let's learn from our mistakes, no coercive government this time.

 

[dr. hfn]

What is this Halo? Babylon 5? Firefly? Let's do it!

 

[Old Ducker]

Youre not going to haul enough shit to colonize Mars with a chemical rocket, but you could do it with an atomic spaceship.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Orion_(nuclear_propulsion)

Getting the bombs, for a group of private individuals, would be difficult but perhaps North Korea would be interested in being a supplier.

 

[Razmear]

Youre not going to haul enough shit to colonize Mars with a chemical rocket, but you could do it with an atomic spaceship.

Supply vessels only have to travel in one direction:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_sail
Bringing a ship back to earth to reload is a waste of resources.

Also, there are significant amounts of natural resources on the planet so I would assume the planet could become self supporting fairly quickly. Initial quantities of seeds and livestock (I'd suggest rabbits or similar meat sources) would need to be shipped, but self sufficiency should be a top priority in colonization.

eb

 

[Keller1967]

This question has been kicking around my head for a few days:
What if a liberty minded group of individuals and companies (Virgin comes to mind) were to privately organize and successfully colonize Mars first?
Could they then declare Mars to be a sovereign planet with no ties to Earth governments or laws, and themselves the rightful rulers of the planet?
Lets face it, all the Earth governments are screwed up and the odds of it getting better are pretty slim, so the choices seem to be hang on and wait for the messiah to take you away or do what our forefathers did and find a new land to settle on and govern as we see fit.
I honestly think this is a doable project, and would take off in a heartbeat if given the chance. btw, I'd propose the first act of a sovereign Mars be to rename the planet to show its new beginning as a free world.

eb

How would you get around getting permission to launch from the world community, while having those goals? I don't see the UN authorizing that kind of mission.

Good idea though.

 

[dr. hfn]

omfg! This is the primordial soup stage of interplanetary war and secession from earth!

 

[Mini-Me]

This question has been kicking around my head for a few days:
What if a liberty minded group of individuals and companies (Virgin comes to mind) were to privately organize and successfully colonize Mars first?
Could they then declare Mars to be a sovereign planet with no ties to Earth governments or laws, and themselves the rightful rulers of the planet?

Are you asking about what recognition world governments would give them, or are you asking about sovereignty and property ownership under natural law?

Under natural law, property is initially acquired according to the homestead principle. Virgin (for example) would naturally be the sovereign owner of their own land on Mars, but that doesn't include the entire planet, which would be...difficult...to legitimately homestead in its entirety.

I get the feeling you're asking about the former though...in which case, yeah, the opinion of Earth governments would be pretty meaningless so long as the Martian settlers can repel invasions.

Lets face it, all the Earth governments are screwed up and the odds of it getting better are pretty slim, so the choices seem to be hang on and wait for the messiah to take you away or do what our forefathers did and find a new land to settle on and govern as we see fit.
I honestly think this is a doable project, and would take off in a heartbeat if given the chance. btw, I'd propose the first act of a sovereign Mars be to rename the planet to show its new beginning as a free world.

eb

In any case, it's going to take a long time to terraform Mars, and nobody's started yet.

 

[Razmear]

No need to terraform the planet to colonize it. Just toss a roof over a crater and call it home.

btw, I wonder how hemp seeds would grow in Martian soil?

eb

 

[axiomata]

Switch the locale to the moon and make it a penal colony revolting from Earth's dominion and you have one of the best libertarian sci-fi novels of all time.

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein


TANSTAAFL!

 

[Mini-Me]

No need to terraform the planet to colonize it. Just toss a roof over a crater and call it home.

btw, I wonder how hemp seeds would grow in Martian soil?

eb

There's a reason Mars has craters though...its thin atmosphere lets basically anything through. In addition, keeping people confined to a dome city is just begging for a totalitarian regime to run that city.

 

[Chester Copperpot]

how about we kick out the bankers and send them to mars instead.

 

[tmosley]

There's a reason Mars has craters though...its thin atmosphere lets basically anything through. In addition, keeping people confined to a dome city is just begging for a totalitarian regime to run that city.

A better idea would be to colonize the Valles Marineris, the deepest portion of Mars. By going there, you would maximize atmospheric pressure (1.3 KPa is better than 30 Pa--for reference, the atmospheric pressure at the summit of Everest is 30KPa and blood boils at 6.3 KPa), and have a wide, protected area in which many millions of people could homestead freely.There is also more sun for solar panels and greenhouses, since it is on the equator. Impact craters are a good option, but not nearly as expansive.

 

[Razmear]

A better idea would be to colonize the Valles Marineris, the deepest portion of Mars...

Thanks for the info, it seems like Melas Chasma would be the ideal spot at 12 kilometers below surface level.
Start growing hemp in the canyon and let it eat up all that CO2
Maybe have a fair chance at finding water at that depth too.

eb

 

[Uriel999]

we are gonna need a really really big moneybomb.