"we also should not underestimate the evolutionary chasm that might separate us from extraterrestrials if they are only a couple hundred years older than us...." In an article by Bryce Zabel, he discussed the concept of how any 'agency' whether that be human or nonhuman that has access to AI, they won't be a couple hundreds years ahead of us, but millions. The first nation to get AI will have significant advantage over everyone without an AI, or the second nation with AI.
I have always hated the 'Why don't they land on the White House lawn.' I was listening to an interview with Dan Sheehan, the lawyer representing Luis Elidondo, and he gave me a speculative answer to that question. He stated very clearly, nuclear weapon are not just unethical, they are immoral, illegal by any standard of warfare. Their only use is to take out entire populations of people. They don't discriminate between civilians and military targets. The White House clearly supports nuclear weapons. So, how can an alien race, perhaps emotionally and technologically superior in good conscious introduce themselves to the White House? They can't introduce themselves to any nation pointing nuclear weapons at any other nation without giving tantamount approval of that nation's moral superiority over another! Picking one nation would simply increase the paranoia and rivalry between all existing states. Hell, we can't even agree to pay employees more and CEO's less without getting into feuds. We still allow sweat shops and employ children, while automating and laying workers off without any real transition plan to a state where more than 60 percent of the future population will likely be unemployed, and the wealthy, and the corporations, continue to accumulate unprecedented wealth.
It is well known in UFO lore, that 'UFOs' have messed with nuclear weapons, such as turning them off, or turning them on, scaring personnel. Is that a message? I think so. Maybe it's too ambiguous to conclude we humans need to find more peaceful ways to interact. I am sure that's not the first thought of that went through the military's mind. The question is, if that's the thing holding us back from a relationship with our galactic neighbors, I don't see it happening. I don't think the US, Russia, China, or India are going to give up the bomb. Even if every citizen demanded peace right now, and armies agreed to not go to war, I doubt anyone would surrender the bomb. And so, who should the aliens pick to lead us into the next phase of our existence?
Great question. I am an American. I would not recommend aliens visit the US.
