Preparing the galactic encounter of a "planetary shithole"

Earth as a Shithole Planet -- from a Universal Perspective? ? (Part #13)

[Parts: First | Prev | All] [Visuals] [Links: To-K | From-K | From-Kx | Refs ]

The alleged declaration of Donald Trump, and the worldwide reaction, help to clarify the real problem faced by countries qualified as "shitholes" in representing themselves within a global arena -- at the General Assembly of the United Nations, for example. Having probably been declared to be a "shithole planet", Planet Earth is faced with an analogous problem in representing itself in any galactic arena -- whatever form this might take.

Equivalents to more informal categorizations, like "shithole", are to be found in relation to questionable commentary on occasional use of "basket case", "failed state", "pariah state", or "rogue state" (David Marsh Basket Case: the case against, The Guardian, 1 June 2012).

Aspects of the problem -- and the remedy -- are evident in the distinctions made among the countries of Planet Earth. They cluster themselves selectively into groups such as the Group of 7 or the Group of 20. Others are left to form themselves into the Group of 77. More relevant to the galactic challenge for Planet Earth is the establishment of a List of Least Developed Countries by the United Nations from 1971. The list is reviewed every three years. A country is so classified if it meets three criteria (curiously omitting environment):

• Poverty -- adjustable criterion, based on gross national income per capita averaged over three years.
• Human resource weakness, based on indicators of nutrition, health, education and adult literacy.
• Economic vulnerability based on instability of agricultural production, instability of exports of goods and services, economic importance of non-traditional activities, merchandise export concentration, handicap of economic smallness, and the percentage of population displaced by natural disasters

In the current context it might be asked how the controversy around Trump's alleged framing is to be distinguished from the relegation of countries onto that list by the UN -- as third or fourth class world citizens (if that). All the countries he is alleged to have distinguished figure on that list. This is the kind of galactic categorization by which Planet Earth is probably framed. It might eventually be able to look forward to associating with other "shithole planets" so defined -- as do such countries on Earth.

In anticipation of any such minimal recognition, there is a case for speculating on learnings from the first encounter of Europeans with the Lenape Native Americans, resulting in the purchase of Manhattan Island. The sale of the island for $24 of beads, is described by Aja Raden:

The story of the purchase of Manhattan is one of the most contentious and oft-disputed stories in American history. That modest sale has gone down in history as the biggest swindle ever perpetrated. The fabled exchange has been dissected and re-examined with the weak hope of proving it a myth. Some people just dismiss the event out of hand, claiming it's apocryphal -- that the infamous exchange never took place at all. The deal seems so unfair, some parties have even suggested that the island be returned to the "original" owners. But what may be the most surprising fact about the whole transaction is that in 1626, and for a long time afterward, both parties were very happy with it. (Keep the Change: The Beads that Bought Manhattan, The Huffington Post, 22 November 2015).

As with the European encounter with the Aztec civilization, how might such an encounter play out? This can be speculatively explored (Communicating with Aliens: the psychological dimension of dialogue, 2000).

There is every possibility that the ETs would be skilled in negotiation psychology beyond anything that humanity has imagined -- especially with respect to paradox, contradiction and metaphor (Sensing Epiterrestrial Intelligence (SETI): Embedding of "extraterrestrials" in episystemic dynamics? 2013). Their representatives might even be remarkably skilled in what is deprecated as "bullshit". Whilst they may appreciate being exposed to Facebook as a form of transparent global self-reporting, they may also be vigilant with regard to the need for due diligence to compensate for superficiality and pretence. Is it possible that the prophesied end-times scenarious will take the form of a final battle between the "pretenders" claiming not to offend and the "offenders" claiming not to pretend?

Their approach may be reminiscent of negotiations with Italian corporations where two well-separated sets of accounts were maintained. Rather than restricting their attention to Facebook, they may be curious about any reluctance to present a possible "Arsebook" to clarify the real problems of Planet Earth -- otherwise "covered up". This is perhaps to be compared with an environmental impact report (Global Strategic Implications of the "Unsaid", 2003). With respect to their understanding of "bullshit", ETs could well be imagined to have their own special style of "bullfighting" (Viable Global Governance through Bullfighting: challenge of transcendence, 2009).

ETs could well prove to be perplexed by the extent of disciplined "anal" preoccupation through analysis and psychoanalysis -- appropriate to any "Arsebook" perspective -- in the relative absence of any complementary exploration appropriate to any other sense of "hole" or "whole". Is this consistent with national preoccupation with arsenals?

On the other hand there is also the possibility that their skilled negotiators will have recognized the need to use the kind of "tough language" exemplified by boardroom and military discourse on Earth. "Shit" and "fuck" may be especially evident. The prevailing mode of discourse on Earth may have been interpreted as providing guidelines for effective communication (Writing Guidelines for Future Occupation of Earth by Extraterrestrials: Be done by as you did ? 2010).

Other possible dimensions to any such encounter might include some equivalent to the Christian priesthood -- so influential in the various encounters with the American Indians -- potentially sensitive to the possibility that inhabitants of Planet Earth "lacked souls" and appropriate beliefs. The ETs may have their own style of hypocritical prissy pretence -- matching that of those claiming to uphold humanity's highest values. The controversy aroused by Trump's alleged remarks may prove to be a valuable "test bed" for alien encounter.

More intriguing is the possibility that the ETs had delayed their visit in anticipation of there being an even greater amount of "shit" -- of higher quality. This would be reminiscent of the interest of dung beetles, or of entrepreneurs at the start of the Industrial Revolution with their slogan: where there's muck there's brass. Maybe Earth has not yet met their special needs.

Far more problematic, as with the case of "shithole countries", is the question as to whether and how they may have been "shat upon" -- and by whom. Who could be understood as doing the "shitting"? Does the history of how Haiti has been used in this way then suggest a provocative parallel with the history of Earth -- from an ET perspective? Given the manner in which humanity is now transforming the Middle East into a "shithole region" with Jerusalem as its vortex, the symbolism of the transfer of the US Embassy there may prove to be far from perplexing from such a universal perspective (Jerusalem as a Symbolic Singularity: comprehending the dynamics of hyperreality as a challenge to conventional two-state reality, 2017).

There is also the possibility that ETs may have a highly developed sense of humour featuring forms of "joined-up thinking" which would make it difficult for humans to "get the joke" (Humour and Play-Fullness: essential integrative processes in governance, religion and transdisciplinarity, 2005). If their humour had a scatological dimension, this might well feature in their attitude to "shithole planets".

Whilst clearly a "terrestrial extra", and allegedly in contact with ETs, is it possible that Trump is himself an "extraterrestrial" (R. Hobbus, White House Says Trump in 'Frequent' Contact with Extraterrestrials, Real News Right Now, 14 September 2017; Jeremy B. White, White House unable to say whether Trump believes in aliens, Independent, 19 December 2017)?

[Parts: First | Prev | All] [Visuals] [Links: To-K | From-K | From-Kx | Refs ]