Would this plan work for taking over the world?

Great Debates
#1

Say some aliens wanted to enslave humanity. Instead of launching a War of the Worlds type invasion, they want a minimalist approach. Besides, there’s simply not a whole lot of the aliens to stage a military takeover. So, they quietly listen in on our broadcasts and understand that the top superpower, the United States seems to worship a deity, Jesus Christ. They decide to stage a “second coming” complete with convincing “miracles” using their advanced alien technology. These events all line up perfectly with those described by the Bible.

President Bush is convinced that the real Jesus Christ has appeared to him. This deity tells him that he has a destiny to fulfill. God has guided his life and his presidency all towards a single purpose: the fulfillment of a simple edict that all non-believers must be eliminated to save the world. Fearing armageddon at hand, Bush commands all United States citizens to convert to Christianity. He sets up an intelligence agency to spy on citizens to ensure full compliance. Most citizens agree to do it out of fear. The reluctant ones are rounded up and purged.

Next, he uses the United States military to enforce this policy globally, wiping out any reluctant nations that get in his way. After the entire planet has been cowed, the aliens stroll in and take whatever they like.

For example, supposing the aim was to collect vast amounts of gold and uranium for the aliens. The Jesus Christ stand-in makes everyone worship him and regularly attend worship services. During these services, donations are collected, which go toward the acquisition of gold and uranium, etc.

So, could this scenario actually work? :eek:

#2

Hmmm. Essentially, this means nuking large parts of the world - non-nuclear options would not cope (not if they’re still bogged down in Iraq…) The aliens would save a lot of bother by just nuking us in the first place.

#3

Assume there isn’t enough of the aliens to stage a miliary takeover and they don’t have enough nukes. For example, it’s just a small group of alien mercenaries trying to make some quick cash, or maybe some alien frat kids with too much time on their hands.

#4

[QUOTE=The Controvert
So, could this scenario actually work? :eek:[/QUOTE]

So you’re asking if George W would singlehandedly overturn the US constitution and conquer the world If Alien Overlord Jesus popped down from the clouds?

Short answer no.
A bit hard to wrestle all the power away from everyone and force mass conversion without some bigwigs turning against it.

Considering you’re describing a nightmare Revelations scenerio for your Nutcase bible thumpers it is not likely you will get all “true” believers to bow down to your Alien Overlord Jesus. They would point to AOJ as the anti christ, using appropriate versus. You know the ones about uniting all nations and giving false signs and whatnot.

On the other side those who do not follow Christianity may balk at AOJ as some sort of hoax. Skeptics would poke holes in him and Scientists who are not overcome by the Greatness of Alien Overlord Jesus would try to determine the nature of teh miricles in question. those with minimal fate would waffle enough to not make much of a difference.

Sure you will have those people who suffer from that disease that makes them pray to stains on trees and rocks follow Alien Overlord Jesus to the great Uranium promised land. I doubt they have enough clout to change the direction of the U.S. governement to becomeing essentially a Theocracy.

No, Alien Overlord Jesus would have a tough time selling himself.

Also are you really speculating that the United States alone can take over the world and force them to follow the Squishy Messiah from beyond the stars? :dubious:

#5

If it’s mercenaries wanting to stay under the radar, then perhaps working into the post-Soviet criminal world would be a good option? They could throw in Tunguska II, for good measure!

If it’s alien frat boys, maybe holding our weather system to ransom would be more fun? (Surely if they’ve got the technology to create a few miracles, enough to convince a majority of westerners, they’ve got the ability to stop the Gulf Stream?)

#6

OK, son. Sounds like you took a little Orange Sunshine. Get yourself a cold beer and put on a little Allman Brothers. I suggest “Eat a Peach.”

Relax and enjoy the ride.

#7

If they’ve got the technology to develop a practical form of interstellar or intergalactic space travel, then I don’t think they’d even break a sweat dealing with us militarily, no matter how small their numbers were. In Arthur C. Clarke’s Childhood’s End, all the aliens do to put an end to resistance is cut off all sunlight to a certain area of the globe in a manner utterly undetectable to Earth scientists. Shucks, there wouldn’t even need to be any actual combat or conflict of any sort. All they’d have to do is give us a demonstration of that sort, and say, “Okay, we’re giving the orders now.”

#8

But their aim is not to wipe out valuable slaves or turn it into a “them vs. us” conflict. They want to subtly subvert the workforce of the entire planet to hand over something of value. They don’t want to actually mine the gold or uranium or gemstones themselves.

As for whether or not they could put on a convincing show, what would convince even the most die-hard skeptic that Jesus Christ has returned? Is that something alien technology could imitate?

#9

This seems awfully short-sighted… the Jesus Christ idea could be sustainable long-term and a lucrative revenue stream is preferable.

#10

Would it work as a science-fiction scenario? Sure, with a lot more elaboration, you could probably draw a convincing case. Thing is, you get to delineate your alien technology in any way you want.

Would it be their best solution? Probably not: the US governmnet does have division of powers, and it’s tremendously difficult to get the US to move in a fundamentally new direction (I’d argue that at least since the Spanish-American war US world policy has gone in more-or-less the same direction). There’d probably be much easier ways to accomplish their goals. For example, if they want to gather gold or uranium, they need to reveal themselves to the CEO of a major corporation and offer an exchange of technology for uranium. Or appear to leaders of dictatorial countries and offer the same exchange.

Daniel

#11

Nope. I’ve tried it twice. Too many x-factors.

