Because in the mind of the average Westerner the rest of the world doesn’t really exist, except perhaps as an occasional tourist destination.
It’s “the jungle”. Of course aliens would have no interest in going there, there is nothing there of value (other than raw resources to extract). They want to come to “the garden” where there is culture, civilization and humanity.
This. I remember watching Democracy Now! with an ex-girlfriend and her remarking how odd it is to hear actual news about Latin America and Africa outside of some random mention of chaotic violence.
Exactly. Due to the way that our media and educational systems talk about them, people in the global south are not viewed as real people, they are rather just one dimensional, interchangeable cardboard cutouts. They are either to be feared as a potential threat (criminals, terrorists, drug dealers) or perpetual victims to be pitied, infantilized and - if we’re feeling generous - rescued and “civilized”.
It’s the orientalist world view pure and simple, but applied globally to everyone outside of the “golden billion”.
Not the answer I expected. My actual reason is that the aliens will know the US is a critical threat to their invasion and thus became a priority target.
I wonder why…
Because in the mind of the average Westerner the rest of the world doesn’t really exist, except perhaps as an occasional tourist destination.
It’s “the jungle”. Of course aliens would have no interest in going there, there is nothing there of value (other than raw resources to extract). They want to come to “the garden” where there is culture, civilization and humanity.
This. I remember watching Democracy Now! with an ex-girlfriend and her remarking how odd it is to hear actual news about Latin America and Africa outside of some random mention of chaotic violence.
Exactly. Due to the way that our media and educational systems talk about them, people in the global south are not viewed as real people, they are rather just one dimensional, interchangeable cardboard cutouts. They are either to be feared as a potential threat (criminals, terrorists, drug dealers) or perpetual victims to be pitied, infantilized and - if we’re feeling generous - rescued and “civilized”.
It’s the orientalist world view pure and simple, but applied globally to everyone outside of the “golden billion”.
Not the answer I expected. My actual reason is that the aliens will know the US is a critical threat to their invasion and thus became a priority target.
A certain Trotskyite from Argentina would give you a categorical answer.