BTW, I don't think the villains win in the end. Nothing last forever. Certainly White power & Western domination will have a shorter shelf life than ancient Rome, let alone the storied ancient cultures that lasted thousands or even tens of thousands (see: Australia) of years.
Some of us are just wondering how much of humanity Western civ takes out during its decline and fall. One would hope for a bloodless changing of the guard, but every cell of our body, and every bit of DNA within some of us, doesn't leave us hopeful.
In my worst moments, I am sure that's what Mars colonization is all about: not Roddenberry's naively optimistic Star Trek vision, but a colony of last resort for the ultrarich if they destroy Earth's biosphere.
In fact, they're quite open about it. But I doubt they'll win.
In fact, they're quite open about it. But I doubt they'll win.
First, Mars is completely unsuited for human biology. The first few generations of any colony would absolutely be dependent upon resources from Earth. If the Earth is irradiated, or otherwise impossible to live on, then no, they can't retreat to Mars.
Second, space is really, really big. I'm an English major, but I'm very good at math, and I read lots of Douglas Adams.
And finally, if your plan is to extract all of Earth's resources and exploit the rest of humanity for fun and profit before retreating to Mars or beyond, you're planning for a posthuman future. Mars environment is going to change you, and your grandchildren will be Martians...
Which would be fine, but just as the United States is the way it is because of who settled it, Mars will reflect its colonists.
This goes beyond even comic book villain levels of evil. Nah. What I think is going on is levels upon levels of unsustainable, unmitigated, White supremacist levels of stupid that are difficult to fathom.
The Mars stuff reminds me of what I've read about the slaveocracy's plans to colonize Latin America, to expand slavery there. They were defeated, but at great cost to the country, and their ideologies were allowed to seed & take root in future generations. purdue.edu/uns/x/2009a/09…
This stuff is all tied together. Always has been. These latest horrors are but the latest chapter in a centuries-long story.
The two research projects of my early career are #TheDarkFantastic & #ReadingRacialHistory. Both have blended into an odd spacetime continuum in my mind as I read, research, learn -- past is present is future.
(It's weird. At times, I can almost *sense* time for what it is.)
(It's weird. At times, I can almost *sense* time for what it is.)
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