THE SOFT SCIENCE CASE FOR SPACE

I keep noodling around about structures, agents and globalization. Sure, we're globalizing, or congealing, what have you. Some good and bad in all that.

What's unique is that for the first time, this wave of globalization has the opportunity to pull together the entire upper level of structure: the international system.  As we move towards a one size fits most uber culture, we loose out on fault tolerance. No more undiscovered countries.

So we have to make some: space. Structure outputs the discontents, and they have to go somewhere. Space adds a level of blessed anarchy above the international system (and don't bring up population: numbers are meaningless against ability and intent).

Currently the two serious spacefaring combines are the US and the EU (cash)/Russian (know how)/China (nationalism). In the short term (fifty years) the US will show a preference for moving bodies while the EU/Russians will want to move bots; that may change as they see the US achieve a comparative advantage. SEN McCain favors landing a man on Mars (or woman) while SEN Obama would prefer to slow down and build kindergarten schools, or something. 

These are all philosophical divides, and they're older and more influential than any current arguments.

Do we hide and caves and fear the night or do we grab a spear and go out and slay our demons. 

The past was a combination of both; I think the future will also be a combination of both.

Check back in fifty years and let me know if I'm right or wrong.