author: Bart Swiatek
Musk's Idea for Mars Colonization Resembles The Outer Worlds
Reddit users have pointed out that the idea of funding private human expeditions to Mars, which Elon Musk put forward some time ago, evokes unpleasant associations with video games - specifically, The Outer Worlds and the Red Faction series.
IN A NUTSHELL:
- Internet users have noted that one of Elon Musk's ideas related to the colonization of Mars evokes associations with dark visions of the future from video games such as The Outer Worlds or Red Faction;
- It's about the idea of financing the journey thanks to a loan, which we would then pay back by working;
- The billionaire has recently reiterated that he is serious about setting up a city on Mars - which is why he is getting rid of most of his possessions.
A recent article on Business Insider about Elon Musk got Reddit users thinking about the billionaire's vision of Mars colonization. According to some internet users, the ideas of the world's richest man are dangerously similar to solutions from dystopian futures known from the RPG The Outer Worlds and the Red Faction series . It's mostly about a sentence that appeared in a tweet from January last year.
The idea is simple - people who don't have the money to fund their own trip to Mars will be given the option to take out a loan, which they will then pay back by working for the emerging colony. Trouble is, what looks harmless on paper, in practice can turn out to be a terrible fate. In the aforementioned games, there's no shortage of stories showing exploited workers whose lives are little different from slavery. Much of The Outer Worlds is devoted to the darker side of capitalism, while in Red Faction: Guerrilla, the community living on , imagine that, Mars is forced into murderous labour by corporations originating on Earth.
Of course, it's worth bearing in mind that this kind of journey is a really big decision, and probably only people who really want it and are fully aware of the consequences will decide to take it. For many people the opportunity to take part in such a trip may be worth even a loan paid for most of their lives - after all, if people decide to take a long-term loan to buy an apartment or build a house, why shouldn't they be able to do it to go to Mars?
It is worth noting that Musk himself also intends to be one of the colonizers. The billionaire stressed that he wants his words and plans related to the Red Planet to be taken seriously, and not considered idle talk or whims of a rich man. That is why he is getting rid of most of his belongings and possessions.
"I'm trying to make it clear that I'm serious. And this is not at all about personal consumption. People will attack me and say, "Oh, but he's got all that stuff." Well OK, now I don't have it," said Musk.
