Should the government cover up contact with space aliens?

[PlutonianEmpire]

I have two simple questions.

If there was going to be contact with space aliens, WOULD the government cover it up? Why or why not?

The next question,

SHOULD the government cover up contact with space aliens? Again, why or why not?

 

[Karalysia]

I say no but that's because I'm a revolutionary like that.

 

[JohnRM]

Whether or not the government would cover-up contact with an alien race is obviously dependent upon too many factors to discuss. It is also a matter of the nature of the contact. If they came bearing gifts and benevolence, that is one thing. If the first words out of their mouths were to the affect of, "Our words are backed with nuclear weapons", then that is another thing. We don't want to cause mass panic and hysteria.

 

[Narz]

If space aliens were sophisticated enough to contact us I highly doubt the government could control their ability to communicate with us. Sorry, I kinda ruined your thread but your presupposition that the govt. COULD cover up alien contact is dubious.

UNLESS, you're talking about a NASA missions that uncovered some space alien life on a far distant planet. In that case I guess the govt. could try to cover it up. I don't see why though.

 

[PeteAtoms]

It is more a matter of what the aliens want. If the aliens wanted us to know about 'em, then we would. If the government is capable of covering up contact, then the aliens aren't putting up much effort.

 

[Zkribbler]

[Good. No one has yet guessed that the government is run by aliens.]

 

[bhsup]

[Good. No one has yet guessed that the government is run by aliens.]

No, Huckabee lost...

Well, here are my issues.

Huckabee: FairTax?!?! Also, something about him just gives me the heebee jeebees.. He'll get in office, rip off his mask and reveal himself to be the ancient Cylon Emperor from 1,000 years ago (original series canon.).

 

[MobBoss]

The government should cover up contact with space aliens only if the aliens are planning to blow up our planet.....

Oh wait.....

 

[jUmpSt0p]

the evidence that we have and are being visited by ETs is absolutely overwhelming in my opinion... though, it seems from most accounts that we are just being observed.

hell, the governor of Arizona and thousands of people in Phoenix SAW a UFO in the daytime.. by and large, people KNOW what they saw. the list of incredibly well documented sitings by reliable professionals from all walks of life, all over the planet, is VERY LONG... nearly every major government has done a study on the sitings, and every single study conlcuded that a significant portion of the events cannot be discarded and that the witnesses are reliable...

for my part, I'm convinced by the evidence I've seen that aliens are visiting this planet in spacehips. beyond that, who the hell knows.

 

[bhsup]

They saw an unidentified flying object (UFO). That does not mean aliens from Centauri (though Lord knows I'd love to see Londo land on the white house lawn.) That just means they don't know what they saw.

 

[Shekwan]

They definately should. People would go crazy and want them on X Factor or Survivior or some other bs reality tv program.

 

[Mad Man]

Puny Earth Governments should do whatever are Grey overlords want them to do.

 

[jUmpSt0p]

They saw an unidentified flying object (UFO). That does not mean aliens from Centauri (though Lord knows I'd love to see Londo land on the white house lawn.) That just means they don't know what they saw.

actually they DO KNOW what they saw.

they may not know exactly what it was or where it came from, but MOST people who have seen these things agree they are not from this planet.

look at the evidence for yourself. there are full-blown US Army base commanders who've come out on this.. pilots from all over the world. there are photographs galore. if you haven't seen enough evidence to make you wonder, then you haven't actually looked.

 

[Earthling]

If space aliens were sophisticated enough to contact us I highly doubt the government could control their ability to communicate with us. Sorry, I kinda ruined your thread but your presupposition that the govt. COULD cover up alien contact is dubious.

This, mostly.

 

[Neonanocyborgasm]

I have two simple questions.

If there was going to be contact with space aliens, WOULD the government cover it up? Why or why not?

The next question,

SHOULD the government cover up contact with space aliens? Again, why or why not?

It would be impossible to cover up such a thing for long, so it's a moot point.

Conspiracies always unravel eventually, and the more people know about them, the faster they are discovered. How is the government going to prevent astronomers all over the world from noticing alien space ships in Earth orbit? Or perhaps those aliens have cloaking devices?

 

[Glassfan]

If you're talking about the American government, "government coverup" is an oxymoron. The USA keeps secrets like a sieve holds water. Freedom-of-Information-Act, the public's "right to know", suppeoned(spell?) emails, snoopy reporters, Washington Insiders, big-mouth Congressional staff members -- The President of the United States can't get a BJ in the Oval Office without it showing up on CNN. Keeping aliens a secret would last about as long as it takes the Cabinet to walk out the meeting and start twittering.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

If you're talking about the American government, "government coverup" is an oxymoron. The USA keeps secrets like a sieve holds water. Freedom-of-Information-Act, the public's "right to know", suppeoned(spell?) emails, snoopy reporters, Washington Insiders, big-mouth Congressional staff members -- The President of the United States can't get a BJ in the Oval Office without it showing up on CNN. Keeping aliens a secret would last about as long as it takes the Cabinet to walk out the meeting and start twittering.

Military secrets are covered very well. To assume the US-Gov - hell any Gov - couldn't keep a secret if necessary ignores reality to an ridiculous extend.

On topic: This is such an unpredictable scenario that a gov should keep as much options as possible which requires an uninformed public.

 

[azzaman333]

What difference does it make?

 

[amadeus]

Military secrets are covered very well. To assume the US-Gov - hell any Gov - couldn't keep a secret if necessary ignores reality to an ridiculous extend.

On topic: This is such an unpredictable scenario that a gov should keep as much options as possible which requires an uninformed public.

Please... how many Soviet spies were working on the Manhattan Project? Even the most top secret of information can't be kept by any government... it's bound to leak sooner or later.

 

[Glassfan]

Military secrets are covered very well. To assume the US-Gov - hell any Gov - couldn't keep a secret if necessary ignores reality to an ridiculous extend.

Really specific things like operating frequencies and codes can be kept, but the general existance of things like stealth bombers or other advanced technologies are revieled to the public by "unnamed sources", opposition party members and idealists who believe the public has a right to know.