Both the U.S. and (the People’s Republic of) China are trying to establish the first lunar outposts, and it is possible that we will see lunar colonies within our lifetimes. When that happens, do you think there will be a movement towards independence, just as the colonies of Britain, France, Spain, etc. vyed for freedom? Would this be peaceful or violent, and how would either work? How realistic is an independent lunar nation, given the hostile living conditions? What would lunar culture look like? Would it be a mix of American and Chinese culture, or something new entirely?
Or do you think the Moon and other bodies in our Solar System will become internationally run (and protected) areas, a bit like how Antarctica is on Earth?
Extremely unlikely. The moon lacks sufficient resources so any outposts established in our lifetimes will likely remain reliant on the Earth. Building the industrial capacity capable of sustaining a technological civilization on the moon is hard enough already on our planet. I would expect outposts on the moon to be culturally similar to those in Antarctica.
Fully agree. That said, the Antarctic research stations do have their own subculture and their own accent, so that much will likely occur on a lunar base, too.
Really? That’s really cool!
It really is :D ! Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctic_English