In a throwaway about his opposition towards the colonization of other planets Matthew Yglesias notes that:

On space colonization, I’m afraid I have to strenuously disagree. The problem is that the Spacers will inevitable become politically independent of earth, and then use their command over superior natural resources and robots to oppress us.

Yglesias is referring, of course, to Asimov’s excellent Lije Baley books, which I would highly recommend. But he could have listed any one of a thousand stories. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, for example. Indeed, space colony independence is such a standard sci-fi trope that in Warren Ellis’ masterpiece Transmetropolitan, the Martian colonies were fighting for independence because they thought they were supposed to. No other reason. I always loved that.