# The Lunar Republic and Properties on the moon **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 27, 2005, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-republic-and-properties-on-the-moon/337369 "2005-12-27T22:49:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Citizen\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@Citizen\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Citizen_Bob)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2005, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-republic-and-properties-on-the-moon/337369/21 "2005-12-28T19:16:45Z")
> [@gooftroopag](#): > > Or form a doomsday cult and lay claim to a temple in Israel when you’ve never even visited there. 😃 Hey! You stole my idea. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2005, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-republic-and-properties-on-the-moon/337369/22 "2005-12-28T19:23:21Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > But…but… the International Star Registry records your star’s name in book form at the US Copyright office! The Lemur866 Star Registry records your star’s name in cocktail napkin form at the Lemur866 Copyright office. ---
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2005, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-republic-and-properties-on-the-moon/337369/23 "2005-12-28T23:32:50Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > But you will note that this principle also applies to my claim on your house or to the United Kingdom of Earth. So, it’s not really a meaningful answer. I fail to see what you mean by this. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2005, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-republic-and-properties-on-the-moon/337369/24 "2005-12-29T06:41:44Z")
> [@drbuzz0](#): > > There are also Martian meatorites, but those are even more expensive. They have Venutian ones too, but as only about two or three small ones are even known to exist, it’d be pretty hard to get your hands on one of those. Lunar and Martian meteorites - yes, but I’ve never heard of a Venusian one. And I’m sure I would have heard about it if someone had found one. Googling, I found [one page](http://www.venusmeteorite.com/Home/venus.htm) where someone claimed to have found one. AFAIK, this claim has not been accepted by the scientific community, which is why I haven’t heard about it. I’m certainly no expert and can’t judge the veracity of the claim. One [other page](http://home.earthlink.net/~magellon/webwrongs.html) has it in a list of bogus meteorite claims, though. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2005, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-republic-and-properties-on-the-moon/337369/25 "2005-12-29T18:03:22Z")
> [@flight](#): > > I fail to see what you mean by this. I meant that of course, anybody who can take something and defend it against anybody else can keep it, but this doens’t really answer a question about the legitimacy of claims. If I can take your house and defend it, well, yes, I’m de facto its owner, but my claim still doesn’t have any legitimacy and likely won’t be recognized by anybody. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2005, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-republic-and-properties-on-the-moon/337369/26 "2005-12-29T18:33:38Z")
Nobody in this thread has yet posted a link to the “Lunar Republic” organization – here it is: [http://www.lunarrepublic.com/](http://www.lunarrepublic.com/) ---
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2005, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-republic-and-properties-on-the-moon/337369/27 "2005-12-30T22:01:45Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > I meant that of course, anybody who can take something and defend it against anybody else can keep it, but this doens’t really answer a question about the legitimacy of claims. If I can take your house and defend it, well, yes, I’m de facto its owner, but my claim still doesn’t have any legitimacy and likely won’t be recognized by anybody. Actually, that is the base of ligitimacy. You can take my house. You can defend it. But then I call on the social contract I have with Uncle Sam and he comes in and boots your ass out. You may be able to defend against just me, but not my allies, and therefore the house is not yours. It is like a government in exile. They can claim the country is still theirs, but if they do not get help and throw out the current rulers, then the country is no longer theirs no matter how many other countries recognize them as the true rulers. Oh, and I thought this was what you meant but wanted clarification before writing this. ---
**Author:** ![wevets](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9a140/32.png) [@wevets](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wevets)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2005, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-republic-and-properties-on-the-moon/337369/28 "2005-12-31T00:47:42Z")
> [@flight](#): > > Actually, that is the base of ligitimacy. You can take my house. You can defend it. But then I call on the social contract I have with Uncle Sam and he comes in and boots your ass out. You may be able to defend against just me, but not my allies, and therefore the house is not yours. I think he means what if the claimant can defend the house against all comers, Uncle Sam included - perhaps through supernatural means 😉 . The house is theirs by possession, yet still yours by the law. Doesn’t help you much though. ---
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-republic-and-properties-on-the-moon/337369/29 "2006-01-03T14:28:37Z")
But the law only matters if it is enforceable. If he can hold off the US government for a couple years, then people will eventually accept that it is his property. This use to happen all the time when one country invaded and took over part of another. A couple of generations later and even the invaded country may accept that the land is theirs no longer. Of course if he can deal with Uncle Sam that handily he will have the added benefit of not having to pay property taxes. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-republic-and-properties-on-the-moon/337369/30 "2006-01-03T16:37:59Z")
Thanks flight for answering questions about my post during my absence. Yes, that’s what I meant - defending your property against all comers might not seem like it has much meaning, but that’s what the question gets down to. Since no one at this point has the capability to defend property on the Moon, there can be no legitimate ownership. In a couple of centries maybe this will be a more interesting question. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2006, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-republic-and-properties-on-the-moon/337369/31 "2006-01-03T19:36:25Z")
> [@wevets](#): > > I think he means what if the claimant can defend the house against all comers, Uncle Sam included - perhaps through supernatural means 😉 . The house is theirs by possession, yet still yours by the law. Doesn’t help you much though. Yes, that’s what I meant. And legitimacy does matter. If I suddenly lose my supernatural powers after a dozen years, I’m quite sure you’re going to go after me. And it’s even more true for territory. Look at Israel recreated after 1900 years, for instance, claims on Kosovo by the Serbs based on the situation hundreds of years ago, etc… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-lunar-republic-and-properties-on-the-moon/337369.md?page=1)