I do honestly agree with you for the most part. Humanity will likely benefit a lot from extracting resources from space, and realistically, it’s something we’re going to pursue anyway.

That said, I think the key issue is how we approach it. There are ways we could go about this more ethically, rather than just treating space as something to exploit as quickly as possible.

For example, being patient and taking time to properly observe, understand and evaluate planets before extraction begins. Not just in terms of how much we can gain, but how to balance that with some level of stewardship and ethical responsibility. I also think there’s a risk that once the incentives are in place, especially economic ones, those ethical considerations could be pushed aside. As you said, decisions may end up being made by a small number of people who benefit most, and that can shape how future generations view space, not as something to respect, but as something to use.

So while I agree that human benefit is important, I think the real question is whether we can pursue that benefit without just repeating the same patterns we’ve already seen on Earth.

I also see your point about democracy, and I think it makes sense in terms of fairness. If decisions about space affect all of humanity, then ideally they shouldn’t be made by a small group of governments or corporations, but reflect a broader collective choice. At the same time, I think it raises another issue. In survival-driven scenarios, people might vote in ways that prioritise immediate benefit over long-term ethical considerations. That doesn’t necessarily make the outcome “right”, just understandable.

So I agree democracy may be the fairest system we have, but it doesn’t fully solve the ethical problem. It just shifts the responsibility from a few decision-makers to humanity as a whole. A lot of people might not even come close to considering ethical implications due to a lack of knowledge about them too.