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From: pugh@topaz.ARPA
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Why leave home at all?
Message-ID: <2854@topaz.ARPA>
Date: Mon, 22-Jul-85 14:16:35 EDT
Article-I.D.: topaz.2854
Posted: Mon Jul 22 14:16:35 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 24-Jul-85 06:56:38 EDT
Sender: daemon@topaz.ARPA
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
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From: "pugh jon%e.mfenet"@LLL-MFE.ARPA


I think this discussion of "What aliens would come to Earth for" brings a 
number of very good points to light that need to be considered.  I like it
primarily for its reverse question "Why would we leave Earth?"

First of all, the idea of water and slaves seems to be fairly absurd, although
I do like the artistic servitude concept.  Sort of like Niven's Thrints and
their Tnuctip slaves.  The Thrints were so used to controlling people that
they forgot how to think and *had* to have the Tnuctips do it.  But all good
things must come to an end.

Pournelle also wrote a very plausible slavery idea in Jannisaries and the
sequel Clan And Crown where the aliens were smuggling drugs. They snag some
humans and plant them on a planet saying, "We'll be back in a year, have the
drugs ready."  The stories are very well thought out.  Quite enjoyable.  I'm
hoping for a third book.

At any rate, the concept of aliens being as far ahead of us as we are to an ape
is very logical.  It is unlikely that any race as unstable as we seem to be
would make it into space for any significant length of time.  And even if we
did it would probably be militaristic and quite dominating (at least if we
went now it would be). I think we need to grow up a bit first.

The point is that there are no short term goals in space.  If it takes a year
to get to Mars then you can forget just about every short term profit beyond
the moon.  Granted that mining will have some benefit, but there is some work
to be done first.  Another long term project.

Now, what long term projects would be useful to a space faring race?  Consider
the fact that this planet is doomed.  It will not last forever.  At the rate
we are polluting it and using up its resources, it may not last another 
century.  Where will mankind go?  My idea is to get all the hazardous industries
off planet.  Anything that could seriously jepordize the ecology should be
isolated from it.  Even so that is merely a postponement of the inevitable.
The planet will die.  So will the sun, and most likely everything else.  If
Mankind is to survive the destruction of this solar system, and even, dare we
think it, the next big bang, he will need to be able to live in space.  For
a *long* time.  We will only be able to find habitable planets for so long.

Granted that this requires some changes.  We need to beat the lightspeed
barrier.  We need to get a global thought pattern going.  Mankind needs to 
consider the race instead of the individual (although not to the individual's
exclusion).  We need to think of the future instead of the present or we
will all be revealed as the hedonistic little apes that we are.

Why would aliens come to visit?  What could they want with us?  They can
get the tv from space, and hopefully they would have something better.  All the
elements we have can be found elsewhere.  And we are dangerous!

Consider yourself as a starship captain.  Consider that a nuke could probably 
blow a hole in just about ANYTHING.  The only way I would land is if I was
quick and hidden, or had an entire invasion force.  And why in the galaxy would
anyone take Earth over?  Sure it's a nice place, but heck, we've torn the place 
up like the squatters we are.  If they leave us alone, chances are we will 
destroy ourselves.  Nope, aliens will play hit and run (like Doug Adams saying
that alien teenagers buzz the planet for fun) or they won't bother.  

So we must look ahead, beyond our petty little ball of dirt.  If Mankind is
to survive, we must take to the stars.  There is nowhere else to go.  It may 
be viewed as running from one problem into another, but it is the only choice,
aside from racial suicide.  Does anyone want to be a dinosaur?

                                                Jon Pugh
                                                pugh%e@lll-mfe.arpa