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While I was participating in the Mars Society's Law and Governance Task Force, I began drafting a constitution for Mars. That draft developed into the "Constitution of the Provisional Government of Mars," which is posted on the web at http://www.geocities.com/scott956282743 … ngmars.htm
That draft constitution depended on the Mars Society to get the proverbial ball rolling by adopting the constitution and then asking the United Nations General Assembly to ratify the constitution. But then a not so funny thing happened on the way to that forum. The Mars Society turned itself into an autocracy by adopting bylaws that disenfranchised all of its members -- all but a select few. The Society is now controlled by those few. I have therefore concluded that the Mars Society can NOT be regarded as an appropriate institution to lead efforts to establish permanent human settlements on Mars.
The Moon Treaty provides for the eventual establishment of an "international regime" to regulate the exploitation of lunar resources. The Moon Treaty could be used as a model for the drafting of a Mars Treaty, under which terrestrial governments could come together to establish a Provisional Government of Mars. In accordance with the terms of the treaty, each party to the treaty might contribute $100,000 each year to the Provisional Government, thereby giving the Provisional Government the financial resources to accomplish its limited mission.
The Provisional Government of Mars could be authorized to issue Settlement Charters. Those charters could provide that the holders of each charter may establish a municipal government on Mars. Those municipal governments could then adopt ordinances that allow the private ownership of land, homes, and businesses. These ordinances would provide a legal foundation for the growth of a self-sustaining Martian civilization.
The members of this forum could undertake to draft a Mars Treaty. If there is sufficient interest in doing this then we might ask Mr. Hon to establish a Forum section where this drafting work can take place.
"Analysis, whether economic or other, never yields more that a statement about the tendencies present in an observable pattern." Joseph A. Schumpeter; Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy, 1942
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I agree we are going to need some kind of rules when we get to Mars and we don't want to leave it to Corporation to make the decision as to going to happen on Mars. We would have to decide if we want to build an open city for every body or petition Mars and let each country have a section of it or do we go, first come first serve until most of the land has been taken. Or do we want to start off right from the beginning to setup a Sovereign Republic with it own Constitution and who ever can or will go to Mars will become the Martian population and for that government.
However I think the banking system that you picked for Mars "Stinks"! The banking system on Mars has to be a government owned banking system, so the future Martian can finance there own internal development. Otherwise that Martian Colony would and could not take hold and develop and become a thriving society. I mean it just will not happen. You can not have a private banking system like the Federal Reserve or World bank controlling central Banking system of Mars. The Martian colony need a Alexander Hamilton First National type or a Treasury Note system like Abraham Lincoln had. Having private banker generating the credit and loaning it to the government or the Martian will suffocate the Martian colony with unpayable debt that will destroy the Martian Colony.
Larry,
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Larry:
You wrote, “The banking system on Mars has to be a government owned banking system, so the future Martians can finance there own internal development.”
I disagree that the banking system “has to be government owned.” Under my proposal (Section 8 of my draft Constitution of the Provisional Government of Mars) the people of a settlement can adopt an ordinance that establishes a settlement-owned bank, or an ordinance that allows the establishment of numerous privately owned banks. They can adopt an ordinance that defines their currency unit in terms of gold, silver, or some other standard, or they could allow each private bank to define the currency unit that it issues. Or they could decide to use Swiss Francs or some other terrestrial nation's currency. Or they might use the currency of an older, neighboring settlement that has a mature, time-tested monetary system. Or they might decide to use money issued by Mars Development Bank. Ultimately, these matters should be decided by the people of a settlement.
As a practical matter, I expect the people of the first settlement to use money issued by Mars Development Bank, since that is what they used in the prototype Martian settlement in which they lived prior to emigrating to Mars. As the settlement becomes self sustaining, its people might decide to establish their own central bank and/or ordinances that allow the establishment of private banks. I drafted my proposal in a way that accommodates this sort of evolutionary development.
“Section 8. The Government may establish and maintain a Mars Development Bank. The Bank may lease portions of Mars to people, companies, and states for periods of up to 100 Martian years. A lease may prohibit or restrict the establishment of settlements in the leased area. The Bank may also issue money for use at the Terrestrial Embassy and Consulates and at Martian stations and settlements and at prototype Martian stations and settlements. This law shall not be construed as prohibiting a settlement from adopting ordinances that provide for the issuance of money for use within the settlement. This law shall not be construed as prohibiting a settlement from adopting ordinances that provide for the use of another settlement's money or that provide for the use of a terrestrial nation's money.”
"Analysis, whether economic or other, never yields more that a statement about the tendencies present in an observable pattern." Joseph A. Schumpeter; Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy, 1942
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In the Nebula-award winning novel, "Red Mars", author Kim Stanley Robinson explored many of these very issues. While "Red Mars" is science-fiction, it is hard speculative SF and food for thought. I highly recommend it for anyone contemplating a serious Mars colonization effort. It is also a good, entertaining read!
- Steve
"...not one but all of our crisis problems can be solved by exploiting space." --Robert A. Heinlein
"We go where Columbus never dreamed. Far from the light of the sun, we left the old world." --Author Unknown
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In the Nebula-award winning novel, "Red Mars", author Kim Stanley Robinson explored many of these very issues. While "Red Mars" is science-fiction, it is hard speculative SF and food for thought. I highly recommend it for anyone contemplating a serious Mars colonization effort. It is also a good, entertaining read!
This very forum is based upon KSR's works.
The MiniTruth passed its first act #001, comname: PATRIOT ACT on October 26, 2001.
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