# Aliens demand the human race turn vegetarian - could we do it? Should we? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 30, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-demand-the-human-race-turn-vegetarian-could-we-do-it-should-we/534390 "2010-03-30T22:26:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-demand-the-human-race-turn-vegetarian-could-we-do-it-should-we/534390/1 "2010-03-30T22:26:24Z")
Aliens arrive on Earth tomorrow and announce “Your treatment and consumption of your planet’s animal species is unacceptable - you have one of your primitive Earth ‘years’ to stop this mistreatment, or we will intervene and disintegrate all humans. This is not negotiable. Stand by for detailed stipulation of the requirements.” It turns out they’re want the end of all commercial farming, hunting, fishing etc. Small-scale (i.e. subsistence) hunting/fishing and self-sufficiency style smallholding won’t trip the alarms, as long as it doesn’t rise significantly above current levels. Let’s say they give us sufficient reason to believe that they are indeed extraterrestrials and that they are sincere in their demand. We don’t know a lot of detail about them or their technology, including their weapons or defences, but the fact that they can cross interstellar space implies technologies advanced beyond ours in at least some ways. So… what happens next? Do we cut to the chase and interpret this as nothing less than a declaration of war? Do we make some kind of attempt at compliance? Could we even do that, if we wanted to? Do we try, but fail because individuals decide it will be OK for _them_ to take up hunting/fishing, or because of a black market in illicit bacon? Do we just give up the idea as hopeless? Do we just defy them because we were taught to stand up to bullies? What happens next? ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-demand-the-human-race-turn-vegetarian-could-we-do-it-should-we/534390/2 "2010-03-30T22:36:21Z")
I think an aweful lot of people could keep pet chickens and still come in under the commercial number of chickens in the world. Pretty certain you could do the same with pigs, and perhaps cows [although commercial chicken egging and dairy production theoretically would be ok, as you said vegetarian not vegan] ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-demand-the-human-race-turn-vegetarian-could-we-do-it-should-we/534390/3 "2010-03-30T22:40:09Z")
I die eating a plate full of bacon, is what happens next. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-demand-the-human-race-turn-vegetarian-could-we-do-it-should-we/534390/4 "2010-03-30T22:40:52Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > I think an aweful lot of people could keep pet chickens and still come in under the commercial number of chickens in the world. Pretty certain you could do the same with pigs, and perhaps cows [although commercial chicken egging and dairy production theoretically would be ok, as you said vegetarian not vegan] If the level of that activity rises significantly above present, we lose, if they’re keeping the pigs and cows for more than companionship, that is. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-demand-the-human-race-turn-vegetarian-could-we-do-it-should-we/534390/5 "2010-03-30T22:49:19Z")
Basement Cow. Black Market Bacon…mmmmmm… Frankly, I think we point out that their plan to KILL ALL HUMANS is somewhat in opposition to the idea of treating animal species kindly, and than many species we farm could not and do not exist in the wild. Cows and Chickens are pretty much going to go extinct. Then we try to negotiate from that standpoint. We’ll end commercial ocean fishing, we’ll end certain kinds of farming practices. We’ll negotiate for more time, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-demand-the-human-race-turn-vegetarian-could-we-do-it-should-we/534390/6 "2010-03-30T22:52:36Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Basement Cow. > > Black Market Bacon…mmmmmm… > > Frankly, I think we point out that their plan to KILL ALL HUMANS is somewhat in opposition to the idea of treating animal species kindly, and than many species we farm could not and do not exist in the wild. Cows and Chickens are pretty much going to go extinct. Then we try to negotiate from that standpoint. We’ll end commercial ocean fishing, we’ll end certain kinds of farming practices. We’ll negotiate for more time, etc. Negotiation has already been ruled out. ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-demand-the-human-race-turn-vegetarian-could-we-do-it-should-we/534390/7 "2010-03-30T22:55:57Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > It turns out they’re want the end of all commercial **farming** , hunting, fishing etc. This means we return to being a hunter-gatherer society? Getting people in developed nations to work 40 acres and live in poverty while doing so is going to be a challenge, as well as being horribly inefficient ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-demand-the-human-race-turn-vegetarian-could-we-do-it-should-we/534390/8 "2010-03-30T22:56:41Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > This means we return to being a hunter-gatherer society? Getting people in developed nations to work 40 acres and live in poverty while doing so is going to be a challenge, as well as being horribly inefficient Sorry, I meant farming of animals. (Would have thought that a bit obvious from the context) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-demand-the-human-race-turn-vegetarian-could-we-do-it-should-we/534390/9 "2010-03-30T23:07:08Z")
