You really do suprise me
"Manifest destiny" is more a political notion, implying that OUR nation (fill in the blank) is the one that should colonize open territory.
As I replied to Raoul above:
BTW Raoul, I do think that's all Zubrin is really saying when he speaks of 'manifest destiny'. I am aware that this term has historical usage in the US, but it doesn't mean it's a malevolent term, Zubrin means it well: he knows his country has the possibility to reignite romantic passions for space exploration and that is really all he means.
It is the nature of life to attempt to colonize every niche possible, an imperative that does not require conciousness or volition. But the intelligence of humanity makes it possible to colonize space in a way that only the hardiest of microscopic organisms could otherwise hope to do.
Again, from my reply to Raoul:
our real problem is right NOW: how to get out of LEO, and go to the nearest planet, Mars. Even doing that would stretch humanity's resources and endurance to the absolute limit - which is the whole idea! .. but also means that talk of terraforming, colonization etc. is idiotic. We go to Mars to explore and extend our horizons, that's why. We are not a bacterial colony which wants to expand and 'colonize': we are human beings with passions and desires to explore. That's good enough reason.
This goes far beyond politics. As a species, we would be just as successful if communist China opened self-sustaining communities on other planets or among the asteroids, as if the United States did it. A thousand years from now, Mao and Marx would probably be no more relevant to their descendants across the solar system (and beyond?) than the politics of the Roman Empire would be to us.
This is not about the species, but about the spacefaring spirit of humanity, which is a different thing. Arguments about 'preservation and extension of the species' are abstract Darwinist drivel, for pimply retarded teenagers who can't get dates. You know damn well that what motivates us NOW is commerce, and passion. The latter is what JFK tapped into so brilliantly in 1961.
You're also wrong about Mao and Marx, and the Romans. Remember that Roman and Greek culture have influenced OUR culture and politics today (er .. something called "democracy" ..) and it DOES make a difference what sorts of people and cultures get out there. That's why Zubrin is so valuable, and ultimately not really chauvinist. He's just tapping into the best traditions of the US ..
Why should anyone today care about 'self-sustaining communities' in the distant future .. the point is how to get us all psychologically motivated NOW. Even going to Mars would extend humanity to its limit, as I pointed out.