Re: Communication and Travel

jatkins6@ix.netcom.com (John Atkinson) wrote:

[snip]

>Minor note:  Israel has, in the past 60 years, created it's population
>from almost scratch, it's economy from less than that, and heavy
>industry from nothing.  I submit that given a half-century of growth a
>nation will have the capability to hold it's own.  Especially if it
>doesn't have to deal with a lot of genocidal neighbors invading once a
>decade.

Israel was not cut from rugged untouched terrain - nor did it require
limited terraforming or introduction of edible grains and stock animals.
The state was formed upon an existing infrastructure. In fact, one
that's
been around for quite some time.

The beginning FT colony doesn't have these advantages. Also, given the
near
constant state of near economic exhaustion from warfare that exists in
the
FT background, they may not also have the advantage of gross monetary
support from an outside source.

On top of that, add the occasional military strike from an unfriendly
power
(say if the NAC wants to rattle the ESU's cage), and your development
slows
considerably.

Schoon