06 of 30 - IV - When the Aliens Arrive

[aggienaut]

   Many many movies, books, and television series have addressed the idea of what happens if aliens arrive at Earth. Usually the aliens want to kill us all, but sometimes they just want to probe a few people and draw pictures in their fields. But what happens if the aliens are friendly and helpful?

   What if the aliens take pity on us with our populations of impoverished and hungry? Using their alien technology they generously offer to sell anyone and everything anything they need at a price they can afford. Benevolent? Yes. But a disaster for the world economy!! We'd immediately begin to run a huge trade deficit with the aliens!

   Our governments would probably become try to intervene - either with tariffs on space imports or outright embargoes (or militant force?). Even so, our economy would still be mangled as we'd lose our export market due to other countries getting things more cheaply from space. And what if the aliens, like Western Powers used military force to open up the markets of Japan and China in the 19th Century, use military force to compell us not to interfere with them providing us an economy of plenty?

   And would it even be ethical for the government to try to limit the aliens from providing us with everything? As thousands lose their jobs yet cost of living becomes negligible, would America become a welfare state?

   I think this is a really intriguing question.


Unrelated: Picture of me at the Stone Brewery (home of Arrogant Bastard Ale)

Comments

[neugotik.livejournal.com]

starbucks Klingon? heh. Nice photo of you drinking what - Belgian Beer? Yum. That or some brandy or wine,er anyhows.

I also am guilty of picking up some of the star wars stamps today: I thought I would just get one sheet but they're cool painting/drawings and nicely done - I got a few sheets - they're neat. the ships are very cool stamps.

Where's my towel? I need my towel to fall asleep now: heh.

[emosnail.livejournal.com]

Hah my dad got some of those stamps. This time I had some coffee porter or something. It was extremely good. Last time I had a barleywine though, which was quite good as well. What I love about going there is in addition to their own products they carry a lot of really good craft brews from elsewhere as well.