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In this episode, we are talking about Impeachment, but for our dear listeners, we also talk about hypocrisy and why, honestly, it doesn’t really matter anymore. Especially to aliens.

More detailed description: Micah brings up the question about Impeachment. A few things we also talk about too:

Hypocrisy, Aliens, Florida, Aliens Japan and China and the Kerfuffle, Aliens, Invasions, Aliens, Game Theory, Aliens, Books, Aliens, Cortez, Aliens, on and also... Aliens!

Show Notes:

Columbus Day by Craig Alanson
Such a great military science fiction story. Alien invasions, running jokes, and great characters. Side note: R. C. Bray’s narration on the Audible audiobook is amazing. 10/10 will listen again.

Foreigner by C. J. Cherryh
Possibly K Sera’s favorite science fiction space opera series ever. It’s a story about first contact, but it subverts the typical alien invasion trope with the aliens being us, the humans, and we aren’t in a position of dominance.

K Sera’s after thoughts:

• The Empire may or may not have been wrong.

• Was this about impeachment?

• I still think competition doesn’t need to be adversarial. People (or other species) can compete for resources and make deals for mutual benefit at the same time. You can have friendly competitions designed to improve all parties.

Sports are one example. Athletes compete with each other and overall the skill level of all the teams/players improve over time - and lo, no one needs to sacrifice their life. Trees in forests compete for light and water, but there are instances of cooperation and respect for boundaries that are observable (such as crown shyness). They communicate helpful information to other trees in their mycorrhizal networks, they forms alliances with other tree species, and older trees will often share resources with younger trees. There are all sorts of examples of mutual, beneficial cooperation within and between species. While competition can make fierce enemies, it can also facilitate fierce alliances and cooperation.

• I still stand by C. J. Cherryh’s philosophy of first contact. Species who go around making enemies on first contact, seeking to destroy or threaten before any other action, will eventually come upon a more powerfully dangerous species that can take them out or make them retreat.

Better to approach with caution. Leave them alone if they can be avoided. If they can’t be avoided and they don’t immediately try to threaten you, the best move from there would be to attempt communication in an effort to understand the other and see if there are gains to be made in cooperation. If there is no possibility for cooperation, then better to leave and let live, if possible. Destroying another species should only ever be a last resort. To make an adversarial move as a first move is dangerous. Don’t develop a habit of starting fight with lethal consequences, even if you think you can win.

Micah, you’re wrong. We don’t need to be assholes in space. Space is vast. There are plenty of resources for everyone. I think we can share. You are too ready to start a fight.