Light of Lenin
17th March 2014, 20:45
I was watching the Soviet film Solaris (1972) the other day. The film is referred to by some as one of the greatest science fiction films ever, which is probably why imperialist Hollywood created their own version in 2002.
The idea of extra-terrestrial intelligence brings up the question posed by the Fermi paradox. If intelligent life is common in the galaxy, why isn't the galaxy already filled up by some spacefaring civilization? Or, at least, filled with some civilization's Von Neumann probes (or even multiple different probes from multiple alien civilizations). None of this requires even positing faster than light travel is possible. If life is common in the universe and evolution tends to create intelligent life capable of developing spacefaring technology, then the galaxy should already be colonized and/or filled with Von Newmann probes. However, it doesn't appear to be the case that it is.
UFO conspiracy-theorists might beg to differ. Whether or not they are correct (and they probably are not), there are some interesting thought experiments that might be possible out of it.
For instance, if Earth never has a global communist revolution (and perhaps even if it were to), yet managed to become a spacefaring civilization, it is entirely conceivable that Earth would become a galactic imperialist power. The imperialist Hollywood film Avatar depicts such a scenario. The Earth military-industrial complex would gladly exterminate primitive civilizations that could not fight back, much like what the Euro-Settlers did to the original inhabitants of the North American continent.
Given what would be predictable if humanity were to become a spacefaring civilization before the advent of communist revolution (and possibly even if), there should be no reason to assume any alien civilization would act much differently. The first alien civilization to develop spacefaring technology would find themselves in the scenario seen in the imperialist Hollywood TV show Firefly; confronted with a large, mostly empty galaxy just waiting for Settlers to arrive.
One could imagine it being the case that Earth itself is a colony of some extra-terrestrial imperialist power as a potential solution to the Fermi paradox. This scenario is explored in the imperialist Hollywood film They Live. In They Live, Earth is ruled by what appears to be a single alien civilization (all the aliens appear to be the same species). Facilitating this rule is an Earth comprador class, which the film refers to as the Power Elite (presumably a term taken from C. Wright Mills' book The Power Elite). It is not clear what role the communist countries were playing within the movie. While the Earth Liberation forces are portrayed as communists by the alien-controlled mass media (in order to hurt their cause), it is highly unlikely John Carpenter envisioned the USSR and other communist countries as playing an independent role against the alien imperialists.
But it could be the case they were.
Given an extra-terrestrial imperialist power that prefers to work with comprador proxies rather than to directly and openly rule (perhaps they have had bad luck with this method in their imperialist past, leading to a galactic preference for neo-colonial methods), it is entirely conceivable that they would gain control over some countries and not others (at least initially). It is also possible that the countries not under the imperialist alien control are entirely unaware of the nature of the countries who are controlled by the alien imperialists, and instead the ideological differences between countries under alien occupation and those that aren't is just a facade created by the alien imperialists in order to hide the true nature of the conflict.
One of the scenes of They Live involves two of the protagonists discussing how long Earth (or some section of it) has been under alien imperialist occupation. Neither protagonist knows the answer, nor does any scene in the film hint at an answer to this question. It seems the two protagonists don't know what to believe about anything at all at that point. It could be conceivable that everything they were taught is a lie created by the aliens for some purpose or other.
It could be the case that alien imperialist control of Earth (or some section of it) happened fairly recently in Earth's history. History would remain largely intact from this angel. The imperialist aliens would then operate largely within the institutional frameworks already put in place before their arrival, which seems compatible with the film.
It could also be the case that alien imperialist control extends centuries or even millennia in the past. This scenario would present a lot of complications, as it would lead to questioning if certain historical events were actually directed by the alien imperialists and their comprador proxies (knowingly or unknowingly). For instance, was the American Civil War orchestrated by alien imperialists? Why and for what purpose would they do that? Did the alien imperialists create Christianity or Islam (or any religion, for that matter)? World World 1? World War 2? If so, it might be explainable via assuming they were implementing a divide and conquer strategy, though that would seem to suggest the alien imperialist takeover is fairly recent.
Such questions could be asked for literally any historical event of any importance. One could imagine a scene in a They Live 2, where Earth Liberation forces are sitting around discussing such speculative questions amongst themselves. But one event comes to mind of being of particular importance: the October Revolution.
Assuming Earth (or some parts of it) was already under alien imperialist control before 1917, the October Revolution itself would either be directed or not directed by the aliens. If not directed by the imperialist aliens, it would represent a revolution against the imperialist aliens (whether knowingly or unknowingly by the Bolsheviks). Unless of course, one assumes Tsarist Russia was not under their control (which could hypothetically be the case). However, the further back in time the imperialist alien occupation goes, the less and less likely this could be the case. Perhaps if the imperialist aliens got to Earth around 1880, Tsarist Russia might not yet have come under its influence. This seems less and less likely the further back in time one goes, however. If the imperialist aliens arrived at around the year 300 CE, it is difficult to imagine their control not extending to all Earth after 1700 years.
It could also be the case that the October Revolution was directed by the imperialist aliens. This scenario presents all kinds of difficulties though. Exactly why would the imperialist aliens instigate a communist revolution? This scenario makes less sense if one assumes complete alien control over Earth already by 1917, and would seem to suggest WW1 was not directed by the imperialist aliens (why instigate both WW1 and the October Revolution? No good imperialistic reason comes to my mind).
Much of 19th and 20th century history makes little sense assuming nearly total control of events by alien imperialists. Perhaps, as the movie Solaris suggests, the motives of the alien imperialists would be unknowable and/or seemingly irrational by our ways of thinking. But such a case doesn't make for any interesting thought experiments. But I would suggest, that if alien imperialists exist, along the lines of They Live or David Icke's Reptoids, and that they act rationally and in ways that we would expect imperialist powers to act, 20th century history in particular represents either a rupture of their control, or the beginning of their takeover.
