Issue #3

Written By Guildmaster Brendon

Welcome to the third issue of the Starward Dispatch.

The Spacers Guild is a network society dedicated to the creation of longterm sustainable interstellar civilization.

Thank you for joining us as we together imagine and realize a future where humanity expands throughout our Local Interstellar Cloud, resistant to any local disturbances and conflicts, eager to promote conditions for flourishing. We in the Spacers Guild will facilitate many waves of settlers to join in our Great Cosmic Voyage to distant planetary systems.

In today’s issue, Cadet Doverfjell has shared details of his personal struggles with addiction and provides his analysis on behalf of our Counter-Narrative Department. This is followed by an essay by Guildmaster Brendon that expounds upon the competitive advantages of the Spacers Guild.

Then, we’ll conclude with our Frontier Signals for further links of interest.

Additionally, we will transition to a release schedule of two issues of the Starward Dispatch every month, so expect Issue #4 to release on August 19th.

Per Aspera Ad Astra!

Issue Header Image by PxHere

Photo by Rick Davis

The Problems of the Future: Today

Part One of Two written by Doverfjell, Counter-Narrative Department Lead

The Western world is currently in the grips of an opioid epidemic, led predominantly by the USA. The patterns unfolding there will likely be mirrored throughout Europe in the coming decades unless countered. While cultures between Europe and the USA differ, addiction has a universal culture that knows no borders.

In this text, I will describe how these events might unfold, partly based on a meditative dream I had and offer potential solutions.

The Meditative Dream

Plant-lice were eating the leaves of a tree that regenerated - but not fast enough. Crows descend on the tree and ate selected lice, that survived. The lice that were not eaten fell dead on the ground that made everyone really sad. The regenerated leave patches turned grey.

Then I woke.

My Own Experience

I was a drinker myself and have an intimate understanding of how addiction creates a dominant personality whilst hollowing out the sober personality - and also the soul itself. How even the strongest personal principles and moral codes get eroded or bent, just to get drunk for the night.

My salvation came in becoming a father. That morning when I found out that she was pregnant - my priorities immediately shifted and the very same day I started making changes. But it took years for me to get control over myself.

Today, I can have one drink and not get the thirst for more. But it was a slow and painful process, step by step. From drinking as soon as I woke up - climaxing in drunkenness in order to sleep, to drinking only at nighttime, to drinking only five days a week, to two days a week, and so on.

Incremental steps: It was only possible because I did not want to be a drunk dad. Jordan Peterson lectures and cannabis. It was actually cannabis - which I started using the last year of my drinking - helped me get the normal relationship I have with alcohol today.

Mind you, this is alcohol. Opiates are far, far worse in how they consume and grip a person.

My Youngest Brother

I have three brothers, and all of us have struggled with addiction. Two have, just like I have, overcome this in our own way. The youngest is still in it. And it is because he fell into opioids. I was closest to him of my brothers - but what he is today is not my brother.

I tried it once: that blue pill. I got some aluminum foil and smoked it. I needed to understand him. I needed to understand IT - the personality of the drug that takes over one's mind.

It took three weeks for me to be fully rid of the want for another dose. It took two months to feel normal again, but for a longer time - I could still feel that something was burned at the back of my skull.

He has been doing this for ten years... I spent a lot of time with him until it was no longer possible - a snake who is now not just willing to lie, steal and cheat other people to get his next hit. But also harm. And so with the rest of his "crew." They were all the same, they just formulate their words differently; but always saying the same thing.

And the sheer misery and state of their lives: there are those who have nothing - and then there are those who are borrowing nothing. These people do not even have the credit for that. And they are vengeful, spiteful, and hateful because of it - narcissistically so.

They understand their state - refusing to understand that they cause it; rather, they demand payment from the world for their suffering. I remember feeling the same way and acting the same way - but only to a point.

What Did My Dream Mean?

I was focused on the United States. And what I think will happen is that states will get overwhelmed by this huge - and still growing number of opioid addicts. And that this will create a cascading domino effect into other states.

The crows are the healers; I am Scandinavian so crows have the cultural meaning of wisdom and understanding. The regenerating leaves are states, that will become scarred and barren by the socioeconomic hits that these hordes of sick people will cause.

