Through Alien Eyes

Gather round me brothers. Look you, out in space. Behold the tiny, blue-green world that bred the human race. From this orbiting space station hidden from mankind's radar eyes we've studied man for ages, how he lives and how he dies. Men are most exotic creatures of varying size and shape. An evolutionary contradiction, a breed of genocidal ape. Rowdy, proud and boastful, humans claim intelligence. Though judging from their actions there's no positive evidence. Men preach love and understanding, but they seem to relish gore. While claiming to seek peace and truth they practice guile and war. Men observe the strangest rituals you'll ever hope to see. Such things as tribal politics, incarceration and bigotry. Also something they call "taxes", fees that each one has to pay, to nebulous groups called "governments", who must fritter them away. Like every primitive peoples, men worship gods galore. There's "dollar," "fame" and "TV" and about a thousand more. Human beings are quite short lived. They lead hyper-active lives, each one scurrying frantically until the day he dies. Perhaps because life's span so short is why it's held so cheap and why they all seem so determined to expedite that final sleep. At somewhat irregular intervals, wars sweep across the land. A kind of homicidal insanity unique to the race of man. First, peace conferencesare called where men argue and implore. Then they all go home again and arm themselves for war. Under flags and false illusions, each faction does its best to bring destruction to the others using fire and pain and death. When the killing's finally over, the survivors meet as friends to place all blame upon the loser and swear they'll never war again. Of course, such vows are vanity. Man's word is not his bond. Men have made uncounted treaties and they've broken every one. Now, brothers, let me summarize, what so far we've learned of man. He's greedy and he's dangerous. He lies and steals and kills. He's paranoid and bigoted. He'll torture just for thrills. Oh, we've found occasional evidence of the virtues of the mind. It's possible man is capable of being loving, good and kind. Once, long ago there was a man who taught peace and brotherhood. He said with love and tolerance, all men could practice good. He taught that man could live in peace, but the elders claimed he lied. Claimed his teachings proved him crazy and they had him crucified. Since then things have gone downhill. Man takes, but will not give and when he finished killing Earth, we don't know where he'll live.