When/If aliens come find us and have a galactic government, will we be ready?

[Unity+]

The idea would be that because each planet(assuming that the aliens that are intelligent think this way) should have a common government, there would need to be a way to merge or develop a new world government in order to join this hypothetical galactic/universal government. Here lies the problem.

 

If we try to found a new government, there could be two ways we would go: war or peace. War because if there is the development of a common government, there would be conflict with how to develop it, along with other conflicts such as racism and such.

 

Will this happen, if intelligent life does find us and add us to this hypothetical galactic government? Or would we simply kill ourselves off?

[studiot]

You mean a super European DisUnion?

 

( OMG )¹⁰

 

[fiveworlds]

Will this happen, if intelligent life does find us and add us to this hypothetical galactic government? Or would we simply kill ourselves off?

I reckon if aliens do ask that question we would probably be too scared to tell them no. However if we do start fighting amongst ourselves the aliens might deem us to be unintelligent and not a worthwhile asset then they might attack us.

 

You mean a super European DisUnion?

 

That's a bad idea every time europe fights amongst itself russia invades.

Edited May 1, 2015 by fiveworlds

[dimreepr]

The idea would be that because each planet(assuming that the aliens that are intelligent think this way) should have a common government, there would need to be a way to merge or develop a new world government in order to join this hypothetical galactic/universal government. Here lies the problem.

 

If we try to found a new government, there could be two ways we would go: war or peace. War because if there is the development of a common government, there would be conflict with how to develop it, along with other conflicts such as racism and such.

 

Will this happen, if intelligent life does find us and add us to this hypothetical galactic government? Or would we simply kill ourselves off?

 

 

The reason there isn’t a world government is cultural thinking; just imagine the culture shock an alien would bring.

[Moontanman]

Is this pertinent?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Directive

[Unity+]

Is this pertinent?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Directive

That is mostly, though I don't know if it would apply fully. Probably does.

[Acme]

I will be ready to sell them baubles and get them into movies. They will get famous and vainglory and loose all interest in sucking out brains. Then I will steal their girl friends who will invite me up to their ship and I will sabotage it so it blows to smithereens shortly after I get home. Then I will go out on the lawn with the neighbors and say, "Hey! That looked like an alien space ship blowing up. Do you think maybe somebody sold them baubles, got them on TV, got them all vainglorious, stole their girlfriends, got invited up to their ship, sabotaged the ship to blow up, and then came home to discuss it with the neighbors?". Then I would say, "Nah; that's too crazy." and I would wink and go back in for a beer and watch Dancing With the Alien Stars and think, "Yeah! You won't be dancing long you vainglory aliens". That will make them think twice about trying to get us to join the federation.

So yeah; I'm ready.

Edited May 2, 2015 by Acme

[MigL]

You are such a 'Trekkie', Moontanman.

 

It takes waaaay toooo looong to communicate with the federal government.

And I imagine its the same in every other country.

 

Can you imagine trying to get something done with a world government ?

Or, even worse, getting your PassWorld Document renewed with the Galactic Government.

Edited May 2, 2015 by MigL

[Moontanman]

You are such a 'Trekkie', Moontanman.

 

It takes waaaay toooo looong to communicate with the federal government.

And I imagine its the same in every other country.

 

Can you imagine trying to get something done with a world government ?

Or, even worse, getting your PassWorld Document renewed with the Galactic Government.

 

 

You are correct, I am a Treker, the Prime Directive is just another way of asserting the zoo hypothesis which I would find amazing if true.

 

For some reason, which puzzles me, many people ascribe some sort of superior morality to advanced aliens.. I doubt this.. If FTL is possible, and as much as i would love it i think it's an incredibly thin possibility, but if it is i would expect the equivalent of an old tramp steamer showing up looking for new trade partners to be more likely than the gunboat diplomacy of Star trek....

[pavelcherepan]

 

 

If we try to found a new government, there could be two ways we would go: war or peace. War because if there is the development of a common government, there would be conflict with how to develop it, along with other conflicts such as racism and such.

