  Humanity has the knowledge to solve its problems but lacks the moral insight
to implement these ideas on a global scale. New moral insight can be obtained
through transformative experiences that allow us to examine and refine our
underlying preferences, and the eventual landing of humans on Mars will be of
tremendous transformative value. Before such an event, I propose that we
liberate Mars from any controlling interests of Earth and allow Martian
settlements to develop into a second independent instance of human
civilization. Such a designation is consistent with the Outer Space Treaty and
allows Mars to serve as a test bed and point of comparison by which to learn
new information about the phenomenon of civilization. Rather than develop Mars
through a series of government and corporate colonies, let us steer the future
by liberating Mars and embracing the concept of planetary citizenship.
