Trading Land for "Peace" when the Aliens Come?

This has been bouncing around in my head after several seemingly unrelated incidents over the past few weeks. It's still in its infancy as a theory but I want to post it in the hopes of hearing what you right honorable gentlepeople think...

It started with a book I was reading, "The Big Switch," by H. Turtledove. I normally enjoy his alt history books but I could barely get through this work. Once I did finish it, I wished I could get all that wasted time back. To say it blows is understatement at best. It's basically a vehicle to start what seems to be another trilogy or so of his books. Not always a bad thing, but in this case, this first installment ( if that's what it is; and if it isn't, that's even worse) just leaves the reader with nothing save some very basic and over-used character development.

Anyway, one of the historical points in this book is how the Soviet Union ( and Russia before them) used the effective tactic of trading land for time to build up a resistance, stretch out the enemy's supply lines and spread the occupying forces thin. It works for them but takes a certain hardness of heart and steel-like resolve of the rulers, the military and the civilian populace. I suppose when the alternative is to just get overwhelmed in one pitched battle or two, it makes a callous sense. Read up on this if you're interested in more detail, but that's not the main point of this post, it's just what started me thinking along certain lines.

As I was nearing the end of he book I was complaining to a buddy who served with me in the Army. Basically discussing what I wrote above. We got sidetracked by the aforementioned Soviet/Russian tactic and debated it's merits in today's battlespace. The social lubricants of vodka for me and some crazy expensive whiskey for him got us looking at the whole thing from different perspectives.

Notice where most of our wars and troop build-ups are currently. Mainly areas near-ish the equator which may or may not really mean anything but see below for an idea. This, tied together with the Soviets' tactic got us thinking.

What if an alien species/life form is here to set up shop on Earth? Would a similar tactic to Uncke Joe Stalin's be effective? Could we use it to buy time in the hopes that maybe we could mount a counteroffensive at some later date; perhaps using some of their own tech against them?

This talk also made me look at the African continent and Indian sub-continent in a new light. I mean it seems to me those areas have been purposefully neglected and left back in the 1800s. Sure, some will say its racism or cultural or whatever, but come on, there's tons of money to be made there (moreso than the minimum being taken out now; and mostly taken out in the mot inefficient manner possible) and when's the last time you saw some mega-corp pass on trillions in profits? Even the start up costs would be made back fairly quickly.

Like I mentioned, racism could at least be a part in this, but in my experience, racism doesn't stand in the way of Joe CEO's quest for return on investment, so I feel there is some other reason. Something more frightening. Something more tactically and strategically NECESSARY that outweighs any thought of investing in these ares and dragging them into the 21st Century.

Now, the third but of coincidence. About three days ago, the buddy I mentioned earlier invited me to one of my favorite restaurants. We'd be meeting another of our army buddies there. Neither of us had seen him in over a year and a half due to his still being in and having been deployed "somewhere." It couldn't have been the usual places; we asked. He got uncomfortable so we let it go. We go way back together so we just figured it'd come out eventually when he felt comfortable, if he ever did. No big deal, really.

We eat and I start complaining about that book again because buddy #2 and I had read and enjoyed together (he borrowed my copies and I still have yet to get them back) Turtledove's Worlwar Saga, Colonization Trilogy and the stand alone "Homeward Bound," - the final book in that immense 8 volume mega-story. He hadn't read the latest tortuous book yet and thanked me for the warning review. We did get on the topic of trading land for time made most famous by the Soviets in their war with Hitler's Germany.

After dinner we just sat comfortably like we sometimes do. We know each other like brothers and there is something to that content silence people who share a relationship like our's can enjoy. Small talk begins again and my recently-divorced mind turns to our old days together and buddy 1 and I start checking out some easy on the eyes females.

I and buddy 1 are brought out of our sordid after dinner daydreams by buddy 2's comment about aliens. Yes. Aliens.

I ask in my intelligent way, "huh?" and he just says, "I knew you guys were thinkers - you being officers and all [chuckles all around], but man you don't know how close you guys are."

