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Who owns the moon?

tech.msn.com — Within the next 10 years, the U.S., China, Israel, and a host of private companies plan to set up camp on the moon. So if and when they plant a flag, does that give them property rights?

Who dugg this? Made popular Aug 28, 2008

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  • revmhatt, on 08/28/2008, -18/+472░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░░
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  • dobry, on 08/28/2008, -9/+369It will be decided on a game of asteroids. National leaders will compete for the highest score.
  • eshirt, on 08/28/2008, -9/+283I'm pretty sure when Aldrin and Armstrong planted that flag, they said:

    "Dibs"

    So...
  • BigFuzzyArchon, on 08/28/2008, -3/+199Whoever is there to defend the moon with space guns will own the moon
  • BoneStamp, on 08/28/2008, -12/+138I think somebody stuck a flag there a while back... and that's kinda like saying: "dibsies"
  • every2ndcounts, on 08/28/2008, -9/+131That's where they plan on moving all the Palestinians.
  • flashboy131, on 08/28/2008, -2/+105The Moon®, brought to you by Verizon, Pepsi Cola and Cheverolet, In partnership with Paramount Pictures who proudly present The Transformers, More Than Meets the Eye ... bitches.
  • CrazedLeper, on 08/28/2008, -3/+92Who owns the moon? The people who live there.
  • roddack, on 08/28/2008, -3/+87IT'S A BOMB RUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
  • BoneStamp, on 08/28/2008, -6/+89All your moon are belong to us.
  • inactive, on 08/28/2008, -8/+90Israel? Well that is ambitious!

  • bjs3171, on 08/28/2008, -2/+72Mythbusters sure did own it last night.
  • tonich03, on 08/28/2008, -16/+80It did in 19th century America. Why wouldn't it now.
  • inactive, on 08/28/2008, -8/+53Obviously the Stone Cutters....
  • borkencode, on 08/28/2008, -2/+44The surface area of the moon is ~37930000 (37.9 Million) square kilometers. The combined area of the three most populous countries in the world (China, India, USA) is ~22710000 (22.7 Million) square kilometers. I don't think there's going to be a land rush on the moon any time soon.
  • Scrappy1850, on 08/28/2008, -1/+42and Buzz will knock you out if you say otherwise
  • StuartGibson, on 06/14/2009, -1/+42Do you have a flag? No flag, no country. That's the rules... I've just made up. And I'm backing it up with this gun.
  • cawpin, on 08/28/2008, -8/+47WTF? "So if and when they plant a flag, does that give them property rights? "

    Um, done. I guess we win.
  • digitalpencil, on 08/28/2008, -2/+40kind of reminds me of the Eddie Izzard sketch about Britain taking over the world with flags:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEx5G-GOS1k
  • chrissku, on 08/28/2008, -9/+45Maybe Bush will discover that the moon has WMD's and then we can just go in and take it.
  • BoneStamp, on 08/28/2008, -2/+38I've got dibs on the dark side.
  • Greengoo, on 08/28/2008, -4/+38Who controls the British crown?
    Who keeps the metric system down?
    We do, we do
    Who keeps Atlantis off the maps?
    Who keeps the Martians under wraps?
    We do, we do
    Who holds back the elctric car?
    Who makes Steve Gutenberg a star?
    We do, we do
    Who robs gamefish of their site?
    Who rigs every Oscar night?
    We do, we do
  • OpenRevolt, on 08/28/2008, -3/+37Yeah as soon as they finish painting over the NASA logo...
  • jayzDigga, on 08/28/2008, -3/+36All your base are belong to us
  • Kazumato, on 08/28/2008, -4/+36One thing annoys me: when people think there was a year 0.
  • Vigacmoe, on 08/28/2008, -0/+31it's actually not distorted, dugg
  • OpenRevolt, on 08/28/2008, -1/+29China will win it after using 12 year olds with tiny fingers and faster reflexes.

    Then in a year it will be full of a billion people and covered in smog.
  • l034me, on 08/28/2008, -0/+28We smoke as we flip the bird!
  • KenSPT, on 08/28/2008, -3/+30No matter who owns it, it'll probably end up going into foreclosure ...
  • JackyAppleJones, on 08/28/2008, -9/+34WE LOVE THE MOON!
  • optize, on 08/28/2008, -2/+26I own some land. I'm looking for someone to rent it from me though. http://www.lunarlandowner.com/
  • inactive, on 08/28/2008, -2/+26No one can defeat our quad laser!
  • butch3r, on 08/28/2008, -2/+22***** the moon. I want a piece of the sun. I'll put my flag in it. *****, I'll set up my own government on it.
  • Iwantawii, on 08/28/2008, -0/+19░░░░░░░░
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  • EarlOfLade, on 08/28/2008, -11/+30The only way I'd support Israel going to the moon was if they moved the whole country of Israel to the moon.
  • jamesdew, on 08/28/2008, -3/+21by that logic the UK should still own the US
  • friday81, on 08/28/2008, -0/+16in 1953, a Chilean guy Named Jenaro Gajardo Vera claimed the property of the moon, pay the legal fees, and as nobody disputed the property, the claim was accepted

    before sticking the flag (and saying dibsies), President Nixon send Mr Gajardo, trough the USA embassy in Chile, the following message

    "On behalf of the people of the United States, I request your authorization so that astronauts Aldrin, Collins and Armstrong may land on the satellite that belongs to you"

    to which Jenaro responded

    " in the name of Jefferson, Washington and the great poet Walt Whitman, I authorize the landing of Aldrin, Collins and Armstrong in the satellite that belongs to me, wishing not only a happy landing to these astronauts, those braves ones, but also a happy return to their country, Mr President"

    http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenaro_Gajardo_Vera

    http://chilefriki.blogspot.com/2006/05/el-dueo-de- ...

    (both in Spanish)
  • jayrok, on 08/28/2008, -0/+16Strange - not only does the earth revolve around them, but they'll then revolve around the earth.
  • griz, on 08/28/2008, -0/+16I'll take the 30,000 Sq. Kilometer rounding error you have there.
  • hank22, on 08/28/2008, -8/+2420th? - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/20th_century
  • Scrappy1850, on 08/28/2008, -0/+16when did the colonists get here?
  • wardsac, on 08/28/2008, -0/+15We are excellent spellers.
  • apologeticus, on 08/28/2008, -8/+23US owns it. We planted our flag there. Nuclear Man knocked it down for a brief time, but then we had Superman replace it and now it's all good again.

    Don't make us send Superman after YOU, China!!!
  • MxM111, on 08/28/2008, -3/+18The Soviet Union's Luna program was the first to reach the Moon with unmanned spacecraft
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luna_programme

    I am not sure if they planted the traditional flag there though (probably not), but I am sure that the flag was painted on the spacecraft.
  • gordonrp, on 08/28/2008, -1/+15they're idiots
  • dajuggernaut, on 08/28/2008, -0/+14All your *moon* base are belong to us
    but then again...
    thats no moon
  • 5xSTUN, on 08/28/2008, -2/+15COZ IT IS CLOSE TO US!
  • Pandatot, on 08/28/2008, -0/+13I recommend buying him a helmet and rounded scissors for his next birthday.
  • 1337Einstein, on 08/28/2008, -2/+14We haven't killed off any natives yet.
  • OpenRevolt, on 08/28/2008, -5/+17Math hurt brain!
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