14 comments

[–] KintsugiKa 4 points

I'd like to offer a bit of a different perspective for those extraterrestrials on the fence and leaning toward the "Fuck these stupid monkeys" side of the argument. 

To the non-humans reading this: 

I am a human. I do not like humans. 

I am not filled with any sense of camaraderie toward my fellow Man, and I feel no deeper a sense of love toward Humanity than I do for any of the other myriad creatures on this planet (or beyond it). 

I have no compulsion to "stand with humanity." 

I do not "weep for the children." 

My experiences with the people I've met throughout my life have led me to believe that the vast majority of humans are merely trying to survive. These are the masses who, when backed into a corner, will react on an animalistic instinct of self-preservation. When faced with a threat, the primitive brain will momentarily take over, and give way to violence and mob mentality. 

But one thing I can do, despite my reservations about the human race, is objectively appreciate the special moments of ingenuity, temerity, blind optimism, and an underdog nature of a species. It is hard to deny how many times Humanity has come face-to-face with disaster and near total annihilation, only to pull through by the seat of their collective pants. 

These moments are led by the brave and the wise minority. Those special few who have found themselves in this minority are able to sift through their instincts of "panic," "run," "fight," or "kill," and find themselves able to react with the reason and poise necessary to assuage the fears of the masses and inspire them to act righteously. 

There is also another minority at play, acting as a foil to the aforementioned one. These are sociopaths bent on the exploitation of the "stupid sheeple," and they are unfortunately professionals at the manipulation of the pure-intentioned. 

So, all I can do is judge the actions of the individuals I have encountered throughout my life. Has this person acted with compassion? - or malice? Have they been fair? - or unjust? Do they speak truth? - or do they decieve? Do they lead by example? - or are they hypocrites? 

That said, how can I look at a single sentient species and cast a sweeping judgment of "good" or "evil" on them as a whole - human or otherwise? I see a majority just trying to get by, with an "awoken" minority duking it out for control in the eternal battle of "good vs. evil." 

When I say I am filled with no desire to stand in solidarity with the human race, know that this sentiment extends beyond my own kind. 

Look in a mirror, and then try to convince me you are any different than us. Tell me every Ba'alaket knows exactly what is going on here, instead of trusting a few talking heads at the top telling them everything is above board. Tell me every Naigaje is totally aware of the situation, rather than just allowing their intergalactic dignitaries to "handle that shit." (I'd ask what the Kayeen may think, but I don't think they're allowed to do that.) 

So, that leaves me - and you - with two options: 

  1. We aren't that different than you. We've got our leaders lying to us, hiding things from us, and exploiting us for their own personal gain. If this is true, humanity deserves an equal voice. 

Or:

  1. We are different from you. This would mean every single member of every Consortium species knows what's going on here, and is absolutely a-o-fucking-k with it. If this is true, it is arguable that, despite its aforementioned flaws, Humanity is the more noble species, and it is you who does not deserve a voice.

One doesn't have to stand in solidarity with an entire species just to know what the right and ethical thing to do is, and it is up to every single individual in this universe to choose whether or not they will follow the path of "Good" or "Evil" - and it's pretty damned easy to see which option is which here.

[–] wraith_tm8 3 points

Don't need to be a million year old sentient species to know that doubling down against the highest is not a good long term business plan.

One way or the other someone is going to lose it all.

[–] [deleted] 1 points

[deleted]

[–] KintsugiKa 2 points

Let me play devil's advocate here for a moment...

You're pleading for Ba'alaket and Naigaje support, but what's in it for them?

[–] garbotalk 2 points

Possible forgiveness for all they've done to us? The exploitation they have continued versus the overwriting the Kayeen do to us is the lesser evil. Plus there's all the fish we have in our pleasant waters we could trade, and a non-aggressiion treaty for Venus to consider. And they wouldn't have to submit to the Kayeen anymore. Win, win!

[–] KintsugiKa 1 points

You're talking about a lot of extraterrestrials that don't necessarily care about "forgiveness."

The person I responded to offered only a feel-good plea of "Please be nice and play fair with us, you mean ol' aliens!" Do they think the Consortium, or individuals of Consortium species are just going to read that, throw their hands up, and say "Gosh darn it! You're RIGHT! We're so sorry for this little mix-up!"

No.

They're asking people to stand up against their own, and not really offering a compelling incentive to do so.

[–] garbotalk 3 points

There really wasn't a compelling reason to end slavery in this nation either, except that it was the right thing to do. All the propaganda slavers used to gaslight others into turning a blind eye to their exploits eventually was exposed. All that loss of wealth for the slavers who cried how unfair it was for them to lose free labor eventually fell on deaf ears. Humanity recognized the injustice of slavery and began to end it nation by nation. People who exposed it, who wrote against it, debated it and demanded it end eventually persevered because it was the right thing to do. Then we fought a war and forced it to end. There are always those who try to bring it back. I assume they are overwritten for the most part, because that's what they do.

[–] KintsugiKa 2 points

I understand that and don't disagree.

I'm also aware that a good number of folks who were on the fence regarding abolition were incentivized or shamed into taking an anti-slavery stance. They were not the folks who were convinced by saccharine pleas to "do the right thing."

You're missing the point of my playing devil's advocate with the person I responded to.

[–] garbotalk 2 points

Carry on!

[–] WaitingToBeTriggered 1 points

AS THE KINGDOM COME

[–] wraith_tm8 3 points

It would be in their best interest to not get completely wiped out when the assembly shows up here a second time and holds a very uncomfortable courtroom case.

Don't trust aliens either way. The way it looks is that a lot of aliens are going to reap what they sow. If not by the assembly then by some other form of balanced chaos. Perhaps they may not slow down Humans. Before you know it Humans will be just as advanced or even more so than anyone has known.

No one here is going to find Humans very friendly and forgiving in this scenario. Especially, knowing how horribly abused and exploited they were as proudly proclaimed "product." There will be no secret that is not known of what aliens have done.

Humans are going to get a lot of universal backing while these aliens here now are going to be known as the dunce of the universe. As it rightfully should be.

[–] 1321z 1 points

Understandable. A little cold, but thats life. Like Garbo said its simply the right thing to do, but to try to give a practical answer to your question: We will need economic middlemen at first, and we're gonna want to do business with people who we trust and know have our better interests at heart. Said species could do the right thing, turn it into good PR, and not take a large economic loss. Win win.
Plenty of other things that arent so strictly financial would come of one race being indebted to another, i don't know if the corporate entity that rules would really care about that though. Im sure alot of people not vested so much in the business side of things back on their own planet(s) would consider it a positive move. And again, theres very little the consortium seems to care about outside of current snd future profits, but god will most likely show grace to those who show mercy his less powerful children.

[–] NoInstruction3663 2 points

"You have to make up your mind either to make sense or to make money, if you want to
become a [human product] designer." - R. Buckminster Fuller

[–] FrontDirect7269 2 points

We are entering the end-game now. There is no amount of convincing those who are still fence-sitting that will do anything. Minor course corrections no longer have the impact they would have mere decades ago.

The eye of the storm is quite calm, but it also is the center of the action.

Soon it seems, that which was up in the air will become an eventuality that will play out on multiple orders of scale.