T. L. Hayes · 10 December 1990 · reply to #1958
From: Vote For NoneOfTheAbove Write In Candidate 06-Dec-1990 1654 [email removed]
>RE: [email removed] (T. L. Hayes) Date: Wed, 5 Dec 90 07:51:38 -0500
>
>"Unless the planet can not grow its own food because of its composition or
>atmosphere but turns out to have a fortune if raw materials and is a handy
>place to manufacture things."
>
>My point is that a population will not be someplace where the bulk necessities
>of life do not exist without a ***good*** reason. Sure, a people may be on a
>planet to exploit a resource, but they are more likely to be as small a number
>as possible, existing on the native resources or synthetics, rather then
>*expensively* haulling the necessities of life to the planet, just so that
>people can live there.
>
>In short, there has to be a good reason for people being where the necessities
>of life are not.
Ok picture it, the Imperium, 1101, the TL Megacorporation discovers a planet
dripping with raw materials. Duke Hayes, the president and owner gets the
official governmental OK to exploit the planet for all its worth (I pulled
some strings of course). The atmosphere is poisonous, the soil is so
metalic that it won't support any editable plants. The corporation set up a
colony to mine the planet. Since its a waste to send empty ships to pick
up the raw material I send full ships! Ships full of food, water, clothes,
anything I can sell. This way I get some of the money I'm paying them back
and my ship's make money going *both* ways! Keep in mind that I am paying
these people a small fortune to live and work here under these conditions.
Because this is a long term project the miners marry and have children or
bring their families with them (for the promise of money "Honey, its only
2 or 3 years then will be rich!" except I'm charging outragous prices for
basic goods and the miners never make much of a profit). The children
grow up thinking of this as home. But I'm getting a head of myself.
Once things are going smoothly, I set up manufacturing facilities because
it cheaper to make the stuff here then to export the raw materials. This
requires more people and more support people to do the mining, manufacturing,
starport services, schools for my employee's children etc, etc. Boom! Planet
pop is now say 4-5 (not bad). There is minimum self support because of the
poor conditions for growing food. Now that there is a starport however those
damnable independant traders start showing up with their cheap foodstuffs and
other supplies so I must lower my import prices to avoid loosing money. Now
my miners are really begining to make money, tangable money that is. By now
many have invested many years in the company and this is their home (such as
it is) and they don't want to leave.
By this time I have made a pile of money and maybe others have successfully
petitioned for access to the planet and I loose my monopoly so I start selling
off all the things I own on the planet while it still is a monopoly (mostly).
Some I sell to other corporations, some the my former workers who now live
there. Since this is now an employee owned operation they can do what they
want but they are unlikely to leave because now they "own their home" in
a manner of speaking. So more time passes and more children grow up here
thinking of this as home. Some leave, some don't. Living is not so hard
now because lots of cities have been built to house all the people. Doomed
parks and gardens have been created by the people who live there so maybe
some of the food needs can now be met locally (but it is expensive since
you need to purify air and water and probably import the original soil).
It may still be cheaper to import food especially considering the amount of
money that can be made on the manufactured exports (no over head for pollution
control or the like).
Maybe this is not the best explaination for why a "worthless" planet would
have a sizable population but it shows the idea. Don't under estimate the
power of the mind to accept "home". Many people don't leave the places
they were born and raised in even here on Earth today. Long term projects
will create families and communities that may be totally supported by
imported products. Why set up agriculture on a planet you (the megacorp.)
intend to throw away when your done? For the employees? Get serious there
are millions of people who will work for these wages! Let them import food!
TLH
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T.L.Hayes |
MIT/Lincoln Laboratory |
Lexington, MA |