Arguing for One’s Species

Abstract

Suppose the earth were to be invaded by a species of powerful aliens. These aliens, for reasons which will no doubt become almost immediately clear in the embarrassingly unsubtle and thinly veiled story to follow, we can call namuhs. The intentions of these creatures are in no way benevolent, at least not towards us. In fact, they make it very clear that their primary purpose in invading this planet has to do with food. They plan to cultivate and farm the earth’s planetary fauna, which has a galaxy-wide reputation as being of excellent nutritional value. In particular, at the top of their list of desirable food species is the human race, the meat from which is regarded as one of the tastiest in this part of the galaxy. We might call this the Independence Day scenario, after the rather successful film with a similar story line. Actually, in the film, it is not clear if the aliens intend to eat humans; simply killing us seems to cohere better with the overall story line. (Therefore, it might have been better to have called it the lifeforce scenario, after Tobe Hooper’s significantly lower budget, less successful, but still cult 1983 movie, although even here the aliens didn’t plan to eat us exactly, but only appropriate our lifeforce. In the end, the wider circulation of the former won out, and the Independence Day scenario it is.)¹

Who speaks for wolf?

Iroquois invitation

The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds. But the poor man had nothing save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drink of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come unto him.’ And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan… ‘the man that hath done this thing shall surely die… because he had no pity.’ And Nathan said to David, ‘Thou art the man.’ (Samuel 12: 2–7)