why do we assume that technologically advanced societies are inherently peaceful?

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Profile MeltWreckage
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Message 534672 - Posted: 21 Mar 2007, 19:26:24 UTC
Last modified: 21 Mar 2007, 20:13:21 UTC

I've heard this postulated on several occasions: if an alien society is intelligent/advanced enough to reach Earth, they must be peaceful, restrained, and reflective...

so, does superiority imply docility? Based on Earth alone, it's safe to conclude that humans are (by far) the most technologically advanced species - yet I'm hard pressed to think of anything more destructive and spiteful than man...

edit: in order to clarify - is violence/aggression inherently primitive? do we expect technologically advanced aliens to (universally) "come in peace"? why is this assumption so prevalent?


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Message 534697 - Posted: 21 Mar 2007, 20:24:04 UTC - in response to Message 534672.  
Last modified: 21 Mar 2007, 20:25:38 UTC

do we expect technologically advanced aliens to (universally) "come in peace"? why is this assumption so prevalent?


Don't be so daft. Consider the Klingons, They had the first cloaking devices with their superior space warships. Klingons "come in peace"? Yea, sure.




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Message 534705 - Posted: 21 Mar 2007, 20:31:23 UTC - in response to Message 534697.  

do we expect technologically advanced aliens to (universally) "come in peace"? why is this assumption so prevalent?


Don't be so daft. Consider the Klingons, They had the first cloaking devices with their superior space warships. Klingons "come in peace"? Yea, sure.






yeah, I forgot about Klingons - I'm a disgrace! for the sake of argument, let's just assume that Klingons are the exception to the rule ........ then again, we'll always have Worf! (despite the fact he was raised by humans)


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Message 534724 - Posted: 21 Mar 2007, 20:55:02 UTC - in response to Message 534705.  

....... then again, we'll always have Worf! (despite the fact he was raised by humans)


True, But here's a nice Klingon that is sure to be peaceful and allow us to pillage her planet.




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Message 534735 - Posted: 21 Mar 2007, 21:10:17 UTC


'ever 'eard of this species . . . w/ a "non-human intElligEncE"

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Message 534740 - Posted: 21 Mar 2007, 21:22:21 UTC

The Goa'uld from Stargate and the Maggog (other than Rev Bem) from Andromeda weren't a nice walk in the park either.
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Message 534742 - Posted: 21 Mar 2007, 21:24:11 UTC - in response to Message 534672.  
Last modified: 21 Mar 2007, 21:25:08 UTC

"come in peace"? why is this assumption so prevalent?

Because most have been programmed to 'think positive' and 'keep a good attitude' in all situations and circumstances no matter how vile they may be... ;)
It may not be 1984 but George Orwell sure did see the future . . .
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Message 534751 - Posted: 21 Mar 2007, 21:39:57 UTC - in response to Message 534742.  




"come in peace"? why is this assumption so prevalent?

Because most have been programmed to 'think positive' and 'keep a good attitude' in all situations and circumstances no matter how vile they may be... ;)

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Message 534952 - Posted: 22 Mar 2007, 4:07:03 UTC

Consider that almost all of the major technological advances in history were made in direct response to either the threat or the actuality of armed conflict.
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Message 534977 - Posted: 22 Mar 2007, 5:16:14 UTC - in response to Message 534952.  

almost all of the major technological advances in history were made in direct response to either the threat or the actuality of armed conflict.

I have enough motives for the Iraq war to sort through... And now you want to provide me with another? ;)
It may not be 1984 but George Orwell sure did see the future . . .
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Message 534980 - Posted: 22 Mar 2007, 5:19:26 UTC - in response to Message 534697.  

do we expect technologically advanced aliens to (universally) "come in peace"? why is this assumption so prevalent?


Don't be so daft. Consider the Klingons, They had the first cloaking devices with their superior space warships. Klingons "come in peace"? Yea, sure.




You are stuck in a sad sci-fi world. :P
Capitalize on this good fortune, one word can bring you round ... changes.
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Message 538495 - Posted: 30 Mar 2007, 1:04:36 UTC - in response to Message 534697.  
Last modified: 30 Mar 2007, 1:08:12 UTC

do we expect technologically advanced aliens to (universally) "come in peace"? why is this assumption so prevalent?


Don't be so daft. Consider the Klingons, They had the first cloaking devices with their superior space warships. Klingons "come in peace"? Yea, sure.





