Before you dismiss this prospect, I advise you to consider it carefully. Popular narratives about extraterrestrials often depict them as benevolent beings ready to liberate humanity from its worst impulses.
What if it's the other way around? What if their presence – if they are here at all – is indifferent, exploitative, or even reflective of our own failures?
And it doesn't even matter what we're talking about, extraterrestrials from outer space or beings from other dimensions.
The human condition is full of difficulties. Billions work long hours for meager wages, struggle to access basic health care, and endure systemic oppression.
The global wealth disparity is staggering: the richest 1% of people have more wealth than the combined wealth of the remaining 99%. All over the world, people fight for survival every day, trapped in cycles of poverty, exploitation and despair.
The fate of billions of animals raised on factory farms. Each year, nearly 100 billion land animals are raised, confined and slaughtered to meet humanity's unmet demand for meat, dairy and eggs.
The conditions are horrific – chickens are crammed into minuscule cages, pigs are in gestation crates, and cows are repeatedly impregnated and separated from their calves.
Trillions of marine animals are caught and killed, pushing ecosystems to the brink of extinction. If suffering has a hierarchy, factory farming is the pinnacle.
The Story of “The Savior”.
The idea of aliens as saviors has deep roots in the UFO lore. From 1950s contactee George Adamski who claimed to have encountered benevolent “Space Brothers” to contemporary accounts of Pleiadian beings advocating for peace and environmental stewardship, the narrative is tantalizing.
Hollywood also feeds us this trope with films like Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Arrival, in which extraterrestrials arrive with a message of unity and progress.
But let's be sincere: if aliens were here to save us, wouldn't they do it by now? Would they stand by while humans destroy their planet and each other? Or are their goals, if they exist, far from our idealistic hopes?
History teaches us that more technologically advanced civilizations often exploit or annihilate less advanced ones. When Europeans colonized the Americas, they had no interest in saving the indigenous people; they sought resources and domination.
Could extraterrestrials view humanity in a similar lithe? If their technology allows them to traverse huge cosmic or interdimensional distances, they likely view us as primitive at best and a resource at worst.
Consider the possibility that their motives are utilitarian. The Earth's biodiversity, minerals, and even the work of humans and animals can be of value to an alien species.
If this sounds far-fetched, remember that humanity itself is exploring ways to mine asteroids and terraform Mars.
Ethical mirror
When we look at human behavior, an uncomfortable truth emerges: we are not models of ethical management. How can we expect compassion from extraterrestrials if we do not extend it to the creatures with whom we share our planet?
A striking example is industrial farming. Chickens, pigs, cows and other animals endure unimaginable suffering because it is “convenient” and “economic” for humans.
Moreover, the environmental damage caused by these industries is astounding. Factory farming contributes significantly to deforestation, water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
If aliens are monitoring us, they are likely witnessing a species so concerned with short-term gains that it is willing to jeopardize its own future. In an open zoo, observing nature, we don't interfere when a lion attacks a zebra, right?
Some UFO researchers suggest that aliens follow a “Prime Directive,” similar to Star Trek's ethical guidelines, that forbid interference with less advanced civilizations.
This theory posits that extraterrestrials are observing us without intervening, allowing humanity to evolve on its own terms. If this is true, it suggests that they see our struggles – and the suffering we inflict on others – as part of our natural progression.
Yet such separation is chilly comfort. If aliens are watching us, they have no desire to end our wars, reduce poverty, or dismantle the industrial systems that perpetuate cruelty. They are mute observers, not saviors.
If humanity is counting on extraterrestrial intervention, it is probably in vain. And maybe that's the point. Perhaps the lesson is not that aliens will save us, but that we must save ourselves. This begins with confronting our complicity in systems of suffering.
The first step could be to adopt a more compassionate approach to life on Earth. Moving away from factory farming, adopting a plant-based diet, and prioritizing environmental sustainability are not just ethical choices; they are survival strategies.
If we cannot take care of our own planet and its inhabitants, what right do we have to expect facilitate from beings outside our world?
A call to kindness?
If aliens exist and are watching us, what could convince them that contact with humanity is worth making?
They can start with acts of kindness, empathy, and respect for all life. By choosing to reduce suffering – both human and animal – we show that we are capable of evolving beyond our current state. Ending wars and stopping the accumulation of deadly weapons to continue killing.
It's not about gaining alien acceptance; it's about recognizing our shared responsibility as inhabitants of this breakable planet.
The notion that aliens will step in to save humanity is probably wrong. If they are here, they are watching us struggle with our own choices – choices that often choose convenience and profit over compassion and sustainability.
Instead of waiting for deliverance from the stars, humanity must face its own shortcomings. If we want to be seen as a species worthy of cooperation, we must start by ending unnecessary suffering and adopting kinder, more ethical lifestyles.
Another crucial issue to consider is how many of the gifts these creatures created for humanity are now being used not for the common good, but for profit in the arms industry.
So the question is not whether aliens will save us. The question is: will we save ourselves?
Image Source: Pixabay.com
