why destroy everything??? - The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) Discussion

[–] strntz 10 years ago

Without humans, who would kill, cook, serve, and eat the animals?

That reminds me, gotta go turn my steak.

It is bad to drink Jobus rum. Very bad.

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[–] SpiltPersonality 9 years ago

Good point!

Bacon is murder... tasty tasty murder!

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[–] LaLlama 9 years ago

LOL

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[–] disinterested_spectator 9 years ago

Klaatu apparently has the same mentality as Joshua.

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[–] hockeyhrs 8 years ago

Klaatu doesn't have to "eliminate the Earth" or even, as you suggest "get rid of the humans."

A simpler solution is to leave a small fleet of spaceships (controlled by Gort-like robots) in/around Earth orbit, and have them shoot down any human-created rockets & spaceships (unmanned or manned) that try to fly into space as long as we exhibit (Klaatu's race will continue to monitor us) irresponsible behavior with atomic weapons. That lets us control our own fate, and we'll either blow ourselves up or mature enough to be allowed to travel into space.

Win, win! . . . . and it permits evolution to continue to operate.

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[–] strntz 8 years ago

A simpler solution is to leave a small fleet of spaceships (controlled by Gort-like robots) in/around Earth orbit, and have them shoot down any human-created rockets & spaceships (unmanned or manned) that try to fly into space as long as we exhibit (Klaatu's race will continue to monitor us) irresponsible behavior with atomic weapons.

That's assuming that the aliens have the equipment if not the inclination to do so, and that's assuming they would even have the capability of knowing what the intentions of the ship leaving Earth had.

We were given the message not to export our aggression or we'd be smote but good. Pretty simple and doesn't require the aliens to have to waste time and materiel on watching every planet with the capability or the potential to do so.

Is very bad to steal Jobu's rum. Is very bad.

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[–] bastasch8647 8 years ago

All good points, but it still portrays the aliens as fascists and hypocrites - here they are, threatening to turn the Earth "into a burnt-out cinder" because of human violence. That makes them as violent as humans. The difference being that they have planet-destroying power and humans didn't. Seems they could use a good working over to the point they would drop their arrogance and judgmental, destructive violence.

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[–] strntz 8 years ago

All good points, but it still portrays the aliens as fascists and hypocrites - here they are, threatening to turn the Earth "into a burnt-out cinder" because of human violence.

Not "human violence" (like the unfortunate remake suggests-don't confuse the plots!), but aggression against other worlds. Klaatu said quite plainly that he didn't care what we did to each other.

It's not like a simple mistake like an Earth launched space probe failed and smashed into another world that would trigger Gort, it was deliberate aggression against other worlds that Klaatu warned of. And really, other than Muslims, who would dare attempt to export aggression into outer space when a far greater technology existed to immediately and completely stop it, and destroy the earth as well?

My guess is that the humans would take his message to heart and eventually joined the other planets in peaceful coexistence.

Is very bad to steal Jobu's rum. Is very bad.

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[–] bsantosu (156) 2 years ago

Instead of having Gort destroy the earth couldn't Klaatu just neutralize all the electricity? For an advanced civilization, they don't think things through. And, by the way, he says Gort will turn on the aggressor but then says the Earth will be turned into a burnt-out cinder. Doesn't that destroy the aggressee too?

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[–] strntz (12231) 2 years ago

Instead of having Gort destroy the earth couldn't Klaatu just neutralize all the electricity?

Maybe, but for how long? Humans would eventually rebuild the grid if they could manage to survive the loss of power long enough. Besides, eliminating electricity would be a horrible death for billions of innocent humans. How would water be pumped and food be grown and transported? Anarchy would result with humans turning into small pockets of violent roving tribes killing for anything to survive.

And, by the way, he says Gort will turn on the aggressor but then says the Earth will be turned into a burnt-out cinder. Doesn't that destroy the aggressee too?

There would be no "aggressee" except for the peaceful planets in the peaceful federation of which Klaatu spoke.. Klaatu's message was pretty simple to understand and very undemanding of humanity - He clearly stated that he didn't care what humans did on Earth or to each other. His only concern was preventing humans from exporting their aggression to other peaceful planets. If Earth exported its aggression, it would be the aggressor and the aggressor would be turned into a burned out cinder.

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