I think the scenario is a bit implausible, but if it did come up, sure, we could switch over. Some societies wouldn’t be sustainable without meat, and we’d have to pay to ship food to them from better vegetable-growing regions, but if the alternative is the destruction of humanity, then it’s a cost we could certainly afford. Which is not, of course, to say that we’d enjoy it: I don’t eat much meat anyway, but no more bacon, ever? That’s a bit harsh. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-demand-the-human-race-turn-vegetarian-could-we-do-it-should-we/534390/10 "2010-03-30T23:14:22Z")
From my cold dead hands. I’d be dead with **MeanOldLady** except with a huge cheeseburger instead of bacon. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-demand-the-human-race-turn-vegetarian-could-we-do-it-should-we/534390/11 "2010-03-30T23:33:25Z")
Would these same aliens require carnivorous animals to turn veggie, too? Why would an off-world race consider plants on this planet so expendable? ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-demand-the-human-race-turn-vegetarian-could-we-do-it-should-we/534390/12 "2010-03-30T23:36:52Z")
How do we know they don’t just want us to go vegetarian because they think herbivores taste better? :eek: IT’S A COOKBOOK!!! ---
**Author:** ![This\_Just\_In\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@This\_Just\_In\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/This_Just_In_2)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-demand-the-human-race-turn-vegetarian-could-we-do-it-should-we/534390/13 "2010-03-30T23:55:16Z")
I hope they bring some copies of ‘How to Cook for Forty Humans’. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-demand-the-human-race-turn-vegetarian-could-we-do-it-should-we/534390/14 "2010-03-31T00:06:18Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Would these same aliens require carnivorous animals to turn veggie, too? No, except that we won’t be allowed to commercially farm animals for pet food, which could be a problem. > [@](#): > > Why would an off-world race consider plants on this planet so expendable? Their motives are unfathomable! ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-demand-the-human-race-turn-vegetarian-could-we-do-it-should-we/534390/15 "2010-03-31T00:30:11Z")
Can we shoot cows out of a rail gun? If so, we have a lot of ammo to use against their ships. Monty Python to the rescue. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-demand-the-human-race-turn-vegetarian-could-we-do-it-should-we/534390/16 "2010-03-31T00:33:49Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > No, except that we won’t be allowed to commercially farm animals for pet food, which could be a problem. > > Their motives are unfathomable! Much like French Stewart… ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-demand-the-human-race-turn-vegetarian-could-we-do-it-should-we/534390/17 "2010-03-31T00:51:21Z")
Pretty funny that a guy with a handle like **Mangetout** is thinking about something like this. Maybe a name change is in order to **Plus de Viande** 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-demand-the-human-race-turn-vegetarian-could-we-do-it-should-we/534390/18 "2010-03-31T01:40:33Z")
There was a short story along these lines. Asimov? Clarke? Anyway, the aliens demanded that we give up eating meat before we could join the Galatic Federation. The humans thought about it for a while and told the aliens to get lost. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-demand-the-human-race-turn-vegetarian-could-we-do-it-should-we/534390/19 "2010-03-31T01:49:55Z")
We comply because we have little choice. We beg, borrow or steal their technology until we can stand up to them. Then we eat them. Hey, it doesn’t even fall under their ban! It’s hardly our fault if they didn’t specify, “Oh, by the way don’t eat any obnoxious aliens, either.” ---
**Author:** ![fuzzypickles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9d8465/32.png) [@fuzzypickles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fuzzypickles)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-demand-the-human-race-turn-vegetarian-could-we-do-it-should-we/534390/20 "2010-03-31T06:37:48Z")
Why do the aliens hate plants? That’s what I would ask. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aliens-demand-the-human-race-turn-vegetarian-could-we-do-it-should-we/534390.md?page=2)