Guess I better write a reflection

I am not entirely sure what to write here. I must admit I was not particularly struck by anything we covered in class. I suppose the most interesting part of our discussion revolved around the idea of morality and mike. We seemed to lose track of the question itself, being sidetrack by the question of whether or not Mike's actions were morally reprehensible. We are struck with an interesting dilemma if we simply ignore what happened and ask in isolation, if Mike did something that we would consider, without argument or question, morally problematic, would he be responsible? Unfortunately, I don't think I have an answer, although the best answer I heard in class was to ask Mike.

There was another issue that came up in class that is also worth addressing that has to do with the exact definition of revolution and how it pertains to this society. At one point in class the argument was made that the revolution was, in fact, merely a Palace Coup, throwing off outside control. This makes sense as the idea was first proposed by Barrington Moore (this has given me a chance to dig out my copy of Moore, so I am quite excited) at the beginning of the third chapter of his book Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy. This is only goes to show how successful Heinlein was in modeling The Moon is a Harsh Mistress after the American Revolution as at the beginning of Chapter 3 in his book Moore is explaining why his book considers the Civil War to be the real revolution in the US as opposed to the revolutionary war. We pointed out in class that there was no society on the moon to fundamentally alter as everyone lived essentially equally. I think this is a result Heinlein's idealized version of the American Revolution (whereas after the real revolution there was a large amount of inequality). Reading through Moore, however, made me consider the future of this Moon world. Moore's work discuss' how after the revolution Yammerheads lead by Alexander Hamilton set to work introducing big government and industry to the New world, the inequality formed by having an agricultural society dependent on slave labor to the South and an Industrial economy to the north eventually leads to the Civil war which becomes the real social revolution in the US. One could foresee a similar future for the Moon following this novel. As industry slowly takes over the moon many traditional loonies are forced to the asteriods (the west) while the more stubborn ones stake out some section, but an economic policy might arise which threatens the farmer's way of life (say water use limits) and so there is war. Anyway, I suggest everyone pick up Moore and at least read the third chapter.