Upon reflecting - which I did for a few days after, it came to me that it was natural that Marxists will very much capitalize (no pun intended) on this: by demanding that the state should take control over large-scale rehabilitation. This is probably why the leaves turn brown.

Because I can tell you as a Swedish citizen - Sweden is the most successful socialist country that has ever existed, the best outcome of a Marxism-based idea. This will not work - the state cannot handle the rehabilitation. People have to do it. Because the journey of healing is personal and cannot be done by stale bureaucracy with a "one size fits all" solution - and the size being on an ineffective budget set by career politicians and lobbyists.

The problem itself gives control to the state that the state wants to keep. This is why Sweden has one of the highest drug-mortality rates in Europe. The public is openly shouting on proven solutions - to the politicians' faces. It falls on deaf ears.

Government cannot, and will not solve this - but you will most likely see a further rise of pretty worded Marxist narratives in the wake of the domino effect from this epidemic.

The People Are the Solution

Rehabilitation must be approached with a framework that allows for true transformation. It should involve a year-long journey where the afflicted are confined to a place of healing, away from their destructive environment.

There, they receive nourishment, education, and therapy, including new, gentle potions to override the old. Work and a sense of purpose are integral to their recovery. I would never have sobered up if I did not have a responsibility bigger than myself - and an actual vision of how I could win against the addiction. Prohibition does not work - I am proof that an addict can come to handle the drug in a healthy way.

A success rate is not something that can be afforded - even though they are correct on the concept of "a higher power." Non-profit initiatives run by skilled healers, where participants contribute to the community, could provide a path to recovery.

This initiative would combine education, therapy, and meaningful work, offering a sustainable and humane solution to the epidemic. It is an elevator pitch - and at least somewhere to start.

Guildmaster’s Addendum

Organizations Currently Fighting the Opioid Crisis

The opioid epidemic in the US is a complex challenge, yet countless individuals and organizations are working tirelessly to bring light, healing, and hope to those affected.

Here are just a few of those shining stars, their efforts evidence of the power of human compassion:

  • The Harm Reduction Coalition: Advocating for evidence-based policies that prioritize public health over punishment, including access to naloxone, safe injection sites, and medication-assisted treatment.

  • Shatterproof: Working to end the stigma surrounding addiction and transform the way America approaches substance use disorder.

  • The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation: A leading nonprofit provider of addiction treatment, recovery support, and education, offering a wide range of programs tailored to individual needs.

Members of the Spacers Guild, we are called to be more than just dreamers and pioneers; we are also called to be healers and builders. The opioid crisis demands our attention, compassion, and intelligence.

Here are some ways you can contribute:

  • Volunteer your time or donate to organizations fighting the opioid crisis.

  • Share resources with those who might need them.

  • Educate yourself and others about the complexities of addiction.

  • Support policies that prioritize treatment and prevention over punishment.

Let us not forget the importance of humanity here on Earth. Together, we can transform lives and create a society that recognizes the potential and value within every individual.

“Times New Roman” by megs_io

The Value Proposition of the Spacers Guild

Written by Guildmaster Brendon, Guild Founder

There is a fundamental tension within the Spacers Guild, a dichotomy of thought about how best to advance the Guild's mission of building a sustainable interstellar civilization.

Some advocate for a more pragmatic approach, focusing on the immediate technical and engineering challenges of space settlement and the growth of a consumer space economy.

Others, like myself, champion an organizationally and culturally focused strategy for now, emphasizing the need to reshape public perception and to cultivate a new set of values that align with the goal of humanity’s expansion.

This debate, I believe, highlights not a weakness within the Guild, but its competitive advantage. For it is in the harmonizing of these seemingly disparate approaches, in the synthesis of action-oriented pragmatism and longterm visionary thinking, that the true power of the Spacers Guild resides.

While the technical challenges of space exploration are undoubtedly significant, history has shown us that it is often culture, ideology, and collective will that ultimately determine the trajectory of civilizations.

The Age of Exploration, for example, was not just a technological feat, but also a cultural phenomenon—fueled by a combination of economic ambition, religious zeal, and a growing sense of exceptionalism that justified the colonization of distant continents.

The Spacers Guild, through a multi-generational and culturally driven approach to space expansionism, is poised to learn from the mistakes of the past and to create a future where humanity's journey to the stars is guided by ethical principles and a commitment to the greater good.

