Terraforming in the OTU

[Malenfant]

Originally Posted by ak_aramis

So, if the world in system can be made habitable, it provides a huge LOCAL economic stimulus, a long term unifying political goal, and a colony that's close enough to probably retain the majority of the cultural identity if not overly exploited. Further, representatives can be in meaningful contact with their selectors (be they representing a dictator or an electorate).

Except when the colonists feel like they're enslaved to some process that's going to take decades to complete (and may not work). Or when the money/interest from the homeworld runs out.

And you certainly don't need terraforming to retain a cultural identity or "unity", a terraforming is a pretty ridiculous reason to justify that.