why do we assume that technologically advanced societies are inherently peaceful?
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why do we assume that technologically advanced societies are inherently peaceful?
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 MeltWreckage  Send message Joined: 16 Mar 07 Posts: 293 Credit: 15,951 RAC: 0 
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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? that would have worked if you hadn't stopped me ID: 534672 ·  |
GalaxyIce  Send message Joined: 13 May 06 Posts: 8927 Credit: 1,361,057 RAC: 0 
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MeltWreckage Send message Joined: 16 Mar 07 Posts: 293 Credit: 15,951 RAC: 0
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do we expect technologically advanced aliens to (universally) "come in peace"? why is this assumption so prevalent? 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) that would have worked if you hadn't stopped me ID: 534705 · |
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GalaxyIce Send message Joined: 13 May 06 Posts: 8927 Credit: 1,361,057 RAC: 0
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Dr. C.E.T.I.  Send message Joined: 29 Feb 00 Posts: 16019 Credit: 794,685 RAC: 0 
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'ever 'eard of this species . . . w/ a "non-human intElligEncE"  ID: 534735 · |
Labbie  Send message Joined: 19 Jun 06 Posts: 4083 Credit: 5,930,102 RAC: 0
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The Goa'uld from Stargate and the Maggog (other than Rev Bem) from Andromeda weren't a nice walk in the park either. ID: 534740 · |
Jeffrey  Send message Joined: 21 Nov 03 Posts: 4793 Credit: 26,029 RAC: 0 |
"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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Dr. C.E.T.I. Send message Joined: 29 Feb 00 Posts: 16019 Credit: 794,685 RAC: 0
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 "come in peace"? why is this assumption so prevalent? ID: 534751 · |
BillHyland  Send message Joined: 30 Apr 04 Posts: 907 Credit: 5,764,172 RAC: 0
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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. ID: 534952 · |
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Jeffrey Send message Joined: 21 Nov 03 Posts: 4793 Credit: 26,029 RAC: 0 |
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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Sarge Send message Joined: 25 Aug 99 Posts: 12273 Credit: 8,569,109 RAC: 79
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do we expect technologically advanced aliens to (universally) "come in peace"? why is this assumption so prevalent? You are stuck in a sad sci-fi world. :P Capitalize on this good fortune, one word can bring you round ... changes. ID: 534980 · |
TimeLord04  Send message Joined: 9 Mar 06 Posts: 21140 Credit: 33,933,039 RAC: 23
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do we expect technologically advanced aliens to (universally) "come in peace"? why is this assumption so prevalent? 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. > TimeLord04 Have TARDIS, will travel... Come along K-9! Join Calm Chaos ID: 538495 · |
Gavin Shaw  Send message Joined: 8 Aug 00 Posts: 1116 Credit: 1,304,337 RAC: 0 
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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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ I think there is more than one Trekkie running SETI and yes I'm one too. ID: 538504 · |
John McCallum  Send message Joined: 5 Dec 04 Posts: 879 Credit: 599,458 RAC: 8
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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... 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 ID: 539433 · |
mikey  Send message Joined: 17 Dec 99 Posts: 4215 Credit: 3,474,603 RAC: 0
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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... 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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Graeme Stretton  Send message Joined: 2 Nov 01 Posts: 392 Credit: 349,012 RAC: 0
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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... 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 ID: 539628 · |
Walla  Send message Joined: 14 May 06 Posts: 329 Credit: 177,013 RAC: 0
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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. ID: 540927 · |
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