 

A common planetary government is unlikely to be established (at least peacefully) until nationalism is more or less eradicated, because failing to do so, such a government will be inherently unstable and collapse shortly. I see two possible ways of eradication of nationalism (can be combined) - assimilation on a global scale is one (that would take a long time) and the other one is to establish self-sufficient colonies on other planets. In the case of the latter nationalism on a country-wide scale will get converted into planet-wide nationalism, where people of the Earth would think of themselves as a separate nation compared to otherworlders. Anyway, these both will take a long time.

 

 

 

That's a bad idea every time europe fights amongst itself russia invades.

 

Just out of curiosity - when did Russia invade the EU?

[ajb]

Humans can hardly organise themselves to form peaceful working alliances. Just look at the divisions across the globe. Now, I would expect that first contact would help put people's differences in context, but still it would take a while for people to form a global alliance and then an interplanetary government would take longer.

 

If contact goes very wrong, then I can imagine a global defence network and collaboration would be established very quickly. A common enemy would unite the world like never before.

[fiveworlds]

Just out of curiosity - when did Russia invade the EU?

 

Never the EU was founded in 1993. However by the end of ww2 the soviet union had advanced far into Europe. Mostly as a result of Europeans fighting each other.

 

[Spyman]

The idea would be that because each planet(assuming that the aliens that are intelligent think this way) should have a common government, there would need to be a way to merge or develop a new world government in order to join this hypothetical galactic/universal government. Here lies the problem.

 

If we try to found a new government, there could be two ways we would go: war or peace. War because if there is the development of a common government, there would be conflict with how to develop it, along with other conflicts such as racism and such.

 

Will this happen, if intelligent life does find us and add us to this hypothetical galactic government? Or would we simply kill ourselves off?

If aliens would show up at our doorstep and invite us to join their intergalactic federation, then that would give us a new perspective and more than likely help us humans to come and stand together as one.

 

Unless the alien coalition specifically demands it, I don't think a new world government is needed. We already have the United Nations with intergovernmental cooperation and they could probably step up and peacefully* forge a new organ with the purpose of extraterrestrial communication and to speak for the whole of humanity in this hypothetical galactic/universal government.

(* Off course there would be conflicts and lots of disagreements, but I don't think there would be armed conflicts or war about them.)

[pavelcherepan]

Sorry, Spyman, but UN is a joke. It's lost any weight in global decisions, so I doubt it would be able to negotiate terms through the UN.

[Spyman]

The UN is not without problems and certainly some of the critics is well deserved, but its power stems from its members, which is an impressive worldwide list, and if they really wanted to, they could likely increase the influence of the UN organisation.

 

Map of the United Nations (UN) member states, with their territories (including dependent territories) recognized by the UN in blue

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Member_states_of_the_United_Nations

 

If we encounter an intergalactic alien federation, I think UN would be the simplest solution to handle communication, at least initially.

(Any human organisation big enough to handle negotiations with aliens could be prone to ineffectiveness, corruption and bias.)

Edited May 4, 2015 by Spyman

[John Cuthber]

Sorry, Spyman, but UN is a joke. It's lost any weight in global decisions, so I doubt it would be able to negotiate terms through the UN.

OK, who would you suggest?

imagine you are the one in front of whom the spaceship lands , the alien comes out and says "take me to your leader" (as they do in all the dodgy sci fi movies).

 

To whom would you direct them?

[pavelcherepan]

We all know very well that the spaceship will land in NY so US government will do negotiations

[John Cuthber]

We all know very well that the spaceship will land in NY so US government will do negotiations

Well, I guess we are screwed.

[Spyman]

The Day the Earth Stood Still

Aliens lands in US and wants us to join the other planets in peace but warns us that Earth will be eliminated if our violence continues.

-> Alien is shot by a nervous soldier, put under guard, when he escapes he is hunted by agents and finally gunned down.

 

Picture of the landing in the movie retrieved from http://www.educatinghumanity.com/2013/02/Aliens-Landing-Earth-Best-Movie-Scenes.html