That earned an equally smartsy, "Wha?" from buddy 1. Buddy 2 then basically went on to explain - nothing specific, all vague and hypothetical you know - how we ( Earth, U.S., NWO, Masons, or who knows, maybe the girl scouts - he didn't say) are going to end up doing the same thing when the aliens move in for good. He claims areas have been set aside and that this has been going on for a long long time (hence, Africa, I suppose). He said some areas were chosen due to the climate being more agreeable to our "guests," some areas just because we would rather them have that than some other place we want, some areas for security reasons; better to watch and/or contain them I guess and some areas set aside as some kind of "free cities," where human and alien could work together. He didn't name any specific areas - the Africa/sub-continent thing is just my guess - and I kinda got the idea that at least some of it is still up in the air with some negotiations on-going. He made it seem some of these negotiations are extremely long in process.

He also commented that his impression is that the human side is trying to get as much out of this arrangement as possible with an eye towards eventually ending the aliens as a threat. Not outright offing them all, he seemed to think that would bring the wrath of god (well the aliens a least) down on us if anything so blatant were undertaken. So he thinks it's more along the lines of giving them a place the live (maybe an embassy or cultural exchange type arrangement) in return for "stuff," he wouldn't even guess at. Who knows, maybe anything from medical cures to star drive tech or something we cannot even imagine - or absolutely nothing apart from letting us live out our lives on our birth planet. I just hope we are not giving hem land to set up ranches to farm their new favorite livestock and gastronomical delight....

The last thing he mentioned while he and I were waiting for the valet to bring our cars out front (buddy 1 had already got his and left) is that he is afraid. Really afraid. But... Not of the aliens per se. He's frightened that our side is going to do something stupid or push for too much or feel like they can threaten their way into getting some concession or other from the aliens just to find out too late that we pissed them off once too often. He believes there is some ethical code or something similar that these beings operate under. He isn't confident many from our side grasp this

What do you think? I'll answer an ? If I can.

There are no space aliens on earf....
certainly not thousands of them.

nice story though

Very interesting....however, I would take this part out....


"After dinner we just sat comfortably like we sometimes do. We know each other like brothers and there is something to that content silence people who share a relationship like our's can enjoy. Small talk begins again and my recently-divorced mind turns to our old days together and buddy 1 and I start checking out some easy on the eyes females. "

It sounds to much like a "book"....which isn't bad however... My understanding is that you're trying to get your thoughts and idea's out to us... We could care less about your flirting habits. Get what I mean?

It doesn't take away from the all over "idea" but....

Originally posted by rigel4
There are no space aliens on earf....
certainly not thousands of them.

nice story though

Don't think he's trying to say they are here in any numbers now... Maybe like advance teams for negitiations.

That was my impression anyway.

Originally posted by tracehd1
Very interesting....however, I would take this part out....


"After dinner we just sat comfortably like we sometimes do. We know each other like brothers and there is something to that content silence people who share a relationship like our's can enjoy. Small talk begins again and my recently-divorced mind turns to our old days together and buddy 1 and I start checking out some easy on the eyes females. "

It sounds to much like a "book"....which isn't bad however... My understanding is that you're trying to get your thoughts and idea's out to us... We could care less about your flirting habits. Get what I mean?

It doesn't take away from the all over "idea" but....

I see your point I guess. That's just the way I talk. Hadn't thought of it one way or the other. Just relaying our experience that night in my normal way of speaking with friends. And maybe a bit of self-deprecating humor since I was going way above my league in my thoughts of even getting said knock-out to notice me at all...

reply to post by 35Foxtrot


I skimmed it so could you tell me when we might be able to see these aliens come down?

reply to post by 35Foxtrot

Thats interesting. I have always thought it would be so cool to have aliens out in the open living with us (benevolent ones of course). But yeah im sure the government would find a way to screw it up somehow.

Originally posted by Warpedconsciousness
reply to post by 35Foxtrot

 

I skimmed it so could you tell me when we might be able to see these aliens come down?

I don't see them coming at any specific time as of now. This comes from a combination of things I've heard, read, things that have happened historically and a conversation shared between 3 old buddies, one of whom is still in the army (we other two are retired Army but still involved in that world in one way or another).