An enormous frontier of possibility beckons that stretches far beyond our terrestrial cradle. For millennia, humanity has gazed at the stars with wonder, dreaming of the day we might venture forth and claim our place among them.

That day has arrived. The Second Space Race has begun and the Spacers Guild now prepares to join this monumental endeavor.

Our vision is audacious yet pragmatic, rooted in the understanding that the challenges we face are not solely technological, they are also cultural, ethical, and philosophical.

We seek not just to build spacecraft and habitats, but to forge a new paradigm for human existence—one that leverages the potential of outer space while recognizing the profound responsibilities that come with the stewardship of its riches.

We will play what we call the infinite game, our strategic roadmap extending far beyond mere years and decades.

We envision a future where humanity has expanded to multiple star systems, establishing a network of interconnected, self-governing communities. A future where interstellar travel is commonplace, supported by advanced propulsion systems, robust space-based infrastructure, and a thriving interplanetary economy.

It will be a future where human and artificial intelligence have co-evolved, unlocking new levels of understanding and shaping a destiny worthy of our shared potential. Our AI systems will be designed from the ground up to exhibit robust ethical frameworks, so that they remain aligned with human values and contribute to the greater good in addition to following Guild protocols and objectives.

The Shortsightedness of the Present

Deeper cultural and philosophical shifts are necessary to sustain a longterm sustainable human presence in outer space. We must ensure that our journey to the stars does not simply replicate the mistakes of our past.

We are witnesses to the shortsightedness of our time in those narratives that dominate popular culture, the decisions made by governments and corporations, and the actions of individuals who prioritize instant gratification over longterm wellbeing, personal gain over civilizational responsibility, and the illusion of scarcity over the reality of the Great Universe’s abundance.

This myopic focus on the present and the near future has led to a world where:

  • Environmental degradation threatens the very future of life on Earth.

  • Resource depletion and economic inequality sow the seeds of conflict and instability.

  • Technological innovation is often driven by the imperatives of warfare and the pursuit of profit, rather than the betterment of humankind.

  • The virtually infinite potential of the universe—its abundant resources, its mysteries waiting to be uncovered, its opportunities for human expansion and the evolution of consciousness— is largely ignored or dismissed as a distant dream.

Unpacking the Spacers Guild’s Competitive Advantages

Let’s utilize the Jay Barney’s VRIO (Value Rarity Imitability Organization) framework — an analytical tool that helps to identify whether an organization’s resources provide a competitive edge:

Value: A Longtermist Approach

  • Value Delivery: The Guild’s core value proposition is its commitment to building a sustainable and just interstellar civilization. This vision goes beyond the narrow self-interest of individual nations or corporations to focus on the longterm wellbeing of humankind.

  • Target Market: The Guild’s target market is not just current space enthusiasts, but also those interested in taking action on behalf of future generations — longtermists, those who will inherit the stars and carry the torch of human civilization forward.

Rarity: The Interstellar Mindset

  • Uniqueness: The “interstellar mindset”— a longterm perspective, a commitment to ethical principles and a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of all life — is a rare commodity in a world that is often dominated by short-term thinking and narrow self-interest.

Imitability: The Network State Model

  • Organizational Structure: The Guild’s use of the Network State model is an innovative and potentially disruptive approach to organizing a spacefaring civilization. It allows us to transcend the limitations of traditional nation-states and to create a more decentralized civilization that is better suited to the challenges and opportunities of the Space Age.

Organization: A Vibrant & Growing Community

  • Effective Value Capture: The Spacers Guild has a well-defined organizational structure, a clear set of values and principles, and a growing community of passionate and dedicated members who are actively working to advance our shared mission. We have established channels for communication, collaboration, and decision-making, allowing us to capture the value of our collective efforts and to translate them into tangible progress.

We aspire to become a cultural force that can successfully reshape the trajectory of human civilization for centuries to come.

Central to this effort is the Spacers Guild Codex, a living document that serves as a unifying interfaith ethical guide for our members. The Codex emphasizes the pursuit of truth, respect for all life forms, and the important, delicate balance between individual freedom and responsibility.

