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Hypothetical Question: Alien Utopia

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Posts

  • KhavallKhavall British ColumbiaRegistered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Yeah, I don't know why there's always an assumption that there'd be a resistance. Aliens come and say "You never have to work for anything in your life again. You can pretty much do whatever you like barring killing things. You still have almost all your freedoms and no other concerns in life that you need to worry about", and someone's going to say "Well FUCK THAT TIME TER KILL SUM ALIEN SCUM"?

    Maybe there'll be the crazy-assed motherfuckers, but considering the aliens have such awesome technology a few crazies aren't really going to be a problem.

    Khavall on
  • ButtcleftButtcleft Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Khavall wrote: »
    Yeah, I don't know why there's always an assumption that there'd be a resistance. Aliens come and say "You never have to work for anything in your life again. You can pretty much do whatever you like barring killing things. You still have almost all your freedoms and no other concerns in life that you need to worry about", and someone's going to say "Well FUCK THAT TIME TER KILL SUM ALIEN SCUM"?

    Maybe there'll be the crazy-assed motherfuckers, but considering the aliens have such awesome technology a few crazies aren't really going to be a problem.

    Fuck that, I'd rebel hardcore if I was forced to eat replibeef.

    I want real beef.

    delicious, dry aged beef..

    Buttcleft on
  • VariableVariable Mouth Congress Stroke Me Lady FameRegistered User regular
    edited April 2009
    this would be awesome and I'd dedicate my time to learning out history and the alien history and looking at our cultures and where we came from.

    it would be great. this is now my dream.

    Variable on
    BNet-Vari#1998 | Switch-SW 6960 6688 8388 | Steam | Twitch
  • The GunslingerThe Gunslinger Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    I can't see there being a lot of resistance, but I think suicide would be on it's way up. There comes a point where you have so much freedom that there really isn't anything to do, and then life is pretty pointless.

    The Gunslinger on
  • JebusUDJebusUD Adventure! Candy IslandRegistered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Buttcleft wrote: »

    Fuck that, I'd rebel hardcore if I was forced to eat replibeef.

    I want real beef.

    delicious, dry aged beef..

    so repli it and then let it sit on your deck for a few days?

    JebusUD on
    and I wonder about my neighbors even though I don't have them
    but they're listening to every word I say
  • JebusUDJebusUD Adventure! Candy IslandRegistered User regular
    edited April 2009
    I can't see there being a lot of resistance, but I think suicide would be on it's way up. There comes a point where you have so much freedom that there really isn't anything to do, and then life is pretty pointless.

    Are you saying it isn't pointless now? Except now there are things we have to do. After this happened it would just be what we want to do.

    How is that not better in every way?

    JebusUD on
    and I wonder about my neighbors even though I don't have them
    but they're listening to every word I say
  • SynthesisSynthesis Honda Today! Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    You know what? I bet at least half of it is how our Alien Overlords present themselves to us. Obviously, in this situation they can exert their will upon us the same way a human with a combine tractor can exert his will on blind, paralyzed mouse. But if they are able to make themselves pleasant, amiable, physically attractive--a good chunk of us won't even give it a second thought. I probably wouldn't. I mean, being a human and interacting with other humans means I'm subordinate to someone. Hell, this way, I might actually be less subordinate to other humans than I was initially. Millions of people fought, died, and killed for the promise of being slightly less subordinate throughout history.

    And why not? If the Aliens deliver, and....well...promptly, then the benefits are beyond human comprehension at distinctly finite negatives. If they're pleasant and charismatic, that's just the icing on the cake.

    Synthesis on
  • HamHamJHamHamJ Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Isn't this basically Earth: Final Conflict?

    HamHamJ on
    While racing light mechs, your Urbanmech comes in second place, but only because it ran out of ammo.
  • MedopineMedopine __BANNED USERS regular
    edited April 2009
    Variable wrote: »
    this would be awesome and I'd dedicate my time to learning out history and the alien history and looking at our cultures and where we came from.

    it would be great. this is now my dream.

    this post is the best if you imagine it said by tobias

    Medopine on
  • MatrijsMatrijs Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    I'll take it. Of course, I'll be super-suspicious about it, but I'll take it. Even a semi-realistic prospect of immortality is worth sacrificing quite a bit to attain.

    Matrijs on
  • DocDoc Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited April 2009
    I'd take the offer in a second.

