Might war be eliminated (or reduced greatly) when humans can colonize space?

[moviemakerrules]

Me and my friend were discussing about whether or not we should fear an alien invasion, and we came to the conclusion that there's no reason for an alien to attack, since if they want resources, they can mine uninhabited planets, or planets w/o advanced life forms. If they want labor, well they should be advanced enough to build robots right? So I'm wondering, if us humans get the ability to colonize distant planets, then the universe should offer more than enough free stuff (land and resources) for everyone and we should also have the ability to create robots. Of course, there might still be religious lunatics carrying out holy wars or jihads.

Or might people still fight out of pride for themselves and their country or age old hatred for other nations and cultures?

[Lt.Bradford]

Really wouldn't surprise me if fighting reduces just by the fact moving a large enough military force would probably be very difficult. However, humans being humans we will probably still fight each other.

Now if humanity had a common enemy (i.e. some interstellar enemy looming over) things could be different.

[Admiral Piett]

Moved to the Academy.

[Stark of Winterfell]

It will probably reduce war if travel to faraway colonies takes so long as to make war worthless. But if it becomes possible to transport the resources to colonize, than it will also be possible to transport an army. It will all depend on future logistics. Because some people will still want war.

[Col. Tartleton]

If there are lots of habitable worlds (once we work out FTL) war will become too expensive. It would be cheaper to establish a new world than to scour ones enemies from it and then repopulate it with your colonists.

On the other hand if habitable worlds are a precious commodity they will be fought over tooth and nail and mankind will bring war with us into the cosmos.

War is primarily an economic tool. Any ideology attached to it is simply a more "noble" justification. Greed should be justification enough. A pirate is simply someone who cuts the middle man's throat.

[cenkiss]

It is always easier to steal it than make it.Yes,there will be wars in space age.Possibly more brutal.Wars are mostly fought to decide who will rule.And that reason will never change.

[Mythos]

You might want to take a look at the colonialist and imperialist eras of European history. Pleeeenty of wars.

[Angrychris]

If we are still divided by regional borders at that time then i believe things will get worse. Nobodys going to want a country to occupy space over their country and others may want specific outter space areas. There will always be a reason to war.

[SinerAthin]

We humans will always wage war.

I bet by the time we colonize space, we'll still have our ups back on Earth causing trouble(terrorists and rebels comes to mind).

And then perhaps two or more factions find the same planet too lucrative to miss, and thus wage a small war over it?

What if the rate at which we discover planets cannot match our rapid establishment, causing fights over territory?


Or if Humanity simply find some alien race in the galaxy, so we can start killing them and take a break from killing other humans for a while


War will always be there. Conflict is as relevant to life as existance itself, for life is one big conflict, on many different levels, on many different scales, all from down on bacteria level to a galactic war.

[hellheaven1987]

War will always be there. Conflict is as relevant to life as existance itself, for life is one big conflict, on many different levels, on many different scales, all from down on bacteria level to a galactic war.

Oh my, stop speaking like some socialists!!!

[Brain_in_a_vat]

Perhaps you should read this.

[Manuel I Komnenos]

I think what will happen will be exactly the opposite.
Teams of humans will try to get the best planets in terms of resources just like Mythos, said this is what happened during the Colonization period in earth with the European Empires fighting to acquire places from each other even though there was plenty of space..

[Holger Danske]

Me and my friend were discussing about whether or not we should fear an alien invasion, and we came to the conclusion that there's no reason for an alien to attack, since if they want resources, they can mine uninhabited planets, or planets w/o advanced life forms. If they want labor, well they should be advanced enough to build robots right? So I'm wondering, if us humans get the ability to colonize distant planets, then the universe should offer more than enough free stuff (land and resources) for everyone and we should also have the ability to create robots. Of course, there might still be religious lunatics carrying out holy wars or jihads.

Or might people still fight out of pride for themselves and their country or age old hatred for other nations and cultures?

What if said aliens where looking for a new home as their own was dead, or dying, and Earth just happened to be a very good match for them?

I seriously doubt we would be any different if we where in a similar situation.

[High Chunker Greens]

A common enemy unites us. Think through it, there are so many examples of this in history. Mongols united all their petty tribes to create the strongest army the world had seen up until then. Most western nations united against the Russians during the Cold War, most western nations united against the Nazis. The list does go on, I just can't think of any more of the top of my head.

The point to that seemingly random statement was that it is in human nature to unite when under stress. When humans colonise space, they will still fight each other until the human race as a whole must unite against an alien threat. So yes, when humans colonise space, they will fight and war will continue as it always does, until external threats push us to unification. And then we will fight the next enemy we find (if we aren't wiped out by them or ourselves before then).

[BemusedHorse]

No, probably not. Not that we will ever live to see it so we can never know. We live in the 'in between'.

[LSJ]

If we still have nationalism, ethnic/religious extremism, extremely uneven wealth distribution between nations and within, governments motivated by economic interests without regard to the well-being of other nations, then there will be war. What I can see happening is wealth distribution improving and religions becoming less important in everyday life. But war will continue, to some extent. I can't say how much because I have no idea what the future holds.

[irontaino]

People will just fight over whatever's out there

[ShADoW]

They'll just duke it out in space.
First it started out in land
moved unto the sea
then to the air
next is space

[Dubh the dark]

I think there would be war here on earth between nations looking for a bigger share in space exploration. Some one will want main control and it's easier to attack those people/nations on earth than in space.

[B5C]

To quote Fallout:

"War. War never changes."