Another What If? thread

[MatticusMania]

My meaning is that we should focus on Earthly matters first, there is still far too much opposition here, and to confront another lifeform from another planet the way things are now, will not end well.

Maybe this is the reason we have yet to establish contact with extraterrestrials, maybe theyre waiting until they think we can handle them.

Regardless, we would look pretty pathetic to a species of life who live in peace (if they do, in fact, live in peace).

I do agree, though, that if we were to be confronted by life from another planet it just might provide the push we need to unite. And hopefully our dealings with the E.T. would go peacefully, though it is not what I expect.

 

[Simo98]

I do agree, though, that if we were to be confronted by life from another planet it just might provide the push we need to unite. And hopefully our dealings with the E.T. would go peacefully, though it is not what I expect.

It would be nice. However if we can't act peacefully among our selves, I can't see any relations with anything else going too well

Unless of course they look exactly the same as us, then there might be a chance.

 

[MatticusMania]

It would be nice. However if we can't act peacefully among our selves, I can't see any relations with anything else going too well

Unless of course they look exactly the same as us, then there might be a chance.

No, they'd still be different. They'd be 'from over there'.

Just curious, has anyone seen that new show on NBC 'The Event'?

 

[stratovani]

Seriously, though, if an invader from another star system attacked us and wanted to take over the Earth we wouldn't stand a hope in hell of stopping them, even if we banded together. The technology required to travel at faster-than-light speeds between star systems is thousands of years ahead of our present level of technology, so it stands to reason that any military technology they would possess would be unstoppable. It would be like a modern Marine batallion going up against a Roman legion - we know who'd win that battle! The best hope we'd have it to cut our best deal with them and hope for the best - and pray they don't eat humans for breakfast!

 

[MatticusMania]

Seriously, though, if an invader from another star system attacked us and wanted to take over the Earth we wouldn't stand a hope in hell of stopping them, even if we banded together. The technology required to travel at faster-than-light speeds between star systems is thousands of years ahead of our present level of technology, so it stands to reason that any military technology they would possess would be unstoppable. It would be like a modern Marine batallion going up against a Roman legion - we know who'd win that battle! The best hope we'd have it to cut our best deal with them and hope for the best - and pray they don't eat humans for breakfast!

The problem here is that we don't know the so-called 'invaders'. We really would have no idea what we'd be dealing with. For all we know, they could be of a peaceful ilk, whose lives have been dedicated to interstellar travel with peaceful intentions. Maybe they do have the technology to be able to build an awesome military with futuristic weaponry, but then again, maybe war was never of any concern to them. Youre placing known human qualities on a populace that might not be human at all. It could be that war, or violence, are unkown concepts to this alien race.

 

[stratovani]

The problem here is that we don't know the so-called 'invaders'. We really would have no idea what we'd be dealing with. For all we know, they could be of a peaceful ilk, whose lives have been dedicated to interstellar travel with peaceful intentions. Maybe they do have the technology to be able to build an awesome military with futuristic weaponry, but then again, maybe war was never of any concern to them. Youre placing known human qualities on a populace that might not be human at all. It could be that war, or violence, are unkown concepts to this alien race.

You're absolutely right. I'm looking at it from a "War of the Worlds" point of view, which I thought was what the OP was speculating about. But in reality, a civilization that advanced would probably have no need for any kind of military technology, other than purely defensive equipment. Actually, a civilization that advanced would be invisible to us, and they would probably think that interaction with us is both pointless and dangerous for all parties involved.

 

[Deluge Of Sound]

The problem here is that we don't know the so-called 'invaders'. We really would have no idea what we'd be dealing with. For all we know, they could be of a peaceful ilk, whose lives have been dedicated to interstellar travel with peaceful intentions. Maybe they do have the technology to be able to build an awesome military with futuristic weaponry, but then again, maybe war was never of any concern to them. Youre placing known human qualities on a populace that might not be human at all. It could be that war, or violence, are unkown concepts to this alien race.

You're doing the exact same thing.

 

[colcifer]

This isn't as hypothetical as you think and we all already know the answer (or at least we should).

