Re: Occupation forces

Richard spake thusly upon matters weighty: 
> Mineral resouces is unlikely. If industry can use up the ores 
> available in asteroid belts in their home systems then I would be 
> very suprised, there is an astouding amount out there.

Maybe some rare minerals that only exist closer in to the suns or 
something of the sort?
 
> Food. Perhaps. I think of the core systems, earth inparticular, as 
> not self sufficient in food anymore due to high population, and 
> reliant on imported food.

You'd think that, wouldn't you. That's what the Malthusians have been 
trying to tell us about Earth for ever. In principle, it makes sense 
that earth has an abiotic carrying capacity like any environment. 
Only it seems that consistently the rate of growth of agricultural 
production has outpaced the rate of growth of population. Population 
growth may curb due to environmental pressures before food production 
does. And we haven't even begun to harvest the huge potential of the 
seas. Or stations in Earth orbit could produce food too. 

But if you like this as a justification, just tailor the universe to 
fit - it just doesn't seem to be borne out to date....

> Somewhere to live. If an enemy colony has millions of inhabitants, 
> they are probably not spread out all over the whole surface. Put your 
> colonists somewhere else. Or, try and ship enough to massively 
> outnumber them. As a side thought, if you are shipping that many 
> people there, use the empty ships return journey to deport the 
> locals. (OK, diplomatic can of worms here.)

One of the interesting books was David Drake's Patriots because it 
addressed the problem of a sparsely populated world having colonies 
of non-friendly extraplanetary groups (refugees, whatever) just show 
up and try to plonk down whole cities in the thinly populated areas - 
which is a viable way to start to take over a planet - squatter 
style.	

> I am in agreement. A lot of the counter discussion has cast the 
> colonists in the 'fanatic resistance' mould. People do have a 
> tendency to 'accept their lot' unless they are severely mistreated.

It boils down to image, PR, and effort. In some wars, threatened 
populii have been whipped into a defensive whirlwind by PR. In 
others, they've just let the aggressor come in and take over with 
little resistance. One might say it has a lot to do with the skills, 
strategies, and luck of the aggressor, and of the defender. 
 
 
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