    The concern is that they would eventually enslave humanity. Tell me again why, if that were their goal, they wouldn't just do it immediately and by force? Why would they go through such huge expense to gain our willful compliance if, technologically, they are able to force us into submission within hours?

    Turn down their offer and you lose everything you had to gain from it, as well as losing everything you would have given up - they can just take your weapons and privacy if you aren't willing to give it up.

    Doc on
  • DukiDuki Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Wait if they gave us their tech couldn't we just fuck them up anyway?

    Duki on
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  • DocDoc Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited April 2009
    I'm not personally willing to stake the future survival on mankind on the good will of an alien civilization, delivered through the forcible disarmament of mankind. The scenario as presented carries a considerable undertone of coercion. We're not being put in a position where we can reject the offer, or where some can reject the offer. It's an all or none type deal, for no discernible reason.

    We're being imposed upon, and when it's by something which has no particular reason to have a remotely similar thought process to humankind, I think it's reasonable to approach it with suspicion.

    Consider the worst case scenario for humans if they comply. Aliens enslave/destroy humanity. Now consider whether the aliens could have caused that to play out immediately upon contact with Earth, had that been their goal. Seems pretty likely, given their technology.

    Not only that, but what do you gain for turning down the offer? They can still take all your shit, giving you no real chance to resist.

    Doc on
  • GlyphGlyph Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    We're not being put in a position where we can reject the offer, or where some can reject the offer. It's an all or none type deal, for no discernible reason.

    Check again.
    Glyph wrote: »
    if you refused to take it, you would be left alone to watch everyone else who accepts the aliens' terms ascend.

    What this means is you can reject their offer, but by doing so you also reject their protection. And if you were to, say, live among humans who had accepted their offer, use their technology or take a trip off-planet, you'd end up having to abide by many of the same rules since you could no more harm others than they could harm you. It's becomes essentially the same thing.

    If, on the other hand, you chose to live in isolation, maybe with others who opted for the pre-alien life, you'd be left alone entirely. But how long could you live like that seeing everyone else leave Earth or benefit in the other ways mentioned knowing that the offer would always be on the table?

    Glyph on
  • override367override367 ALL minions Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    All of the governments of the earth would certainly agree. The laws in every society that has laws would be changed to fit with what the aliens asked of us.

    As long as the aliens accepted that people would still break laws and that there would still be crime there wouldn't be a problem. I mean I imagine a very, very significant portion of people would be vocally opposed to it - but only a small percentage would violently react against it.


    After the initial suicides/murders/craziness when people realize holy fucking god aliens


    As long as I get a holodeck with an accurate image of summer glau, I'm set.

    override367 on
  • Venkman90Venkman90 Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    As individuals we would probably agree, as a group we would have mass suicides, religious people repenting / flailing about, Americans frothing at giving up their guns, Russians frothing at anything, us English wondering if the Aliens are pedo's trying to steal our jobs etc...

    And look at our Sc-fi, when have Aliens been benevolent truly? Stargate? they gave us Utopia but made us Sterile. Outer Limits? hundreds of cases of them being sneaky fuckers or us attacking first. Even in your scenario of peacefull takeover we would still harbour paranoia that they don't mean well.

    Me? I would take whatever they offer with open arms, privacy? as long as they don't mind watching me fuck, eat shit and sleep I don't care if they do, I have the longest fuse ever and hate violence but love boxing / MMA so would be a good fit for them and their hot alien sex.

    Venkman90 on
  • Zilla360Zilla360 21st Century. |She/Her| Trans* Woman In Aviators Firing A Bazooka. ⚛️Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Kriz wrote: »
    half_life_2.jpg

    I would move along, Citizen.
    I actually like the Combine.
    Apart from the whole mandatory species-wide sterilization thing. D:

    Zilla360 on
  • KhavallKhavall British ColumbiaRegistered User regular
    edited April 2009
    I'm not personally willing to stake the future survival on mankind on the good will of an alien civilization, delivered through the forcible disarmament of mankind. The scenario as presented carries a considerable undertone of coercion. We're not being put in a position where we can reject the offer, or where some can reject the offer. It's an all or none type deal, for no discernible reason.

    We're being imposed upon, and when it's by something which has no particular reason to have a remotely similar thought process to humankind, I think it's reasonable to approach it with suspicion.

    So you think they're just giving humanity utopia so they can take it away later and crush humankind?

    Why not just crush humankind from the outset?

