Colonialism 2.0, the extraterrestrial kind

Questions are being raised on Earth - as of now, the 'only' Planet A - about the kind of extraterrestrial political system(s) that will develop as a new wave of colonisation gathers pace. Recently, Elon Musk said that while 'Martians will determine how they are ruled' - a SpaceX project plans to establish a self-sustaining colony on Mars - he would 'recommend' 'direct, rather than representative democracy'. The US is leading an alliance of nations that accept commercial exploitation will drive colonisation of the solar system. This derives from interplanetary travel being funded by private capital, which will be needed on a much bigger scale to make planetary surfaces habitable for resources extraction. Not everyone agrees to this method of going about space-exploring. China and Russia have not signed the Artemis Accords that interpret space exploration differently from a UN treaty agreed upon by almost all members. The UN treaty regards space belonging to all mankind. China argues that the US is introducing national, and individual, interest.

The US has the stronger argument, though. Space exploration can be funded either by strategic or economic interests. The latter is more acceptable, besides being the only option available with a ban in place on weaponising space. The list of countries, including India, that have signed up for the Artemis Accords is growing. In the new space race, governments can see the logic of roping in private capital instead of relying exclusively on taxpayers. The Soviet Union bankrupted itself in the process of gallivanting in space. The US drew the right conclusion and brought in private players (read: Musk).

The inevitability of a tribe of billionaires pouring money into space travel would not have been lost on Karl Marx. Astro colonisation is separated by a few centuries from the territorial variety that globalised political processes. The eventual outcome of self-determination has been sustained. The idea will be transported to new human habitations. It shouldn't matter who gets there first.