Would a Mars colony need a fixed government?

Encyclopedia of Opinion

Question: Would a Mars colony need a fixed government?
Position‹2 of 2: Mars needs a planned separate government
Argument1 of 2›: A company rules Mars

With companies becoming arguably more influential players on the global stage than some nation-states, it is perceivable that Mars will be under the rule of, for example, Elon Musk's SpaceX.

The argument

With the success of SpaceX and its development of reusable rockets, a private company has accomplished more than governmental organizations have been able to regarding space colonization. In addition, aside from isolated individuals, companies like SpaceX are the only ones seriously talking about--and arguably soon capable of--settling Mars. Because of this, private companies seem to be the best option for leading a Martian government--they are the ones getting the process started. If nothing else, a private company will likely enter into an agreement with governing forces, adopting leadership responsibilities due to the absence of government involvement.

Premises

[P1]Private firms like SpaceX, with reusable rockets, have outpaced government agencies in space colonization and are the only serious, near-capable contenders to settle Mars. [P2] Because they are getting the process started, private companies are best placed to lead a Martian government, likely entering agreements with governing forces to adopt leadership in the absence of state involvement. [C] Therefore, because a company would run Mars, the colony needs a planned, separate government.

Counter-arguments

The fact that a company is powerful and innovative does not automatically make it qualified to lead a planet. Also, just because private companies are the current leaders in plans to settle Mars does not mean that governmental organizations like NASA will not join the effort in the future. If Earth governments and companies settle Mars as a joint effort rather than simply the latter on their own, it is debatable which of the two should lead the newly settled planet.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] Capability in launch and transport is not capability in government, and the premise slides between them: nothing about building reusable rockets bears on adjudicating disputes, allocating scarce resources, or protecting the people who would live under the result. [Rejecting P2] "Getting the process started" is a claim about priority in time rather than about authority, and the premise's own fallback — that a company would enter agreements with governing forces — concedes that the authority comes from elsewhere. The argument also does not support the position it is filed under: describing who would end up in charge by default is the opposite of the planned separate government the position calls for.

The argument

Premises

Counter-arguments

Rejecting the premises

Further reading