space col wouldn’t be imperialistic – bad analogy

<True, many evils were perpetrated in the over-zealous spirit of discovery, and whole civilizations were wiped out in the process, but there are two main differences between that era of discovery and this one: first, there are no lives or civilizations to destroy in our solar system (the question of life on Mars has not been totally resolved; I therefore advocate we learn as much as possible about the Martian geography and ecosystem before we engage in any grand plans of terraforming). Secondly, we have the benefit of advanced historical knowledge and appreciation to guide us. We know more about our world and our past than our great exploring forefathers, thanks in part, already, to the increased communications provided by the economic exploitation of space, in the form of communications satellites.>