That it does. Do you clamp down on regulation for the sake of starting up and hoping that you can change it later, or hoping nothing 'nation' splitting happens in the first century or two while it's getting on its feet, all the while trying to soothe tensions with feelgood posters and other such propaganda?

Also if someone can come up with a third please do.

I have to disagree with you there. Free speech isn't something to be messed around with. Banning words, ideas, phrases and other verbal communication of any degree would result in a bad precedent. If for instance, someone decides that the word toast is very close to toa-ist and that it, therefore, discriminates against a culture, and by extension should be banned... I hope that got my point across, but even discriminatory words shouldn't be banned, they are vulgar and I don't condone them, but pampering an entire culture at its very rooty start, will only lead to future problems.

It's like a child, mistakes need to be made otherwise it cannot grow into a stable and long-running society. To curb subversive Ideas in this case I figure propaganda would be needed. I figure a department of population morale and happiness is something that needs to exist from the very start in order to keep the new frontier as stable and productive as possible.

Those are good.
The right to free speech and thought.
The right to any belief and religion, given that it doesn't put someone else in a lethal position. (The example would be human sacrifice. unwilling and willing. edit: You can believe it but you may not act on such beliefs.)

That we do!

How do we handle rights? What would be the basic rights of every martian?

That sounds like a brilliant idea. Have the vocation vote for council reps every four to eight years. These councils would then self-govern within preset regulations, for example, that no council can ban someone from becoming a council member, can force someone in the vocation to do a specific task or 'face the consequences' and no council member can be part of more than one council.

Would you structure law so that Science and Discovery aren't influenced by policy besides the requirement for permits on dangerous substances and processes?

Whether or not you benefit though, you are still feeding a starving child, helping an aged person, curing a disease or taking a bullet for your country, Which wouldn't have happened otherwise.

Instead of questioning the motives of someone who does something good, isn't it better to celebrate the deed?

My point exactly! Though I doubt someone who makes movies, sculptures, plays and comedy performances would be unwelcome. If nothing else, there should at least be an event planner that creates entertainment for the masses, because ultimately people get very bored very quickly.

Imagine what it would be like if you had to wait 20 minutes for Netflix to load every time you want to watch the next episode of house of cards or the 100.

Too true. Also thanks for posting here first.

I'm linking this at the top as well. The plan.

And a good explanation of it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVcxz2q12AE

That's just the thing. Elon Musk is looking to sell tickets to whomever will buy them at the price of $100,000 a ticket. He'll accomplish it via reusability of his rockets making you pay just for the fuel of getting there. His designs are made to take 100 people per vehicle sent, sending multiple convoys per two-year cycle.

To put it in other words, the checks that are done would probably only be health and previous crime. And with the trials... I believe the very first colonisers should set up a bill of rights and regulations so to speak, thereby guaranteeing that things are kept civil in case of unrest.

What population size are you envisaging for this colony?

-MikeL

It could be any size, but for a rough estimate, I'd start with 10 000 for the first 10 to 20 years. After that, I'd say it would grow at a rate of double up to a point where it's closer to 100 000 000 in the first 100 years. After that I'm not sure, it depends on the resources that could be gathered or produced on Mars.

"Well, no guns on Mars would be a good and reasonable start." - Posty mcPostface.

Just read your post on masculinity, pretty interesting.

Would security then have to be trained in extensive martial arts in order to combat the loss of firearms? And what would the punishment be for someone with a gun, given that they pose a larger lethal risk against the populous and law enforcement?

If no guns are allowed instead of a set regulation to guns, what would happen if a corporation or syndicate decides to take over a city via invasion?

I for one think that guns should be allowed in the internal and external defence of martian interests.

And that's the first! Who would receive the tax?

Still gonna wait a bit more before I write a page long idea.