OT: A question about the Human Ability to Cope

[Starhawk]

Study history America used to be a nation of hard workers and people who beleived we could overcome anything and take on anyone no matter what and we did it in a good way, these days we piss and whine and have protests EVEN WHEN WE WERE GOING INTO A "RIGHT" War!


But anyway El_Phil

Now back on to subject I wonder how many of us would even be able to handle a true "space age" era Humanity, and how much we would all either be overjoyed/overwhelmed or just plain freaked out.

[cshank2]

Hm, you have to remember, that, like in the case of 40k, Religion is a HUGE psychological boost. If every religion were to claim that said aliens were either Pure or Unpure would determine the majority of the populaces reaction. So... meh... Hopefully us humans will have talismans by then though! *pulls a luke skywalker on a tyranid spore ship*

pwnage.

[El_Phil]

Starhawk said:
Study history America used to be a nation of hard workers and people who beleived we could overcome anything and take on anyone no matter what and we did it in a good way, these days we piss and whine and have protests EVEN WHEN WE WERE GOING INTO A "RIGHT" War!

When exactly was this hard worker and belief in overcoming stuff a national trait?

Now of course there are millions of yanks who that did/does apply to, but it was never a famous national trait. If you'd ask a person to name a US national trait it might be 'epicly fat', 'has no taste in trousers' or 'drinks awful beer' something like that. Just as the French would be 'arrogant' or 'bad at fighting wars'.

Of course these are broad and entirely unfair stereotypes, but that's the whole point

[Starhawk]

El_Phil I was trying to get off the politics that's why I changed subjects learn to let it go especially since it's only this generation that is "epicly fat" as a national trait and boy howdy is that true lol

Anyway thanks for all your answers folks it was really helpful.

[El_Phil]

Helpful hint #42: If you want to get off a point the best way is not to mention it. Strange but true.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

During the Napoleonic era, the french army was one of the best in the world.

Present-day opinions are not nessasarily today's truth's and rarely apply in history.

[El_Phil]

Yet still they lost. Of course I'm biased, should I offer the French more than grudging and heavily qualified respect I may well have my Englishness revoked.

[Alneyan]

It is very easy actually: the worse the odds are for France, the better they do. Look: in 1805, we were fighting several countries and won, while in the later stages of the war, we failed to slaughter those silly folks from Albion who barely knew what end of a sword was used for business and... I mean, our most friendly neighbours from England.

Similarly, France did well in the Hundred's Year Wars, especially after the Treaty of Troyes which left France in a very weak situation (1420 or so), and the discovery of Cannon resulted in the English tide receding. On the other hand, despite having more well-fed troops with better equipment fighting on our soil, we still managed to lose at Azincourt. Don't ask. Really, don't.

And the story goes on: we successfully fought after the Revolution against all our neighbours, but failed to quench the uprisings in the Low Countries (England didn't do well there either), and... Well, add more examples as appropriate. The bottom line is: if you want to rely on the French, make sure the odds are plain awful.

Of course, it's not as if you can actually win most wars: Napoleon may have lost at the end of the day, but Europe was pretty much the same as in 1800 once the wars were over. The only point seems to be to weaken the enemy... problem is, you will get weaker yourself in the process, preventing you from achieving much, and bringing you on par with the enemy... so another war can be started, to weaken the enemy, and...

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

narf poit chez BOOM said:
During the Napoleonic era, the french army was one of the best in the world.

AHEM the French army yes..... but just look at the amount of foreign recruits..... and what nationality was its leader?

*****

If SETI were to receive a signal, the world governments (i.e. the US government which thinks is the world government) would immediately shut down the program and start arming for war.

If an alien landed in Hyde Park, there'd be a crowd of media people around it within hours. It would probably get so freaked out (just think how much a TV camera looks like a rocket launcher or an energy weapon if you don't know what it is, and then there are the helicopters.....) it would either get back in its spaceship and take off again, returning some days later with a battle fleet, or it would attack the crowd, get fired on by the military, take off in its space ship and return some time later with a battle fleet. Either way, we lose.

*****

In an entirely unrelated matter, I've just noticed SETI hasn't sent me a new data package for at least three days.....

[Baron Munchausen]

Strategia_In_Ultima said:

AHEM the French army yes..... but just look at the amount of foreign recruits..... and what nationality was its leader?

*****

If SETI were to receive a signal, the world governments (i.e. the US government which thinks is the world government) would immediately shut down the program and start arming for war.

If an alien landed in Hyde Park, there'd be a crowd of media people around it within hours. It would probably get so freaked out (just think how much a TV camera looks like a rocket launcher or an energy weapon if you don't know what it is, and then there are the helicopters.....) it would either get back in its spaceship and take off again, returning some days later with a battle fleet, or it would attack the crowd, get fired on by the military, take off in its space ship and return some time later with a battle fleet. Either way, we lose.

*****

In an entirely unrelated matter, I've just noticed SETI hasn't sent me a new data package for at least three days.....

Actually, in that era the French army was almost exclusively French. And the population of France was almost 1/3rd of the total population of Europe at that time, so they could field huge armies relative to any other European state. Sheer numbers had a lot to do with their successes. But Napoleon himself was Corsican, yes...