The idea of extra-terrestrial intelligence brings up the question posed by the Fermi paradox. If intelligent life is common in the galaxy, why isn't the galaxy already filled up by some spacefaring civilization? Or, at least, filled with some civilization's Von Neumann probes (or even multiple different probes from multiple alien civilizations). None of this requires even positing faster than light travel is possible. If life is common in the universe and evolution tends to create intelligent life capable of developing spacefaring technology, then the galaxy should already be colonized and/or filled with Von Newmann probes. However, it doesn't appear to be the case that it is.
UFO conspiracy-theorists might beg to differ. Whether or not they are correct (and they probably are not), there are some interesting thought experiments that might be possible out of it.
For instance, if Earth never has a global communist revolution (and perhaps even if it were to), yet managed to become a spacefaring civilization, it is entirely conceivable that Earth would become a galactic imperialist power. The imperialist Hollywood film Avatar depicts such a scenario. The Earth military-industrial complex would gladly exterminate primitive civilizations that could not fight back, much like what the Euro-Settlers did to the original inhabitants of the North American continent.
Given what would be predictable if humanity were to become a spacefaring civilization before the advent of communist revolution (and possibly even if), there should be no reason to assume any alien civilization would act much differently. The first alien civilization to develop spacefaring technology would find themselves in the scenario seen in the imperialist Hollywood TV show Firefly; confronted with a large, mostly empty galaxy just waiting for Settlers to arrive.
One could imagine it being the case that Earth itself is a colony of some extra-terrestrial imperialist power as a potential solution to the Fermi paradox. This scenario is explored in the imperialist Hollywood film They Live. In They Live, Earth is ruled by what appears to be a single alien civilization (all the aliens appear to be the same species). Facilitating this rule is an Earth comprador class, which the film refers to as the Power Elite (presumably a term taken from C. Wright Mills' book The Power Elite). It is not clear what role the communist countries were playing within the movie. While the Earth Liberation forces are portrayed as communists by the alien-controlled mass media (in order to hurt their cause), it is highly unlikely John Carpenter envisioned the USSR and other communist countries as playing an independent role against the alien imperialists.
But it could be the case they were.
Given an extra-terrestrial imperialist power that prefers to work with comprador proxies rather than to directly and openly rule (perhaps they have had bad luck with this method in their imperialist past, leading to a galactic preference for neo-colonial methods), it is entirely conceivable that they would gain control over some countries and not others (at least initially). It is also possible that the countries not under the imperialist alien control are entirely unaware of the nature of the countries who are controlled by the alien imperialists, and instead the ideological differences between countries under alien occupation and those that aren't is just a facade created by the alien imperialists in order to hide the true nature of the conflict.
One of the scenes of They Live involves two of the protagonists discussing how long Earth (or some section of it) has been under alien imperialist occupation. Neither protagonist knows the answer, nor does any scene in the film hint at an answer to this question. It seems the two protagonists don't know what to believe about anything at all at that point. It could be conceivable that everything they were taught is a lie created by the aliens for some purpose or other.
It could be the case that alien imperialist control of Earth (or some section of it) happened fairly recently in Earth's history. History would remain largely intact from this angel. The imperialist aliens would then operate largely within the institutional frameworks already put in place before their arrival, which seems compatible with the film.
It could also be the case that alien imperialist control extends centuries or even millennia in the past. This scenario would present a lot of complications, as it would lead to questioning if certain historical events were actually directed by the alien imperialists and their comprador proxies (knowingly or unknowingly). For instance, was the American Civil War orchestrated by alien imperialists? Why and for what purpose would they do that? Did the alien imperialists create Christianity or Islam (or any religion, for that matter)? World World 1? World War 2? If so, it might be explainable via assuming they were implementing a divide and conquer strategy, though that would seem to suggest the alien imperialist takeover is fairly recent.
Such questions could be asked for literally any historical event of any importance. One could imagine a scene in a They Live 2, where Earth Liberation forces are sitting around discussing such speculative questions amongst themselves. But one event comes to mind of being of particular importance: the October Revolution.
Assuming Earth (or some parts of it) was already under alien imperialist control before 1917, the October Revolution itself would either be directed or not directed by the aliens. If not directed by the imperialist aliens, it would represent a revolution against the imperialist aliens (whether knowingly or unknowingly by the Bolsheviks). Unless of course, one assumes Tsarist Russia was not under their control (which could hypothetically be the case). However, the further back in time the imperialist alien occupation goes, the less and less likely this could be the case. Perhaps if the imperialist aliens got to Earth around 1880, Tsarist Russia might not yet have come under its influence. This seems less and less likely the further back in time one goes, however. If the imperialist aliens arrived at around the year 300 CE, it is difficult to imagine their control not extending to all Earth after 1700 years.
It could also be the case that the October Revolution was directed by the imperialist aliens. This scenario presents all kinds of difficulties though. Exactly why would the imperialist aliens instigate a communist revolution? This scenario makes less sense if one assumes complete alien control over Earth already by 1917, and would seem to suggest WW1 was not directed by the imperialist aliens (why instigate both WW1 and the October Revolution? No good imperialistic reason comes to my mind).
Much of 19th and 20th century history makes little sense assuming nearly total control of events by alien imperialists. Perhaps, as the movie Solaris suggests, the motives of the alien imperialists would be unknowable and/or seemingly irrational by our ways of thinking. But such a case doesn't make for any interesting thought experiments. But I would suggest, that if alien imperialists exist, along the lines of They Live or David Icke's Reptoids, and that they act rationally and in ways that we would expect imperialist powers to act, 20th century history in particular represents either a rupture of their control, or the beginning of their takeover.