Roxy highlights her choice for the perfect guys to look for this summer.
Roxy looks at whether the "other woman" is always in the wrong.
Come to think of it, however, the story included no evil sisters or princes, but it did involve the main character running away to the Moon (with a magic carriage provided by a convenient yet unoriginal fairy Godmother), in order to reign there.
Maybe I was already blaséd by the boy-thing. But then again I was six. I wrote it like a real book (rather, what I perceived made a real book), complete with illustrations and spelling mistakes. I even typed it out, on our Windows 3.1. That’s how long ago it was.
The point being, like most children who even bothered to look up at the starry skies at night, I became fascinated by space—as much as a six-year-old girl can get fascinated—and subsequently decided that I would reign on the Moon, when the time was right and my carriage had come.
Much to my dismay, however, I have learnt that no one can own the Moon—much less rule it.
Much to my dismay, however, I have learnt that no one can own the Moon—much less rule it. Indeed, it seems that I hadn’t been the only one to contemplate claiming the sovereignty of the Earth’s satellite. More than 30 years prior to my birth such a claim had become impossible thanks to the UN Space treaty of 1967.
Hence, the moon and any celestial bodies cannot be owned nationally.
The interpretation of the long-ratified treaty is generally accepted as one that prohibits any ownership of Space whatsoever. However, some organisations such as the “Lunar Embassy” founded by Dennis Hope claim to sell “novel gifts”, parcels of the Moon, Mars, etc, exploiting the legal vacuum of the treaty, which does not specifically ban private ownership.
While owning any part of the Moon is internationally prohibited, there is a notion of property in Space. Apollo’s equipment, for example, remains US property and satellites are owned by those whom have bought them and/or financed their launch.
Yet, one question remains to be asked, how can the age of Space Exploration truly continue with no notion of (private?) property? For, as our econ majors might gladly explain, today’s economic frame supposes ownership in order to give way to exploitation, whether it be tourist or industrial.
Therefore, although it is pretty far out of the question that I (or anyone else for that matter) rule the Moon, it is possible that the future will bring changes to the ownership status of celestial bodies, in order to allow cash flow in a world governed less by our hunger for knowledge than the logic of profit.
Property is theft! hehehe...
But seriously though, if they just applied the homestead principle then it wouldn't work because only those with money would be able to make the kind of investment required to gain the land under the principle. It'll be interesting to see what happens in the future, particularly the proposals by the left since I can't see any particularly "left" way that would work.
Although nations claiming sovereignty on the moon is covered by the Outer Space Treaty, private property rights are covered by the Moon Treaty, which neither the UK, nor any other major space faring nation have ratified. So there's nothing legally stopping you from owning a piece of the moon, but there are no laws defining how you go about claiming that ownership either.
I read an interesting article about property on the moon and the legalities surrounding it not too long ago - http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/air_space/4264325.html?series=35, which you may find interesting.
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