Cultural Acceptance

Earths societies and cultures accept (perhaps grudgingly) the fact that there are extremely rich people, and extremely poor people. We accept that some live in mansions while others live on the streets. We accept that there are haves and have not’s in every country, in every society and in every culture on Earth. 

We accept that we have been led to believe that that is the way it is and must therefore continue to be. It is our history and our shame. It is a highly inequitable resource distribution and it is believed that “I am rich” because I worked for it and you are poor because you … ????

On a colonial planet or moon the great equalizer in this reality is toxicity.

On an airless moon or a planet with a toxic atmosphere, money will mean nothing. If you believe you should have more than someone else, or that people should live on the street, you should never be allowed to become a colonists, or visitor. Your very concept of existence is based on money and how much of it you can accumulate. You have failed to recognize that money is necessary because we deem it to be, but it is not important. In a colonial environment, cumulating vast wealth is even less important.

Here is the reality of that statement.

The current cost of lifting one pound of something into orbit is around $10,000. (In Early March 2021 NASA said it was increasing costs from $3000 to $20,000 / KG). The additional cost of transportation to and decent down to an off-world colony is even more. Earth based collectibles and desires such as fancy homes have no value in a colony as there are not many materials available to build or furnish a large home.

Available materials mined or produced on site, or flown in would have to be dedicated to colonial development, not luxurious pampering. For decades or perhaps centuries to come there will not be any room or facilities for non-productive people because the limited resources (Air / food / water / energy) will be dedicated to workers. 

By necessity, accommodations will be allocated based on the number of people in your family circle. A single person gets space for a single bed. A couple will get space for a  larger bed; a family with children will receive a proportionally larger living space. A large building will only be available if you are housing enough productive workers to require such a large space and the resources necessary to make it habitable. Habitable does not mean fancy. Habitable means enough air, water, food and energy to make it survivable.

A large “mansion” for one or two people is a waste of precious and precarious resources so it would not be a priority to build or service. The concept of people living on the street will also vanish in a colonial setting as there are no streets to live on. You are either inside or you are dead. 

The Earthly concept of have’s and have not’s could not exist.

Haves and have not’s would be an archaic concept in the colonies as the question would be this; What is a person expected to live without: Food; Water: Air, Energy? If you are “poor”, which necessity of life should we deprive you of if you cannot afford to pay for it?

If you are “wealthy”, which necessity of life are you going to hoard thereby depriving a less wealthy person of? Are you going to somehow “buy” all the air and make people pay for it or die? The concept of "very wealthy" in a colonial environment is simply an unattainable fantasy, unless of course you are willing to accept the equivalent of withholding the necessities of life. 

On Earth, the ability to walk about freely in our environment at least means you stand a chance of life outside. On a colony world, that is a death sentence. The colonial banking model addresses this.

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