#12

Hmm. I would have thought that a race of aliens who didn’t, for whatever reason, have the capacity merely to invade and defeat us would be much more likely to offer us the equivalent of a string of beads for the equivalent of Manhattan Island, rather than engaging on an elaborate and unreliable course of deception as described in the OP. :slight_smile:

One thing that even the most superficial observation of our society would tell them is that nothing has as much power as money. Why trick us into slavery when we’re prepared to sell ourselves?

#13

True, they could get probably make a few million to a few billion this way. But could they make trillions? Add some more zeros to the end… could they effectively collect up every last bit of gold from the planet with this scheme? What if their aim is more than material wealth? Say they like having billions of worshippers bowing to them and catering to their every whim? Not just hired help… but fanatically loyal people who actually jump off cliffs to their death without hesitation if ordered to. Maybe they can increase their lifespans by jumping into human host bodies… now there are billions of willing hosts and they can choose the Brad Pitts and Angelina Jolies.

As for separation of powers, a few Patriot-type acts later, and he’s got the powers. The wiretapping doesn’t seem to be a problem these days. Let’s assume if the aliens can convince President Bush, they can convince a few more people… key government figures in the US and other nations. I don’t think the Pope would need much convincing, seeing as how it increases the power of the church.

#14

Especially if all they want is gold and uranium. You can buy those on existing markets. The uranium market is more tightly regulated, but, for the right price . . .

#15

I’ve been chuckling to myself about this post for the last 45 minutes.

#16

Controvert, it’s your fantasy. The aliens can do whatever you want them to do in your fantasy. In what sense is this a great debate?

Daniel

#17

Then why do they need the US to take over the world? Wouldn’t they be more likely to get people to follow them with abject devotion if they didn’t bring about World War III and the destruction of 2/3rds of the earth?

You’re assuming that they have the same conception of beauty that we (many Americans and Western Europeans) do. I feel fairly confident that they’d find the redneck look attractive. That’s why they’re always anally probing them.

The Patriot Act doesn’t change the separation of powers. It just changed the way the federal government collected and handled intelligence. And merely passing a law that gets rid of the separation of powers (which would require convincing the President and a majority of the House and Senate that it’s a good idea) still isn’t enough; you’d have to convince the Courts that it’s ok (that includes courts at all levels during the trial and appellate process, and then at least 5 Supreme Court Justices). And you’d have to convince a majority of the American people that it’s a good idea, so they don’t just elect new representatives who change the laws in a couple years.

First of all, the Pope doesn’t have any power over the workings of the American government. So the Pope’s opinion on the new Alien Laws would be irrelevant. The only group the Pope actually leads are the Holy See (one of the smallest states in the world) and Catholics who choose to devotedly follow his edicts (an increasingly small number in modern times).

Second, you seem to assume that the Pope would agree to anything that increases his own power. I doubt that’s the case. If the Pope sincerely believes in God and Jesus and salvation, and he doubts that the new alien overlords are Jesus’s second coming, then I doubt he’s going to betray God (and give up eternal salvation) merely so that he can have a bit more power for the final 20 years of his life.

And anyway, I don’t see how Jesus’s second coming would make the Pope more powerful. Seems to me that God’s representative on earth – chiefly in charge of interpreting God’s will and word, and setting forth religious doctrines for the Catholic Church – would be out of a job if God was around to do those things Himself.

#18

Hey Daniel,

Yes, this is a fantasy scenario. Of course, it could happen tomorrow, so maybe it’s not terribly fantastic. If you don’t find this very interesting, please feel free to read a different thread instead.

I think this is the correct forum, as we can debate this particular plan for taking over the world. Do you think it works, or if not, why not? I find it strange, however, that everybody seems to be coming up with a different plan. If you have a different plan for taking over the world, perhaps that should be discussed in another thread.

I do regret being overly specific about the “gold and uranium” comment… it’s implication is that the aliens want material wealth. And yes, there are many ways the aliens and connive, swindle, or steal large amounts of wealth. Again, that’s a different world takeover plan and please feel free to start another thread to discuss those plans.

#19

Well, if the aliens can do anything you want them to do, then they can do anything you want them to do, no?

If they have the technology to take over people’s minds or bodies directly, if they can do anything they like, then why do they have to “take over” anything?

Bottom line, you can’t take over the world just by mind controlling George Bush. Or any small group of people. Why not just use your magic technology to set off every nuclear bomb on earth?

If they don’t want to nuke the earth, then how exactly is the brainwashed US military going to conquer the earth for them? We can’t even conquer Iraq, how are we going to conquer China, Russia, Germany, France, Britain, Italy, Japan, Korea, India, Pakistan, Iran, and so on, all at the same time?

OK, aliens brainwash George Bush into declaring war on every country on earth. Why doesn’t congress impeach him? OK, congress is brainwashed too. Why doesn’t the US military refuse to obey? If the US military is brainwashed too, why doesn’t the US citizenry resist them? If the US citizenry is brainwashed too, why doesn’t the rest of the world resist? If the rest of the world is brainwashed, then why do we need to conquer them?

Look, if you postulate magical brainwashing powers for your aliens, then they can do whatever they like. Just brainwash everyone on earth. Simple.

#20

Of course it works, because it’s your fantasy. You get to set the rules, and if anyone comes up with an objection, you get to throw up a new fact that counters their objection. How could it possibly not work, as long as you want it to?

Now, if I get to make up rules, then it no longer works. For example, you’re forgetting the fact that the aliens are incapable of lying.

But I don’t think I’m allowed to do that. Or am I?

Daniel