In answer to Trained's hypothetical about law enforcement i was watching some monty python skits yesterday and one stood out as being related to this topic.
#!
Thats the flowchart you will get in a nutshell.
(sans the silly bit at the end)
To the rape matter,
We each see the world from a unique perspective, and thats as it should be. My pov doesnt in anyway invalidate anyone elses.
But on the hypothetical assumption abductions are real (and i personally think if the phenomena is real, there is precident for abductions to be real)
I dont see it as rape, any more than i see a zoo artificially inseminating a rare animal is rape.
Right and wrong and rape are human constructs, from a topological pov a non human species with the ability to do these things, has the same status as we do when we do it to other species here.
We do abduct other species, we measure them, test them even implant them with RFID chips for the purposes of study.
Anyone who's watched meerkat manor will know we also fit some individuals with tracking devices.
Emotion aside the universe operates on a very simple albiet seemingly unfair principle.
The ability to do a thing, is all that matters. Right and wrong are in the eye of the beholder, they are not universal constants, they are just constructs that some may choose to apply to a given scenario or not as is their wont.
It is a scary thought, but its also true.
If a tiger takes a child collecting water from the river, right and wrong are not real factors in that story, the ability to do so is far more significant.
When we abduct, tag and even inseminate a wild panda we dont for a moment think of it as rape, from our perspective its not
And this must be considered in the alleged abduction scenario, If the scenario is one of a species other than ours, perhaps one thats no longer even biological like ours, then its as unlikely to consider what it does as bad, any more than we do when we serve up a lamb as curry, or use an antibacterial solution to wipe down the bench.
Indeed i could make a case of "comparative" morality where a post biological or non meat eating species might view their research where specimens are taken but returned safely to their environment as a far lesser evil, than the abduction of a lamb from its mother for the purposes of being served with rice and a nice yogurt dressing.
From a topological pov which is the greater evil ?
Im rather fond of the adage "one is not entitled to a higher standard of treatment, that that which we ourselves bring to the table"
Is the human species really entitled to a higher standard of treatment than that we extend to the other species here on earth ?
And again i can make a case that in the alleged abduction scenario we do in fact get a higher standard of treatment, than that we extend to the species we have here.
Its all relative
Which is why i say if we do have a non human species visting us, i dont find the abduction scenario odd, the precident already exists.
All the aspects of the alien abduction scenario, are mirrored in what we do to the species we share this universe with.
We abduct, measure,experiment on, tag, implant, track and even take samples from and inseminate and cross breed them.
We have and exercise our ability to do this to other species......................
Now i will anticipate the classic response.
"But we are sentient, the other species are not"
But lets break that down, what this really means is that we see some intrinsic
difference which makes it acceptable for us to do this to other species.
But that same rationale could be used by another species in relation to us.
Its ok to catch and tag a penguin, since its not as sophisticated as we are intellectually, evolutionary, socially, technologically, philosophically........
But that same excuse can apply to us as well
The model is pretty straight forward, those higher up the ladder can do what they like to those on the rungs below.
Because they can
