I think the alien's use of the phrase was based on the idea that an alien civilization will first learn of us through an ever-expanding sphere of electromagnetic transmissions, centered on Earth. I recall Carl Sagan making this point in one of his books, but he wasn't the first person to point it out. Right now, an observer some 60 light-years out from Earth or so, might be picking up "The Honeymooners", or "I Love Lucy", or some sci-fi movie where an alien lands on Earth and declares, "People of Earth! I come in peace!"
"The bigger the government, the smaller the citizen."
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