The treaty is another really silly weak argument. The treaty was signed mostly by people that knew they didn't have technology to exploit antarctica in the first place. So they merely wanted to try to limit exploitation by others a little more advanced. We've had thousands of years to colonize antarctica, and while everywhere else on earth was colonized, antarctica wasn't. I think the reasons are obvious and the same reasons why we haven't yet colonized space. It is not economically viable. DUH.

I do agree if some international body does manage to put some sort of socialistic rules in place about exploitation of resources off planet that will certainly retard the ability of private enterprise to obtain the economic benefit to move into space. Why would it retard it? DUH. Once again, because they couldn't profit. That's what it takes and my main point. Until someone can really profit from moving into space or at least break even with promise of profit, expansion will be limited.