The development of artificial intelligence is a crucial component of our vision, but one we approach with careful consideration of its ethical implications. We view AI not as a threat to be feared, but as a powerful ally in our Great Cosmic Voyage.

Our members come from all walks of life, from seasoned aerospace engineers to visionary artists, from cutting-edge AI researchers to passionate educators and advocates. This diversity is our strength, bringing together a wealth of perspectives and skills to tackle the monumental challenges before us.

Through our online platforms, real-world gatherings, and collaborative projects, we're forging bonds that transcend national borders and cultural differences. In this way we will over time become ever more united in our shared purpose, until the Spacers Guild has spread its nodes across the Solar System and beyond.

As we push further out, we will develop new economic paradigms suited to the unique challenges and opportunities of space. We envision a decentralized network of interconnected space-based economies—from lunar mining operations to Martian agricultural hubs to asteroid belt refineries—all linked through an AI-facilitated interplanetary logistics and transaction system.

This isn't mere theoretical speculation. Even now, we're laying the groundwork for this new economic reality. As we reach for the stars, I counsel the Guild to remain deeply committed to our homeworld, Earth. The technologies and methodologies we develop for space settlement and expansion have immense potential to address pressing terrestrial challenges.

We will advance closed-loop life support system technology to benefit in the construction of extraterrestrial habitats, then leverage that same Guild patented technology to create urban environments here on Earth more comfortable and cost-efficient. The resource management AI we develop that will one day oversee Martian colonies will first be tested to optimize agricultural production and water usage in the arid regions of our planet.

By pushing the boundaries of human capability in the harshest frontier imaginable, we can develop solutions that can help preserve and protect the precious biosphere of Earth.

A Challenging Path Ahead

We face significant technological hurdles, from the development of more efficient propulsion systems to creating reliable longterm life support for interstellar missions.

The political landscape of space exploration remains complex, with competing national interests and outdated legal frameworks ill-suited to the realities of our requirements for outer space settlement and expansion.

And as we venture further from Earth, we must grapple with profound questions of identity, governance, and human rights in off-world colonies.

Yet, these challenges are not insurmountable. They are, in fact, the very obstacles that will drive our innovation, strengthen our resolve, and ultimately enable us to establish a strong Interstellar Commonwealth.

The Spacers Guild is committed to address obstacles head-on, through rigorous scientific research, thoughtful development and operation of our initiatives, and open, inclusion-based dialogue.

Our educational initiatives will play a vital role in this endeavor. We don’t just want to develop technologies critical for the future of space settlement; we want to directly encourage and invest in the next generations of Spacers themselves.

Our programs will range from curricula to inspire young minds with the wonders of space science to advanced training academies that prepare adults for careers in the growing space industry. Through virtual reality simulations, hands-on workshops, and mentorship programs, we will equip our guild members of all ages with the knowledge, skills, and mindset needed to contribute to humanity's Great Cosmic Voyage.

We recognize that the challenges of space expansionism require a multiplicity of perspectives and experiences. We believe that the future we're building among the stars must be one that represents and uplifts all of humanity, not just a privileged few.

As we stand on the brink of this new era, we invite all visionaries, pragmatists, dreamers, and doers to join our ranks. The journey ahead will demand courage, resilience, and a strong faith in humanity's potential.

It will challenge us in ways we can scarcely imagine, pushing the boundaries of our technological prowess, our ethical frameworks, and our very conception of what it means to be human.

The rewards of this journey promise to be beyond measure. We stand poised to harness the vast resources of the Solar System, to unravel profound mysteries, to encounter new forms of life and intelligence that will forever alter our understanding of our place in this Great Universe.

More than that, we have the opportunity to create a future where humanity finally fulfills its promise as a force for good—a spacefaring civilization guided by wisdom, compassion, and an unbreakable dedication to the stewardship & flourishing of all life.

This is the vision of the Spacers Guild. This is the future we are building, one innovation, one collaboration, one small step at a time.

The stars are calling and we are answering.

Join us in this grand adventure, this odyssey that will define the next chapter of human existence. Together, let us build a legacy that will echo across the galaxy for many millennia to come.

Frontier Signals

Guildmaster Brendon

I am the First Guildmaster, the original founder of the Spacers Guild.

https://spacersguild.org
Previous

Issue #4
Next

Issue #2