PROLETKULT 12 - End of the UFO era w/ Wu Ming 1
The Antifada
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Capitalist Optimism and the Drake Equation
When people tend to talk about aliens, I think the optimism that they exist and that there's something benevolent about them. But I actually don't think that is optimistic to think that every intelligent creature in the universe wants to explore for example. Why is it a good thing for us to go and colonize Mars or to send out messages desperately trying to contact other worlds? Like why isn't it enough to just live on your planet in peace and sustainable contentment? The more we grow these illusions about the possibility of saving life on this planet, the more capitalism gives us a story related to the colonization of other planets.
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