Actually; the Romulans first designed, invented, and implemented the Cloaking Device. (Seen in Balance of Terror, TOS.) Later in the TOS series; the Romulans entered into a Trade Agreement with the Klingon Empire for the "K"-Series Battle Cruiser. For some reason, (unexplained in the TOS Series), the Klingon ships had a more stable engine reactor matrix that allowed for the Romulan Cloaking Device to be so effective that only a Starfleet "Type 7" Scanner could detect a cloaked ship. Hence Starfleet ordered Kirk to take the Enterprise across the Romulan Neutral Zone in an attempt to capture a Romulan Cloaking Device from a Romulan/Klingon Ship and return the device to be studied by Starfleet Command. (This all according to the official story line... In reality; the Klingon ships were used in the episode where Kirk stole the Romulan cloaking device because the Props Department had "misplaced" the Romulan Warbird model and thus substituted the Klingon Cruiser model.)

<EDIT: >

btw: Could ya all tell that I'm an avid Trekkie??? ;-D

</EDIT. >


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Message 538504 - Posted: 30 Mar 2007, 1:27:58 UTC - in response to Message 538495.  

You want friendly aliens?

Try the Borg (they are really nice) "You will be Assimilated" and "Resistance is futile". Except we seem to always resist and win.

Or the Dominion and the Jem'Hadar troops.

Do you want any of them calling in on us? If you do, just let me get back to my starship so I can go load the torpedo tubes and give them a warm welcome.

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Message 539433 - Posted: 1 Apr 2007, 11:24:25 UTC - in response to Message 534672.  

I've heard this postulated on several occasions: if an alien society is intelligent/advanced enough to reach Earth, they must be peaceful, restrained, and reflective...

so, does superiority imply docility? Based on Earth alone, it's safe to conclude that humans are (by far) the most technologically advanced species - yet I'm hard pressed to think of anything more destructive and spiteful than man...

edit: in order to clarify - is violence/aggression inherently primitive? do we expect technologically advanced aliens to (universally) "come in peace"? why is this assumption so prevalent?


I for one do not believe that any technologically advanced Space-Going civilization would be peaceful after all they got to the top of the tree somehow and it was more than likely violent.Just my two cents worth!
Old enough to know better(but)still young enough not to care
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Message 539521 - Posted: 1 Apr 2007, 14:00:46 UTC - in response to Message 539433.  

I've heard this postulated on several occasions: if an alien society is intelligent/advanced enough to reach Earth, they must be peaceful, restrained, and reflective...

so, does superiority imply docility? Based on Earth alone, it's safe to conclude that humans are (by far) the most technologically advanced species - yet I'm hard pressed to think of anything more destructive and spiteful than man...
edit: in order to clarify - is violence/aggression inherently primitive? do we expect technologically advanced aliens to (universally) "come in peace"? why is this assumption so prevalent?

I for one do not believe that any technologically advanced Space-Going civilization would be peaceful after all they got to the top of the tree somehow and it was more than likely violent.Just my two cents worth!

The Asgarths in the Stargate series are peaceful! They just use their superior technology to keep the bad guys at bay.
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Message 539628 - Posted: 1 Apr 2007, 17:24:16 UTC - in response to Message 539521.  

I've heard this postulated on several occasions: if an alien society is intelligent/advanced enough to reach Earth, they must be peaceful, restrained, and reflective...

so, does superiority imply docility? Based on Earth alone, it's safe to conclude that humans are (by far) the most technologically advanced species - yet I'm hard pressed to think of anything more destructive and spiteful than man...
edit: in order to clarify - is violence/aggression inherently primitive? do we expect technologically advanced aliens to (universally) "come in peace"? why is this assumption so prevalent?

I for one do not believe that any technologically advanced Space-Going civilization would be peaceful after all they got to the top of the tree somehow and it was more than likely violent.Just my two cents worth!

The Asgarths in the Stargate series are peaceful! They just use their superior technology to keep the bad guys at bay.



Perhaps they are just patient. Evolved over millions of years to only consume intelligent life after gaining its trust.

If it takes a thousand years, who cares, there so many life forms out there. Plenty of food, no hurry. :D
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Message 540927 - Posted: 4 Apr 2007, 17:55:58 UTC

Once one sits looking at and pondering the Earth from space some funny things happen. I can't find the quote in Carl Sagan's A Pale Blue Dot. But it goes something like this.

When one spends time in space looking at the Earth even the deepest nationalisms erode. The disagreements between humans seem like the squabbles of mites on a plum.

If the same thing happens to the other societies in the universe and they realize how foolish it is to squabble amongst themselves what would be their motive to attack other societies? Resources is the only thing I can think of. But the universe is soooooooo big. They would have no reason to attack others to gain the resources of a single planet. There are millions of planets in every galaxy. If they are that advanced they can probably manufacture whatever they want from hydrogen. And there's lots and lots of hydrogen in the universe.
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Message boards : Cafe SETI : why do we assume that technologically advanced societies are inherently peaceful?


 
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