Re: [FT universe]

At 12:16 PM 9/17/98 -0500, you wrote:
>Allan spake thusly upon matters weighty: 
>> Of course, here in Canada we have far more fresh water than we are
ever
going
>> to use. The US has noticed this, though, and wants to start buying it
from us
>> (of course, they want to keep their OWN hand on the faucet...).
>
>And if no one gives them the keys, they'll just start draining the 
>Great Lakes via Lake Michigan.... 

And here I thought that they only wanted *drinking* water ;).

[snip]
>5x10^10th religious groups (everything from cults, covens, and 
>oddball sects to the catholic church - all of whom may underwrite 
>colonies - imagine papal colonies backed by a no-birth control policy 
>and a bunch of catholic money...)

In JT's words, Vaticorp...;)

>And just about every other disenfranchised group you can name. 
>Luddites, Mennonites, Hutterites, Quakers, etc. (Some of whom may 
>burn the colony ship hulls once they leave)

Luddites??? More likely they would be sent to prison than allowed to 
form their own colonies. Very different motivations than the other 
three groups mentioned.

[snip]
>Here's a thought: Remember what britain did with Australia? Can we 
>say spaceborn penal colony for civilized gov'ts too kind to just pop 
>off annoying dissidents and malcontents. Gulags in space.... 

Like the home planet of the Sarduakar from Dune. Could make for some 
dead 'ard troopers and mercs.

>Tom. 
>

       Tony Christney
       acc@questercorp.com

  "If the end user has to worry about how the program was 
   written then there is something wrong with that program"
				  -Bjarne Stroustrup