The argument of why you should not uplift creatures is silly from the human standpoint but because the story needs it to work out I understand the story has to make it work out.
I actually think it makes a lot of sense. This wasn't simply uplifting creatures, but intervening to alter the culture of sentient beings, under the assumption of knowing better what they should be, than they do themselves. Humans have been doing that to each other, for quite a long while, with quite a lot of fiascos to show for it. To put it like this: the Aztecs didn't feel very uplifted, by the time the conquistadors were done with them. So, assuming we finally learned our lesson, it would make a lot of sense for humans to be reluctant to interfere with another culture's natural development. Of course, assuming we never learned our lesson, it would make no sense, at all, but that's not the assumption in this story.
@@erikjrn4080 to clarify, the conquistadors never wanted to lift the Mayans. They just wanted to steal the gold. And they armed all the enemy tribes around them to take over and then they killed them and stole most of the gold. But as I said, the story is not presenting that for the point of okay, this happened, and now that happened, they're only presenting it so the humans would be right. And on top of that the aliens made completely silly mistakes that you wouldn't even make for this level of intelligence for this kind of species. The main point is the uplifting could have worked but the aliens were extremely dumb for no reason. Even when the humans were telling them they were messing up, they still put in no safeguards, and it took the humans personally coming down to them, patting them on the head, and telling them to do better for any progress to be made. If they were this stupid they should have never made it into space in the first place. And yes, I understand that they were uplifted to be slaves, but at this point, that should be a non-factor.
@@pattou2175 The Aztec example was more a joke, than anything else. So, let's get serious. The West has been continuously trying to "uplift" the rest of the World for centuries, and we're still doing it. Have you heard of "The White Man's Burden"? More recently, have you heard of "moderate rebels"? Do you know who ended up with the weapons that the CIA smuggled into Syria? Did you ever notice how Libya, the country which had the highest living standards in Africa, is today, after having received our help? The thing is, if you have to be unrealistically stupid, in order to send weapons to brutal warlords as a means to improve the government in a country, then Western leaders have been unrealistically stupid for more than 500 years.
@@erikjrn4080Add to that that western Europe is currently making those same mistakes with immigration thinking that their culture is so superior and the immigrants will just accept it. I can see aliens making those same mistakes easily especially considering that the technology and development gaps between the aliens and who they are uplifting is so much higher making their arrogance even greater.
Fluent, cohesive,interesting, well narrated. Really excellent in all aspects. Thank you
Very good story, very well narrated. Many thanks!
Yo I need an epilogue to that ending!!!
Love at it sounds like an old guy. That's grandpa
god that stupid ending it fing got me.
The politics and writing in this story are absolutely brilliant. I should very much like to purchase a personal copy to read for myself.
The argument of why you should not uplift creatures is silly from the human standpoint but because the story needs it to work out I understand the story has to make it work out.
I actually think it makes a lot of sense. This wasn't simply uplifting creatures, but intervening to alter the culture of sentient beings, under the assumption of knowing better what they should be, than they do themselves. Humans have been doing that to each other, for quite a long while, with quite a lot of fiascos to show for it. To put it like this: the Aztecs didn't feel very uplifted, by the time the conquistadors were done with them. So, assuming we finally learned our lesson, it would make a lot of sense for humans to be reluctant to interfere with another culture's natural development.
Of course, assuming we never learned our lesson, it would make no sense, at all, but that's not the assumption in this story.
@@erikjrn4080 to clarify, the conquistadors never wanted to lift the Mayans. They just wanted to steal the gold. And they armed all the enemy tribes around them to take over and then they killed them and stole most of the gold. But as I said, the story is not presenting that for the point of okay, this happened, and now that happened, they're only presenting it so the humans would be right. And on top of that the aliens made completely silly mistakes that you wouldn't even make for this level of intelligence for this kind of species. The main point is the uplifting could have worked but the aliens were extremely dumb for no reason. Even when the humans were telling them they were messing up, they still put in no safeguards, and it took the humans personally coming down to them, patting them on the head, and telling them to do better for any progress to be made. If they were this stupid they should have never made it into space in the first place. And yes, I understand that they were uplifted to be slaves, but at this point, that should be a non-factor.
@@pattou2175 The Aztec example was more a joke, than anything else. So, let's get serious. The West has been continuously trying to "uplift" the rest of the World for centuries, and we're still doing it. Have you heard of "The White Man's Burden"? More recently, have you heard of "moderate rebels"? Do you know who ended up with the weapons that the CIA smuggled into Syria? Did you ever notice how Libya, the country which had the highest living standards in Africa, is today, after having received our help?
The thing is, if you have to be unrealistically stupid, in order to send weapons to brutal warlords as a means to improve the government in a country, then Western leaders have been unrealistically stupid for more than 500 years.
@@erikjrn4080Add to that that western Europe is currently making those same mistakes with immigration thinking that their culture is so superior and the immigrants will just accept it. I can see aliens making those same mistakes easily especially considering that the technology and development gaps between the aliens and who they are uplifting is so much higher making their arrogance even greater.
Bit of a Brit?