Here's a question I've been thinking about...Could an alien invasion/attack bring about peace among humanity?
I think if we all had a common "enemy" that posed a global threat, we humans would unite and fight as one...Is this idea too romantic? What do you guys think?
This is one of the main themes of science fiction. In the movie "Independence Day" we see this theme playing itself out as the "hero," the United States (since the movie was conceptualized for a predominately USA audience) discovers and passes on the tactics needed to defeat the evil invaders.
The group dynamic of uniting against a common enemy has a very tribal feeling about it. Today, October 25, 2014, that's the dynamic that's uniting Michigan State University football fans against University of Michigan football fans as the two rival football teams assemble on the gridiron for the annual contest. On November 29th we'll see Michigan State University football fans uniting with their fellow Michiganders who happen to be fans of the football played by the University of Michigan, as the Wolverines invade the territory of a common "enemy," the Ohio State Buckeyes.
That's the way it works. The loyalties and rivalries change, depending upon the nature of the perceived threat. IMO, the romantic idealism contained in your comment is not explicit enough. To paraphrase your question: Would an invasion by an alien race from outer space bring about permanent world peace, if and when humanity managed to defeat the invaders? I think not. Once a victory was achieved I believe things would gradually deteriorate into a "business as usual" power struggle. I see individuals and small groups people eventually emerging and fighting amongst themselves to gain some sort of advantage over the rest of humanity or their local territory.
Uniting in common cause is only part of the equation. The other part involves the transformation of human nature that creates a new hierarchy of values and priorities that motivate our behaviors.
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