This near-exact scenario happened in the 1500s when Europe began to colonize the Americas. More land and resources just means more to fight over.

 

[EdHunter]

Depends on which planet we find. If it's Alderaan or Naboo, no problem, but if it happens to be one of the hostile outer-rim planets, then we'd need to act.

I suggest retro-fitting Concorde to carry nukes.

 

[Chebass88]

Or, they might 'grok wrongness', and make things cease to be.

 

[6jase5]

If the new planet could not sustain men but only women, it might be ok. If it was men and women and the women were grossly disfigured, it might be ok. If it was Mars Gone Wild, it would be the usual chest beating and doomed to fail.

If we had to "fight" the new planet/invaders the major countries would somewhat unite, while of course trying to sneak a look behind the curtains at the weaknesses at home caused by the focus on the new war.

That being said..........I would like to build a nice fall cabin on Lake Cabernet with a winter place at Lake Lager Mountain......great snowboarding and edible pow pow. Who needs women on this new place to tell us that we are doing it all wrong? Can't we just shuttle home for that?

 

[MatticusMania]

You're doing the exact same thing.

What I posited was a counter argument full of speculation basically stating 'we dont know what to expect'. Sure, I used examples of known human qualities to illustrate my point, but you can clearly see that the wording in my post was not necessarily assigning those traits to the 'aliens' just saying 'for all we know, they could be the exact opposite of what you described'

Then again, you have a point, in that said aliens might have no knowledge of any of our Earthly concepts such as peace, sin, war, hate, love, etc... or maybe theyre just not cognitive of them.

 

[Deluge Of Sound]

I probably should've gone with the instead.

If they are actually "alien," there's no reason why they should have any of the same reference points we do. If they're extra-terrestrials, we might have some common ground.

How's that for semantic?

 

[MJ5150]

There is only one answer to this question....

Invalid Link Removed

-Mike

 

[Deluge Of Sound]

Not cool, dude.


You can't just spring that kind of thing on a guy when he doesn't expect it.

 

[MatticusMania]

If they are actually "alien," there's no reason why they should have any of the same reference points we do. If they're extra-terrestrials, we might have some common ground.

Who is to say that we know what occurs on distant planets with lifeforms distant to ours? They could have similar reference points, and they could possibly not. Until we get the chance to learn about them we'll really never know. And if they have any way of seeing what conditions are like on Earth at the present, its likely that we'll never know. Its kind of like how not many people would want to travel to Juarez, Mexico right now, or certain places in the Middle East. Why intentionally walk into a danger zone if there is nothing significant to benefit from it, you know?

 

[Deluge Of Sound]

Who is to say that we know what occurs on distant planets with lifeforms distant to ours? They could have similar reference points, and they could possibly not. Until we get the chance to learn about them we'll really never know. And if they have any way of seeing what conditions are like on Earth at the present, its likely that we'll never know. Its kind of like how not many people would want to travel to Juarez, Mexico right now, or certain places in the Middle East. Why intentionally walk into a danger zone if there is nothing significant to benefit from it, you know?

That's really the difference between "alien" and "extra-terrestrial life."

I'm with Stephen Hawking. If we do encounter extra-terrestrial life, its only a matter of time before there's expansionism and conflict. Otherwise, why would we ever see them? The real question is which side becomes the Cowboys, and which side becomes the Indians.

 

[Eric Perry]

We'll be friendly just long enough to see if their planet has something we want/need. If they do, it would be a race on Earth to obliterate and exploit those on the new planet.

-Mike

Yup.

 

[popinfresh]

I don't understand why people think that any extra terrestrial life form that came to Earth would be violent?
Whilst humans are still stuck in the stone age and fighting each other, this doesn't mean that every other race would be. In my opinion, for any race to even be able to get off their own planet, they would have to understand the importance of co-existence. If one can understand co-existence in their own habitat with their fellow race and companion species', which entails greater understanding of self and compassion, why we would ever want to take over others afterwards?
I'm definitely not with Stephen Hawking on this one..

 

[Deluge Of Sound]

In my opinion, for any race to even be able to get off their own planet, they would have to understand the importance of co-existence.

How do you figure?