Are You Ready To Be An Evil Colonist? - io9 Comments

Are You Ready To Be An Evil Colonist?

jabrwok — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 15:45:50 PDT

What's the rationale for taking over all these worlds again? To strip mine them of all the resources that are, apparently, so much more abundant and cheaper to get to at the bottom of a gravity well than from free-floating rocks and smaller, dead worlds in space?

Yeah, that makes sense. Cause you know, the humans are all about the killing and the ravaging and the despoiling...and we never respond to economic incentives...

jabrwok

Are You Ready To Be An Evil Colonist?

muteboy — Sun, 11 May 2008 05:23:39 PDT

See also 'Jem' by Frederick Pohl ([www.frederikpohl.com]) where the 3 warring factions on Earth take their war to a new planet and forge allegiances with the 3 races there - all to the new planets detriment, of course.
[www.amazon.co.uk]

muteboy

Are You Ready To Be An Evil Colonist?

bnpederson — Fri, 09 May 2008 00:21:49 PDT

Are the being(s) Humanity is destroying also Human? Yes/No
Are the being(s) Humanity is destroying beneficial to Humanity? Yes/No
Does destroying said being(s) harm humanity in a direct or indirect manner? Yes/No

I figure if the answer is "Yes" to any of these questions we probably shouldn't do it. If "No" to all of them then have a field day! The second and third questions are why I'm generally in favor of environmental regulation, at least until we can get off this spinning ball of mud. But hey, some intelligent alien species that doesn't have a stick to shake at us lives on a planet we want and isn't protected by something? Break out the nukes boys, those rad levels will go down after a few hundred years.

bnpederson

Are You Ready To Be An Evil Colonist?

Sihanouk-s-Poodle — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:58:07 PDT

@icelight: Oops, I thought we were talking about a fictional movie that was symbolic of culture clashes. I didn't realize it was a documentary. Can you keep fiction and reality separate?

Sihanouk-s-Poodle

Are You Ready To Be An Evil Colonist?

radio1 — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:36:25 PDT

@Sihanouk-s-Poodle: Say, were not some of, or ALL of those 'rich' countries at one time poor and undeveloped?

Why would any native or aboriginal be considered better than a developed one or even vice-versa?

People in developed countries tend to romanticize native and idiginous peoples as, "noble", "living in harmony with nature" and "peaceful". Human nature is human nature.

Now if we are ever determined enough to get out of out solar system and possibly encounter other life, I hope we are beyond our weaknesses.

radio1

Are You Ready To Be An Evil Colonist?

icelight — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:39:00 PDT

@Sihanouk-s-Poodle: There's a serious difference from bringing modern technology and resources and bringing planet-wide (or country-wide) genocide. Just so, you know, you keep those two separate. From the outlines, it's pretty clear the "bad" humans aren't trying to uplift the natives.

icelight

Are You Ready To Be An Evil Colonist?

Sihanouk-s-Poodle — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:34:10 PDT

People from rich countries tend to romanticize living in poor undeveloped countries. They wax poetic about rustic values and living in harmony with the land, take a few pics, and then head back to the hotel.

When someone wants to bring in factories, electricity and running water, they get accused of destroying culture, nature, tradition, etc. I've met few "natives" who aren't delighted to trade superstition and back-breaking subsistence labor for schools, roads, plentiful food and easier jobs.

Really, this new trend doesn't seem any different from Ferngully.

Sihanouk-s-Poodle

Are You Ready To Be An Evil Colonist?

Jeff-Minor — Thu, 08 May 2008 07:23:23 PDT

@Daveinva: The Sparrow is far to intelligent for Hollywood. It's not popular to make sf that doesn't have stuff blowing up.

Jeff-Minor

Are You Ready To Be An Evil Colonist?

Macloserboy — Thu, 08 May 2008 07:01:40 PDT

I'll never stop bringing up Sidney Poitier in Brother John.

Macloserboy

Are You Ready To Be An Evil Colonist?

Daveinva — Thu, 08 May 2008 06:41:03 PDT

@Bob_of_Mars: If you haven't already, read Maria Doria Russell's "The Sparrow"-- it's all about the law of unintended consequences.

I read years ago that some production company in Hollyweird optioned it, but nothing has ever come of it. Too bad.

Daveinva

Are You Ready To Be An Evil Colonist?

Dis[Con]cordian — Thu, 08 May 2008 06:39:48 PDT

@designguybrown:

It's not like this is a new concept in SF (the Star Trek-industrial complex comes to mind) and it goes back to the book of Genesis.

But will humans actually bear the possibility of creating a negative effect in mind WHEN we actually get into space? I think it'll go out the window with the first uranium mine discovered by Exxon Galactic.

BTW--Bush's space plan is probably the only sensible thing he's introduced in 8 years. Why go back to the moon? Two words Spaceship Factory!

Dis[Con]cordian

Are You Ready To Be An Evil Colonist?

designguybrown — Thu, 08 May 2008 06:09:38 PDT

wow the ultimate exploration of empathy - even better than 'walk a mile in someone's shoes' - integrate yourself with the body structure of the aboriginal populace.