    Khavall on
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  • SmurphSmurph Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    The problem with the OP is it says we all agree not to fight or harm anyone ever again. Good luck holding us to that though. Yeah we may all take the Alien Oath but unless we all get brain implants you can't really stop the violence. You may destroy all the guns but you can't stop some guy from cracking some other guys head open because he caught his wife with him. Humans break promises all the time, the Aliens would have to know that.

    Smurph on
  • KhavallKhavall British ColumbiaRegistered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Khavall wrote: »
    I'm not personally willing to stake the future survival on mankind on the good will of an alien civilization, delivered through the forcible disarmament of mankind. The scenario as presented carries a considerable undertone of coercion. We're not being put in a position where we can reject the offer, or where some can reject the offer. It's an all or none type deal, for no discernible reason.

    We're being imposed upon, and when it's by something which has no particular reason to have a remotely similar thought process to humankind, I think it's reasonable to approach it with suspicion.

    So you think they're just giving humanity utopia so they can take it away later and crush humankind?

    Why not just crush humankind from the outset?
    They're aliens. You can't presume to know anything of their thought process. Also see my previous post.

    Ok then.

    Why not accept their offer, even assuming at some unknown point down the line they'll do something bad to us, since they clearly have the power to do it now as well, and they're offering us incredible advances. Let's say they're just going to give us this so in 1,000 years they can say "NOW WE KILL YOU" because, who knows they're aliens they might not think like us.

    Or we refuse and they say "NOW WE KILL YOU", if they're really looking to kill humankind.

    I'll take the 1,000 years of paradise and superior technology, thanks. Maybe we'll be able to defeat them when they attack if we have all the tech at our disposal.

    Khavall on
  • QuidQuid Definitely not a banana Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    The Hell? We have no idea what they'll do because their thought process is alien? How do you know the correct course of action is to refuse then?

    Quid on
  • FencingsaxFencingsax It is difficult to get a man to understand, when his salary depends upon his not understanding GNU Terry PratchettRegistered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Like I said, you take their technology, and then get the hells out. That way, if they screw everyone over, you're out of range.

    Fencingsax on
  • QuidQuid Definitely not a banana Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Fencingsax wrote: »
    Like I said, you take their technology, and then get the hells out. That way, if they screw everyone over, you're out of range.
    Isn't that kind of presumptuous? For all we know we're getting the equivalent of a Dodge Caravan and have just opted to drive it to Canada.

    Quid on
  • brandotheninjamasterbrandotheninjamaster Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    What would be the point of life without discord? Especially an eternal one. Humans have a way of making problems for themselves if there is none readily available. Look at a lot of the very rich people, they don't have to worry about the biggest problem most of us have in life 'money', but yet they still find a way to create strife in their life through crime. Also there is no way humanity would like the idea of ET Big Brother.

    brandotheninjamaster on
  • FencingsaxFencingsax It is difficult to get a man to understand, when his salary depends upon his not understanding GNU Terry PratchettRegistered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Quid wrote: »
    Fencingsax wrote: »
    Like I said, you take their technology, and then get the hells out. That way, if they screw everyone over, you're out of range.
    Isn't that kind of presumptuous? For all we know we're getting the equivalent of a Dodge Caravan and have just opted to drive it to Canada.
    Well, as long is at is self-sustaining, and has all the requirements for long-term viability, who gives a damn if it's the flashiest thing in the universe? As long as it does what you need it to do, who cares.

    Or are you asking more in the sense of "Well, what if they chase after you?" In which case, you're screwed either way, but at least with the tech you have a chance to hide.

    Fencingsax on
  • ButtcleftButtcleft Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Fencingsax wrote: »
    Quid wrote: »
    Fencingsax wrote: »
    Like I said, you take their technology, and then get the hells out. That way, if they screw everyone over, you're out of range.
    Isn't that kind of presumptuous? For all we know we're getting the equivalent of a Dodge Caravan and have just opted to drive it to Canada.
    Well, as long is at is self-sustaining, and has all the requirements for long-term viability, who gives a damn if it's the flashiest thing in the universe? As long as it does what you need it to do, who cares.

    Or are you asking more in the sense of "Well, what if they chase after you?" In which case, you're screwed either way, but at least with the tech you have a chance to hide.

