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From: hester@ICSE.UCI.EDU (Jim Hester)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: Why does everyone want to leave this planet?
Message-ID: <8602201914.AA24259@s1-b.arpa>
Date: Thu, 20-Feb-86 14:13:10 EST
Article-I.D.: s1-b.8602201914.AA24259
Posted: Thu Feb 20 14:13:10 1986
Date-Received: Sun, 23-Feb-86 18:53:44 EST
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: hester@ICSE.UCI.EDU
Organization: The ARPA Internet
Lines: 71

The fact that Earth is the home of mankind is no argument to stay
here.  Tell me, do you still live in the home in which you were born?
I don't mean to imply anything wrong with that, but it is certainly not
the norm.  America would be considerably different if all those
colonists and explorers had stayed home.  Assuming we agree that "home"
should not be left, how do we define "home":  house, neighborhood,
country, continent, planet, solar system, ...?  You define it as
"planet".  Others see it differently, from "house" up to "home is where
the heart is", i.e., "everywhere we are capable of reaching and choose
to settle."

Migration probably will not be a serious issue at any time.  It will be
a long time, if ever, before mass human space transport is feasible.
Also, history shows that there are seldom a large percentage of a
population who want to leave their home country even when they know
that the destination can support human life---consider how few would
move to a planet which sustains life artificially!  Damn few, for any
other planet in this solar system.  Possibly a few more if we ever
discover an Earth-like planet (or tarraform one), and can transport
people (frozen?), but that's a long way down the road and still probably
less people would go for it than any migration in history.

Colonization, however, is an entirely different matter.  A small number
can go, to reproduce and build their own world.  This is the tried and
true method used down the ages.  There are several potential advantages
to the race (i.e., us guys who are happy to stay at home):
advancements in science, economy (trading for either natural or
manufactured materials of other worlds), culture (interactive and
artistic), and safety (get all mankind's eggs out of one basket, which
some will argue is a bit precariously balanced at present).

As to why any given individual might want to go, you just about
answered it yourself.  You are interested in the undiscovered vistas
here on Earth.  Others are interested in other vistas.  One reason to
leave is that we have been here long enough that most of these require
intense study to even prepare to begin discovering new things.
Alternately, study of the wild regions on Earth costs a lot (less, if
you have enough degrees to get someone to sponsor you).  Some people
might like an environment where EVERYTHING is unknown, rather than
searching out the unknown.  There will also be those who don't get
along with their envoronment and wish to start somewhere fresh, out of
reach of their past (some criminals, perhaps, but others with emotional
reasons as well).  Still others may answer you argument with your
argument:  Yes, there is plenty to learn here on Earth.  There is also
plenty to learn elsewhere.  Since you are already working on Earth, they
wish to work on the other areas.  As I have already pointed out, there
is nothing magical about Earth as more interesting than anywhere else,
except in personal opinion and probably some religions.

In short, it's basically a matter of personal preference.  With no
offense intended, your arguement is basically a combination of apathy
and arrogence, both very mild.  Apathy in that you question the value
of reaching for more than we currently have, just because you are
satisfied with your lot.  Arrogence in that, although you claim to admit
some value in interests which are low on your priorities, you effectively
devalue them by refusing to respect others who place these interests
ahead of those you consider more important.

It's well and good to have your own preferences and to be happy to let
the others follow their own dreams.  But you need not belittle their
preferences just because they are not the same as yours, with statements
to the effect that you would happy to be rid of such people.  This kind
of thing makes you one of the reasons they might want to leave.  Let
them go or not as they choose, but do not imply that their interests
make them less than you, such that you gain by their simple abscence.

I consider the abscence of most adventurous people a loss to people like
you who want to learn more about Earth, but most likely well reimbursed
by the accomplishments that they will share with those of us who stay behind.

Jim Hester - a groundhog who respects and values non-groundhogs