This Cosmic Dance Aint For Everyone, Just the Little People.

I have enjoyed listening to several scientific documentaries featuring popular theoretical physicist and Mensa heart throb, Michio Kaku talking about theoretically advanced alien cultures.  Actually I wouldn't be surprised if it were just the same sound bites on different shows.  Basic cable does that a lot on its various science related channels.

Dr. Kaku talks about the theoretical scale of advanced alien civilizations.   Level 1 civilization are able to harness the power of a planet.  They can control the weather, earthquakes, geothermal and tectonic power of a planet to drive their machines and industry.  Strip a planet to make a better empire.  Level II civilizations can harness the power of the star their planet or planets are orbiting around to get whatever they need to get done.  Level III civilizations can harness the power of an entire galaxy to further their goals.  Pave a galaxy, put up a parking lot.

I know it is quaintly latter twentieth century of me to think so, but I still hold to the philosophy that no civilization can ever be considered advanced until it has harnessed its potential.  The potential of all its citizens to be fully realized beings to the best of their abilities, to have adequate food, shelter, water, and education to make the best contribution they can to the civilization they were born into.

The potential not to strip the planet, star, or galaxy they call home for all its raw materials and energy before strapping rockets to their butts and blasting off to the next habitable sector to strip mine.  The potential not to behave like a technologically advanced cancer collective.

Only after a civilization has achieved its inward potential as individuals, citizens, societies, species is it time to look outward.  Only when you are looking outward as an explorer, not as an opportunist or refugee.

Otherwise, you're not really talking about a civilization of any kind of advancement at all. You're talking about a little civilization of little people.  A little civilization with big ideas and grand schemes to make themselves feel more important.  A culture that's a sponge across a cosmic white board, causing as much chaos as it can, stroking across from one end to the other before dissipating right off the board; a result of its own arrogance.

The question of are we alone in the Universe is asked a lot.  As well as the corollary; if there are other advanced civilizations in the Universe, why haven't they contacted us?  Well we can thank our stars that so far no other little civilizations have attempted to contact us.

If we were contacted by a little civilization of aliens, they would offer us a few beads and trinkets.  Then they would terraform our planet, strip the power of our sun and eventually, if they were a "Type III advanced civilization" snuff out the Milky Way Galaxy to get go juice for their machines.  Meanwhile, the trinkets they offered would turn out to be either laced with poisons to remove us as competitors and threats, or mutagens to terraform us to suit their needs.

"Well then why haven't we been contacted by one of your 'advanced' alien civilizations, Mr. Big Stuff?"  Answer to that is simple.  We aren't ready yet.  We really need to evolve.  We just run in circles chasing our tails.  In our own nation, the light of the republic is dimming and being replaced by a cult of neo-feudalism.   Multi-billionaires  and multi-national corporations have simply replaced the crown and the church as we slowly revolve toward a new dark age.  So the circling continues.

Seeing that from the outside would you really want to get involved and put yourself in the middle of that hot mess.