Re: Idiot in distress

On Mon, 19 Jul 2004 13:18:13 -0500 Doug Evans <devans@nebraska.edu>
writes:
>
>
>
>
>***
>ObGZGbit: Will the advent of FTL & off-Earth colonies revive
>transportation as a judicial punishment, or will colonial efforts be 
>too expensive to waste on criminals? Lots of SF authors seem to think 
>it'll make a comeback, anyway.
>***
>

US and Australia started with transportees (to differing degrees) so
perhaps.

>The authors can be all over the map. It can have a high 'humanitarian'
>appeal. 'At least we aren't killing anyone...', ignoring the 
>destination or
>even transport may be a death sentence.
>

If high % fatalities then it's uneconomical.  Has reprucussions.  Not
all
nations created from 'transporting' love the 'motherland' without (in
some cases a lot of) time passing.

>If you recall, in Dune, the Emperor's own Saudauker were the product 
>of a
>prison/death world. To carry it further, it could be argued that that
>product could be a dagger in the heart of the empire, if they decide 
>to
>become rebels. Just ask USA Georgians... ;->=
>
No FTL no significant threat in most cases.

>ESU Penal Battalions could become, instead of first wave fodder, the
>do-or-die elite. Or is that often the same result?
>
>The_east
>
>
And who is The_West?

Gracias,
Glenn

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