Just A Thought

[Latifa]

Say there was global communism. Woohoo! And some aliens invade, an alien empire. Will communism collapse because we have failed to crush the nation-state?

[Abstrakt]

I don't quite understand.

[NovelGentry]

You think aliens would have the technology to invade if they'd not progressed to communism themselves yet? I doubt it. Materially speaking they would have gone through such changes.

[STI]

Ya. I highly doubt that there would be a society that has developed to the point that it can master intergalactic travel but still hasn't dropped imperialism.

Either way, though, we can't base societies on what'll happen "if aliens come". What if unicorns come and massacre all commies?!? We have to deal with the probable and the likely.

[captain donald]

What if unicorns come and massacre all commies?!?

Id go find myself a hunting rifle and a dark corner

[STI]

You think aliens would have the technology to invade if they'd not progressed to communism themselves yet? I doubt it. Materially speaking they would have gone through such changes.

I was thinking about that statement today (for some reason), and I don't think that's really safe to assume. It rests on the assumption that alien societies would progress in pretty much the same way as human societies. It may be radically different (for the better or worse). We really can't know that.

[NovelGentry]

I was thinking about that statement today (for some reason), and I don't think that's really safe to assume. It rests on the assumption that alien societies would progress in pretty much the same way as human societies. It may be radically different (for the better or worse). We really can't know that.

Yes, it does rest on that assumption. That assumption is founded in materialism. It's a fundamental reason why Marx thinks from here we progress towards communism. Unless these aliens have no material needs (no need for any type of food, shelter, etc).

[Abstrakt]

Originally posted by [email protected] 31 2005, 09:34 PM
You think aliens would have the technology to invade if they'd not progressed to communism themselves yet? I doubt it. Materially speaking they would have gone through such changes.
Nicely put.

[STI]

Yes, it does rest on that assumption. That assumption is founded in materialism. It's a fundamental reason why Marx thinks from here we progress towards communism. Unless these aliens have no material needs (no need for any type of food, shelter, etc).

Maybe, but is it not also possible that those aliens simply evolved such that they literally need master-slave relationships?

[NovelGentry]

How would you evolve in such a fashion? Unless they were actually incapable of creating their own material needs (unable to make/process their own food, can't build houses) -- this is of course physically. But then it'd be dfifcult to say they'd have the ability to come to our planet, let alone enslave us. Such a creature would certainly die... you have the ability to force someone into slavery but you can't build your own shelter?

Unless they evolved a simple blobs with overly powerful brains and could force people into slavery through mind control. But then it's not as if our weapons or military would really help us anyway, now is it? So exactly what type of evolution are you talking about where this would occur? It would seem to go against the very idea of what evolution does. There are of course parasites, but all life feeds on life and is dependent on it. Our food is also based on the destruction or partial destruction of a living thing.

[Latifa]

Originally posted by [email protected] 1 2005, 02:12 AM
Ya. I highly doubt that there would be a society that has developed to the point that it can master intergalactic travel but still hasn't dropped imperialism.

Either way, though, we can't base societies on what'll happen "if aliens come". What if unicorns come and massacre all commies?!? We have to deal with the probable and the likely.
The probable is that a rag-tag peasant miltia will fall to a well structured imperialist army. Unicorns? Well, honestly what would you do if you were attacked by a unicorn?