Privatizing Outer Space and International Waters

On June 24, 2008 I wrote about privatizing the air space in the U.S. On October 22, 2006 I wrote about privatizing all U.S. government owned assets. All these assets would be different corporations and each U.S. citizen would be issued 100 shares of common stock in each corporation. Dividends from these corporations would be paid in retirement.

Now I propose privatizing the international waters. This corporation would be owned by each citizen of the world. Each world citizen would own 100 shares of the International Waters Corp. The corporation would charge users for shipping, fishing and mining and any other use.

The dividends would be paid to any world citizen when they reach age 18. This is because much of the world is poor. Many countries have life spans of their citizens that would prevent them from living long enough to collect dividends in old age, as I proposed for privatizing U.S. government owned assets. A few dollars in dividends would mean a lot to a poor villager in an undeveloped country.

A private corporation should also be set up to privatize outer space. Each citizen would own 100 shares of the International Space Corporation. Countries that launched satellites into space would have to pay a fee to the corporation. Any country that built a missile that could be fired into space would be required to pay a fee to the corporation for each missile built. If someone wants to build a business in the U.S. they must pay a fee to the State for a license and get permission from the State. In this case the State would only have to pay a fee to the corporation, without having to get permission from the private corporation. Each world citizen would receive dividends from the corporation. The rich States that could afford to build missiles would in effect be contributing to the economic health of those people in poor countries. Much like foreign aid, without force.

All planets and other assets of outer space should be privatized and equally owned by each citizen of the world. Any mining or occupation of the Moon or Mars or other planets would pay rents or fees for any activity. Imagine some poor villagers sitting around on a clear night and looking at Mars or Jupiter and saying, "We own part of those".

Antarctic should be an international corporation owned by each citizen of the world. Any users of Antarctic would pay a fee and the dividends would go to each citizen of the world.

The unseen benefits of these corporations would be a decrease in the value of geography in determining what kind of life one has in comfort and prosperity. These corporations would go a long way in decreasing conflicts caused by borders.

I am not proposing world socialism or world fascism. Far from such. I am proposing people own these assets in a private corporation instead of States owning these assets, and then watching the States use them as an excuse to build their empires through the military nation within their nations. The United States is already preparing to militarize outer space. If they had to pay a fee for such occupation the people of the world would not feel so resentful.

It would take years to implement and register all citizens of the world and start paying dividends. With billions of cell phones and the increasing use of the Internet, the rumors of poor villagers becoming stock owners will spread. Simply knowing they will own something together will diminish conflicts between cultures. Knowing their children will own something with other children, together, will offer hope, that cheapest form of happiness.

The only thing wrong with my idea is the system would be a monopoly. Without competition the corporations might drive the prices too high for the systems to be useful.

"We are all of us more or less echoes, repeating involuntarily the virtues, the defects, the movements, and the characters of those among whom we live." -Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

Charles Tolleson