A Silent Alien Invasion

January 29, 2015

Contact with extraterrestrial life is a great threshold, and it holds wonderful opportunity and tremendous risk. While there has been occasional extraterrestrial visitation to Earth throughout human history, by various races for various reasons, extraterrestrial contact began in earnest sixty years ago.

Ultimately, there is an opportunity for humanity to find its place in a greater community of worlds, learning of life beyond our solar system, and sharing the spirituality and art that humanity has achieved. There is an opportunity for global unity with the peace, sustainability, and stability which unity could bring. Someday this may happen.

But extraterrestrial contact brings with it an existential threat—not of humanity being wiped out, but being employed, enslaved and farmed. You see, the extraterrestrial visitors in the world today represent commercial forces. They are scavenger races who are here to exploit the biological resources of Earth. These are the first “explorers” to our shores, and the indigenous people of this world know who it is that explores. It is the conquistadores, those who seek wealth, conquest and riches: discount spices or rare earth metals, oil deposits beneath the jungle or cities of gold.

We want to hope that life beyond our world would be wise and spiritual and peaceful. We want enlightened guides with advanced technology to save us from our plight. People who have given up hope in humanity and its institutions look to the heavens for salvation. “Come, save us from ourselves!”

But life is life, in the galaxy as it is on Earth. The wise and the peaceful do not cruise through space visiting adolescent species to dispense unasked for advice or overthrowing corrupt and misguided regimes, freeing the citizens from their leaders and bestowing upon them prefabricated constitutions and free energy. The wise stay discreet to remain wise. Those who travel in space do so to expand their wealth and power.

Humanity is not ready for space. We are fractured. We are overshooting our world’s natural capacity by overconsuming and overpopulating. We are overconfident and superstitious. And we know nothing of what is out there, who might visit and what they want.

The human family has to prepare for life in a greater community. We are not ready for this competitive and dangerous environment. We are like a teenager arrived in the big city: we are guileless and vulnerable to exploitation. Those who would offer their help need to be assessed for their honesty and intentions, but we don’t have the experience to do this.

So in the mean time we must unite. We must be vigilant, humble and cautious while we get our bearings. We need to ask: Who is here? Why are they here? What do they want and what would they do to get it? Is their approach to us ethical and respectful, or is it deceptive and coercive?

What has happened over the last century tells us a lot: families abducted and abused, military bases invaded and interfered with, displays of force, and leaders manipulated and wooed, and hybrid people inserted into human power structures.

This is not the beginning of a mutually beneficial relationship. This is the groundwork being set for subjugation and occupation. This is a silent alien invasion.