If you read the OP you'd know that though. If you're not interested enough to do anything g other than "skim" it, I don't see much motivation on my part to re-explain the basic facts to you and I'm sure it's less than interesting to those here with interest beyond a mere skimming of a topic.

It's no issue if you're not interested but please don't ask me to go over the basics again or ask questions that you obviously don't care about one way or the other. Or maybe you're just being flippant. Wouldn't be the first time in ATS wherein someone feels the need to attempt some snarky one-liner...

Originally posted by eyesontheskies
reply to post by 35Foxtrot

 

Thats interesting. I have always thought it would be so cool to have aliens out in the open living with us (benevolent ones of course). But yeah im sure the government would find a way to screw it up somehow.

Yeah. That was my friend's biggest fear. That "our" side would do something stupid.

He's not one to scare easily. We've been in some rough situations together and while one would be stupid not to be scared in those situations, it's the way you handle that fear that matters. I've never seen him this out of sorts about anything.

That's what stuck with me and put me in the same mindset.

reply to post by 35Foxtrot


This kinda reminds me of the movie "District 9". I would think that if we gave them land, we would have tight surveillance, etc. I wonder if humans would be allowed entry to their "district"? Interesting topic.
Also, did said buddy ever tell ya where he was (stationed, etc )?

would we trade peace for land with ants on some little hill in the middle of nowhere?

Makes me think of District 9 the movie where aliens are living in the african continent trying to get back home.


I firmly believe that we will have "open contact" before 2016. To say that its a feeling in my gut is an understatement. Watching the interview about alien invasions aired yesterday, Easter sunday, in Australia made my spider sense go off. I firmly hold to the Verner von Braun quote about the stage of "enemies" for lack of a better word, that we will go after. Soviets, terrorists, middle east leaders, asteroids, & aliens.

What i am willing to mention though is that our brothers inside the earth are willing to step up and protect us if it comes down to a finale. Just this in itself is enough to make some peoples hearts stop. People living inside the earth? Yes, there are great treasures on this planet of technologies and knowledges that pepole with good hearts will be using in the future.

All said & done though, I can't help but feel that a cataclysm is nearing. Just take a look at all the media being pumped out about humans fighting against eachother for survival, doomprepping shows, end of the world this/that, & now... aliens.

You think this last decade was bumpy??? The rollercoasters just getting warmed up, and folks are gonna fly out on the corkscrews, cause there ain't no seat belts.

Originally posted by dr0pthr3
reply to post by 35Foxtrot

 

This kinda reminds me of the movie "District 9". I would think that if we gave them land, we would have tight surveillance, etc. I wonder if humans would be allowed entry to their "district"? Interesting topic.
Also, did said buddy ever tell ya where he was (stationed, etc )?

Yeah. I know where he's been stationed. We were in Korea together. After that we split up but kept in touch.

Interesting theory.Due to the nature of my own life there's very few things that realy seem farfetched to me.I have always wondered-considering Africa's vast natural resources-why the US has never invaded+occupied many African countries,on some flimsy pretext or the other.Well,time will tell,as it always does.

Grea work dude, now they know our plan.

Hope your happy, you just doomed Mankind

Was it worth selling out your species for a few stars and flags?

Yeah the reason I don't think this is true is that no true friend would blab out on an open Internet forum like this what his Army buddies thoughts are and details on aliens......which surely would be classified WAY above his pay-grade.

If your friend is telling the truth, blabbing about it on the net could get him in serious legal trouble. The government takes their secrecy pretty seriously.

Originally posted by johnthejedi24
Yeah the reason I don't think this is true is that no true friend would blab out on an open Internet forum like this what his Army buddies thoughts are and details on aliens......which surely would be classified WAY above his pay-grade.

If your friend is telling the truth, blabbing about it on the net could get him in serious legal trouble. The government takes their secrecy pretty seriously.

You don't know my buds or me, let alone our clearances, past and/or present. Also, do you see any identifiable personal details. I challenge you to find out who we are.
Three army buddies in a bar. Yeah, you got us.
And the sheer numbers of officers and enlisted personnel involved make narrowing down the list of subjects not worth the effort if not impossible.
At least limit yiur comments to things you know about. And I resent the thinly veiled accusation on my honesty.
Carry on.