Take Me To Your Leader

NASA/courtesy of nasaimages.org

I finally got around to watching Avatar and I can see what the hype was about.  James Cameron accomplished what he set out to do in terms of action, special effects and theme.  By the closing credits, I found myself entertained, exhilarated …and totally ticked off. This wasn’t just a foray into the world of science fiction and mythology. It was too accurate a portrayal of mankind’s historical tendency to destroy in the guise of progress.

Astronomers have recently announced the discovery of yet another cluster of planets orbiting a sun like star.  It is inconclusive whether or not any of these planets, including a small earth like orb, are life sustainable. The quest continues.

We are one step closer to actually making the fantasy of discovering life on other planets a reality. This may not be a good thing.  I suppose it depends on how we choose to explore the Final Frontier.  I wonder if we’ll play nice.  But, as history shows, just because we play nice doesn’t mean we don’t take a few toys that don’t belong to us at the end of the day.  After all, humankind has mistreated a few playmates right here on Third Rock.

In real life, many indigenous people did not rise to conquer as the Na'vi tribe of Avatar.  The indigenous tribes of the Americas, for example, did not welcome the new settlers, nor make a willing gift of their ancestral lands. In real life, they did not live long, and they did not prosper.  We have enslaved millions, and attempted to eradicate entire races and cultures, using religion, science and prejudice to fuel mass hysteria to legitimize and justify our behavior. At the end of the day, the actors in our science fiction fantasies have a chance to go home. The people in our history books did not.

Human beings have long had a nasty habit of discovering places that are already long inhabited and destroying others in favor of our own gain.  In our quest for greatness, we just Manifest Destiny all over the place.  Survival of the fittest long ago disintegrated into ruthless aggression and greed.  We are a smart species, and have learned appreciation of the varying cultures of our world, and to respect and treat ethically our fellow human beings.  Meanwhile, as someone recently reminded me, ongoing skirmishes and military activity across the globe indicate that we have simply learned how to mask our intentions, but the intentions remain the same. Like children, jealous of a neighbor’s toys, the ruthlessness prevails. 

But, I subscribe to optimism. It is sometimes our greatest weapon against repeating the sins of the past.  We must maintain the hope that, as we move toward exploring Terra Incognita, we boldly go as we have not gone before—with genuine peace and reverence.

How will we approach our new neighbors? Will we board the Enterprise bearing welcome baskets and home baked pies; or will they arrive first in a shiny Trojan horse filled with shiny beads, pretty blankets and promises of brotherhood.  Whose destiny will manifest first. Will life imitate art imitate life?  

Maybe Avatar is a veiled warning against repeating one’s history. Maybe it’s just entertainment. The questions linger, and we are still light years away from knowing.

Cheers,
-Ceddy