I'm asking this in terms of a sci-fi world I'm building, more than whether this question would even arise.
Supposing a Star-Trek-like level of space exploration/colonisation was ever to happen, obviously it would all start from space stations in orbit. But how does everything and everyone that we need get there? Are we going to need the Space Elevator, or is it feasible that we'd still be using rockets to get everything to orbit?
I ask because I'd been assuming space elevator in my invented world, but it just occurred to me that a space elevator isn't just a really tall building. No matter what you build it out of, I'm pretty sure that's not going to work. It surely needs to be hanging from something in geostationary orbit. Which unless I'm very much mistaken means it needs to be at the Equator. Which has very interesting implications for the balance of political power in this hypothetical future.