    If they chase, You simple slingshot around a star at faster than light speed and hide in time itself

    Buttcleft on
  • Delicious Toad!Delicious Toad! __BANNED USERS regular
    edited April 2009
    If the hypothetical aliens have all these hypothetical powers, they've had our conversation -- and all other possible hypothetical conversations -- and they will 1) only let you take the technology and run if it works within their vision, 2) will only allow for any kind of discord against them if their vision dictates it, and 3) basically have already foreseen every possibility and accounted for it and this entire hypothetical is dumb. When they're capable of breaking thermodynamic laws? Yeah, I think that we actually do abandon even the illusion of choice and have no choice.

    Delicious Toad! on
    frogsig.png
  • Loren MichaelLoren Michael Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Doc wrote: »
    I'd take the offer in a second.

    The concern is that they would eventually enslave humanity.

    Yeah, but that just makes no damn sense. If you've got teleportation and can create anything you damn well please, isn't slavery just... excessive and unwarranted? It's like Bill Gates kidney punching a homeless guy.

    Of course I'd take the deal. I mean Jesus.

    Loren Michael on
    a7iea7nzewtq.jpg
  • CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    What would be the point of life without discord? Especially an eternal one. Humans have a way of making problems for themselves if there is none readily available. Look at a lot of the very rich people, they don't have to worry about the biggest problem most of us have in life 'money', but yet they still find a way to create strife in their life through crime. Also there is no way humanity would like the idea of ET Big Brother.

    Eating and fucking are always enjoyable and don't require discord. Exploration is always nice.

    Couscous on
  • SaammielSaammiel Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    I'd also like to note that ending raw resource scarcity wouldn't eliminate scarcity as a whole. There would be some sort of allocative mechanism for goods that couldn't be replicated, or whose value lies in uniqueness or authenticity.

    Saammiel on
  • IncenjucarIncenjucar VChatter Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited April 2009
    We can't trust our own species, how the hell could we trust another one we've just met?

    Incenjucar on
  • FencingsaxFencingsax It is difficult to get a man to understand, when his salary depends upon his not understanding GNU Terry PratchettRegistered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Couscous wrote: »
    What would be the point of life without discord? Especially an eternal one. Humans have a way of making problems for themselves if there is none readily available. Look at a lot of the very rich people, they don't have to worry about the biggest problem most of us have in life 'money', but yet they still find a way to create strife in their life through crime. Also there is no way humanity would like the idea of ET Big Brother.

    Eating and fucking are always enjoyable and don't require discord. Exploration is always nice.
    Maybe not the way you eat and fuck...

    Fencingsax on
  • Loren MichaelLoren Michael Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Incenjucar wrote: »
    We can't trust our own species, how the hell could we trust another one we've just met?

    Morality and quality of life are correlated.

    Loren Michael on
    a7iea7nzewtq.jpg
  • IncenjucarIncenjucar VChatter Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Incenjucar wrote: »
    We can't trust our own species, how the hell could we trust another one we've just met?

    Morality and quality of life are correlated.

    Explain rich assholes.

    Or, say, Colonial Powers.

    Incenjucar on
  • MagicPrimeMagicPrime FiresideWizard Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Important Questions:

    Do the aliens have males and females?
    Are these aliens physically/genetically compatible with humans?
    Are the females hott?

    In all honesty -- I would accept the offer, learn as much as I could, procure a personal ship, and just live the rest of my life (however long that would be with their medical technology) gallivanting around the universe having adventures with a rag-tag crew of misfits.

    That is my deepest desire.

    MagicPrime on
    BNet • magicprime#1430 | PSN/Steam • MagicPrime | Origin • FireSideWizard
    Critical Failures - Havenhold CampaignAugust St. Cloud (Human Ranger)
  • ButtcleftButtcleft Registered User regular
    edited April 2009
    MagicPrime wrote: »
    Important Questions:

    Do the aliens have males and females?
    Are these aliens physically/genetically compatible with humans?
    Are the females hott?

    In all honesty -- I would accept the offer, learn as much as I could, procure a personal ship, and just live the rest of my life (however long that would be with their medical technology) gallivanting around the universe having adventures with a rag-tag crew of misfits.

    That is my deepest desire.

    Do they have multiple breasts that bristle with succulent nipples?

    Buttcleft on
  • IncenjucarIncenjucar VChatter Seattle, WARegistered User regular
    edited April 2009
    Buttcleft wrote: »
    Do they have multiple breasts that bristle with succulent nipples?

    ITT: Humanity becomes Morlocks.

    Incenjucar on
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