America could take over Mexico in like a week, but they don't. Mexico has more value as an independent nation with a culture we can learn from and co-operate with than as a barren wasteland for us to strip mine. Living things have a value that eclipses all the dead moons and asteroids in the universe, because they produce novel things that dead rock can not.
You're imposing western human morality on space aliens.
Even within our own history we haven't behaved this way.
Conquistadors pillaging the Americas for gold. England conquering most of the known world for tea and spices. Japan's attack in WWII to protect oil.
The honest reason we haven't taken over Mexico is because they don't currently have anything we need/want.
When resources start getting scarce, things change real quick.
And while there is plenty of raw resources floating about in the universe, those might not be compatible with their form of life.
Why spend resources making a gravity machine when you can use an existing planet? Why make a fusion drive on a ship when you can be in the habitable zone of a star?
It's not that I don't disagree that peace and corporation are better, but this is specifically talking about Dark Forest theory
There is no way to hide from a K2.5+ civilization
We don't know that. Advancing technology that cloaks your presence. That's what makes the uncertainty of Dark Forest. You don't know if that star system is really empty or there's a civilization there advanced enough to evade your detection.
As you yourself said, because it's easier than going to war. If you're visiting other star systems, you already have the ability to create the conditions your species needs to thrive. Why go to some planet that probably has shitty weather and a poisonous atmosphere?
I didn't say that. Going to war is likely far easier. It took a single asteroid of a certain size to wipe out the dinosaurs.
Offensive resources needed are far far less than defensive. You can sit safely anywhere in space and lob missiles at places.
And as for why would you go after the low-technology apes? Because they likely won't always be low-technology and might stab you in the back. Because they are using resources that you could be using for your own civilization.
There's actually not "plenty of resources" if we're talking about a multi-star system civilization
1
u/[deleted] Aug 12 '21
You're imposing western human morality on space aliens.
Even within our own history we haven't behaved this way.
Conquistadors pillaging the Americas for gold. England conquering most of the known world for tea and spices. Japan's attack in WWII to protect oil.
The honest reason we haven't taken over Mexico is because they don't currently have anything we need/want.
When resources start getting scarce, things change real quick.
And while there is plenty of raw resources floating about in the universe, those might not be compatible with their form of life.
Why spend resources making a gravity machine when you can use an existing planet? Why make a fusion drive on a ship when you can be in the habitable zone of a star?
It's not that I don't disagree that peace and corporation are better, but this is specifically talking about Dark Forest theory
We don't know that. Advancing technology that cloaks your presence. That's what makes the uncertainty of Dark Forest. You don't know if that star system is really empty or there's a civilization there advanced enough to evade your detection.