It is interesting when sci-fi movie themes go mainstream and affect/influence/brain-wash (pick your synonym) the movie-going population. If we could say that 'Day After Tomorrow' (among others) pricked people's sense of global disaster.. could it be said that portraying the human race as an imperialistic pest could influence policy with future space travel/exploration/colonization plans - uh-oh - what will be made of Bush's 2020 moon/mars concept?

designguybrown

Are You Ready To Be An Evil Colonist?

Bob_of_Mars — Thu, 08 May 2008 06:08:05 PDT

@donkeyjote: I guess, but maybe something besides germs. Something like....poop?

@Slatz_Grobnik: HAHA!

@Balius: Nah, you see, that would be intentional! I was thinking something completely unintentional and unforeseen, like somehow something of ours makes the natives burst into flames, or something crazy like that.

Bob_of_Mars

Are You Ready To Be An Evil Colonist?

Shai — Thu, 08 May 2008 05:06:25 PDT

Also, I hate movies that involve native Americans, even as symbolism. Even more boring than the civil war.

Shai

Are You Ready To Be An Evil Colonist?

Shai — Thu, 08 May 2008 05:05:04 PDT

You humans have ruined your own lands, you'll not ruin mine!

/Heard from an orc in North Karana

Shai

Are You Ready To Be An Evil Colonist?

Jeff-Minor — Thu, 08 May 2008 04:34:55 PDT

It looks like that guy in the pic is sucking on a big-boy pacifier. Survival is predicated on being adaptable. Nature (in general) shows no mercy. Ironically, humans have the ability to be altruistic, empathetic, compassionate and "loving." These qualities help to balance out our aggressive, animal nature. If we take over the universe and end up killing off a lot of other creatures, oh well. I'm sure we will be forced to do so because of economic concerns. Or maybe just out of boredom.

Jeff-Minor

Are You Ready To Be An Evil Colonist?

Balius — Thu, 08 May 2008 01:08:56 PDT

@Bob_of_Mars: Perhaps we could give them blankets with smallpox on them?

Balius

Are You Ready To Be An Evil Colonist?

Mathmos — Wed, 07 May 2008 20:58:47 PDT

For how many generations are the colonists evil? Perhaps the Amerinds have opinions.

Mathmos

Are You Ready To Be An Evil Colonist?

Slatz_Grobnik — Wed, 07 May 2008 20:57:05 PDT

@Bob_of_Mars: Dude, Where's My Ecosystem?

Slatz_Grobnik

Are You Ready To Be An Evil Colonist?

donkeyjote — Wed, 07 May 2008 20:27:22 PDT

@Bob_of_Mars: Like revers War of the Worlds?

donkeyjote

Are You Ready To Be An Evil Colonist?

Darkweave — Wed, 07 May 2008 19:32:55 PDT

@Bob_of_Mars: The Martian Chronicles...

Darkweave

Are You Ready To Be An Evil Colonist?

Bob_of_Mars — Wed, 07 May 2008 19:24:51 PDT

Why doesn't someone make a movie where we unintentionally destroy an alien race through no fault of our own? Like, simply by going to their planet, somehow we mess everything up, and they all die, even though we went to make friends with them and bring them all our delicious foods?! Heck, it could even be a comedy!

Bob_of_Mars

Are You Ready To Be An Evil Colonist?

icelight — Wed, 07 May 2008 18:07:31 PDT

Many, if not most of these also seem to have an environmentally-inspired subtext in addition to the anti-colonial one. That could be one reason they're suddenly taking off, what with the rise of that attitude in the US in general and Hollywood in particular.

icelight

Are You Ready To Be An Evil Colonist?

HomoSapiensRex — Wed, 07 May 2008 18:06:02 PDT

@B:
Hydrogen bombs fuse hydrogen into helium, so we could nuke them all and pass it off as a clean air project! Then laugh at their silly high-piched screams...

HomoSapiensRex

Are You Ready To Be An Evil Colonist?

DocGratis — Wed, 07 May 2008 17:55:51 PDT

@Miranda Kali: Oh won't someone please think of the children!!!....(and their balloons)

DocGratis

Are You Ready To Be An Evil Colonist?

Miranda Kali — Wed, 07 May 2008 17:45:03 PDT

@B:
No regrets! No mercy! You know they coveted our bountiful mylar balloon resources! They would have killed us dead, and yanked those Disney princess balloons right out of the hands of our children! ...and for what? Breathing?
Bah. Let 'em get their own damn, Snoopy birthday balloons..

Miranda Kali

Are You Ready To Be An Evil Colonist?

gintmfgb — Wed, 07 May 2008 17:34:01 PDT

The Eagles said it best - The Last Resort

We satisfy our endless needs and
justify our bloody deeds,
in the name of destiny and the name
of God

And you can see them there,
On Sunday morning
They stand up and sing about
what it's like up there
They call it paradise
I don't know why
You call someplace paradise,
kiss it goodbye

Yeah, I'm a 70's something long haired, greenie ...

gintmfgb

Are You Ready To Be An Evil Colonist?

Wed, 07 May 2008 17:06:25 PDT

If it means my survival, then yes. Screw the peace loving aliens and their helium breathing ways.