I would think peer pressure would be a decent enough driver to keep from getting into an arms race.
Even if it isn't so much an arms race in the traditional sort..... it's really not a military-style race as I see it but two compnaies seeking to outcompete each other, and stocking their own slight militaries with the latest thing to drum up sales and act as advertising for the 'civilian' model. And most of the results are being sold to individual users who find the ideaof swanning around in a Veritich to be fun.... but don't want the hassle of building it themselves. A few settlements might have a squadron.
While there're plenty of people who'll find the idea cool, equaly as many will refuse to deal with them..... and no fan is an island capable of operating on their own out there. If you alienate people by arming up too much you're going to have trouble getting supplies and deliveries made.
And, frankly, Someone is going to bring the argument up that forcing individuals to not have inferior technology to the space patrol means there's no hedge against anyone in the patrol going rogue, or whatever. There're some places that aren't going to play ball with those restrictions on a matter of principal, and what do we do about that? Do we waltz on in their and make them? Or leave them be and be a toothless tiger. Either one opens a pandora's box that could be disastrous,
Simple, public declaration of munitions, and then letting the public make their own choices about who to deal with.... that's the only real workable option. Let people's reputations carry it forward.
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--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?
Even if it isn't so much an arms race in the traditional sort..... it's really not a military-style race as I see it but two compnaies seeking to outcompete each other, and stocking their own slight militaries with the latest thing to drum up sales and act as advertising for the 'civilian' model. And most of the results are being sold to individual users who find the ideaof swanning around in a Veritich to be fun.... but don't want the hassle of building it themselves. A few settlements might have a squadron.
While there're plenty of people who'll find the idea cool, equaly as many will refuse to deal with them..... and no fan is an island capable of operating on their own out there. If you alienate people by arming up too much you're going to have trouble getting supplies and deliveries made.
And, frankly, Someone is going to bring the argument up that forcing individuals to not have inferior technology to the space patrol means there's no hedge against anyone in the patrol going rogue, or whatever. There're some places that aren't going to play ball with those restrictions on a matter of principal, and what do we do about that? Do we waltz on in their and make them? Or leave them be and be a toothless tiger. Either one opens a pandora's box that could be disastrous,
Simple, public declaration of munitions, and then letting the public make their own choices about who to deal with.... that's the only real workable option. Let people's reputations carry it forward.
________________________________
--m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?