Earth is invaded, then we win.

[senordesol]

I think this would be an interesting discussion.

A hostile extra-terrestrial force invades Earth, slaughters untold millions, presses the vast majority of survivors into slavery, and proceeds to colonize Earth.

After more than a decade of this, a global resistance effort finally pushes the invading aliens off Earth and is able to do so in a way that will leave the galaxy at-large unaware of what's transpired (at least for a few months, maybe a year).

'Pushing off' in this case means that any capacity to strike from space, or stage any militarily organized counter attack on Earth is rendered impossible.

What do we do with the surviving aliens? (Remember: most will be colonists rather than military at this point and alerting their government that we have retaken our planet may lead to another invasion or outright annihilation; so we're basically stuck with them for a while).

EDIT: Assume we are able to communicate with the survivors, and that the alien culture does include familial bonds. Further assume that, like humans, the aliens will hold several differing opinions on the prosecution of the conflict, with the most prevalent one being that conquests of 'lesser species' are justified.

 

[Veylon]

They'd probably be shoved in concentration camps until the larger threat is dealt with and then used as bargaining chips in whatever peace treaty is ultimately struck.

 

[senordesol]

The more practical side of me wants to say execute them. Can even kind of justify it since they were apparently fine with coming over there to take our world and enslave us. They're all scum anyway.

I'd say imprison them though. Don't feel comfortable with the idea of sentencing people to death if we can just imprison them. Do, however, get all the information you can out of them.

Imprison them where? (we're talking several hundred thousands still) Including children?

 

[GigaHz]

I don't think we would win against an army of aliens that has mastered interstellar travel before we do.

They'd have us beat intellectually and technologically. We'd only stand a chance if somehow our atmosphere was making them less intelligent with each passing day.

 

[senordesol]

They'd probably be shoved in concentration camps until the larger threat is dealt with and then used as bargaining chips in whatever peace treaty is ultimately struck.

How would that resonate with future generations? (Ours and theirs)

How will we feed hundreds of thousands of alien prisoners (wide-spread resentment of which will be palpable) while we pick up the pieces of our own world?

(I'm not saying any answer is 'wrong' here, just like to know what the 'short term' and 'long term' solutions of you Escapists would be with reasonable regard placed on social and economic stressors)

 

[Craorach]

Probable solution. Kill them all. Keep some alive under the threat of death in government facilities so that we can understand, adampt or replicate their technology, torture high powered ranking officials and their families for important information. Rebuilt, start colonising local systems/planets, take the fight to them and annihilate their entire species without mercy or discussion.

I would assume that there are other such species in the galaxy and want to send a clear messege. Do Not Fuck With Us.

Ideal solution however... treat them as we would want to be treated, keep them safe and looked after, and incorporate them slowly into our civilisation and us into theirs. Allow them and their descendants to essentially become earthlings, and slowly start expanding ourselves, doing the same to other races that we meet.

 

[Edible Avatar]

Considering that they were using genocide tactics against us, i'd conduct biopsies on the survivors, and construct a virus or bacteria that is absolutely deadly to their species. Then, hijack some of their abandoned spaceships (admit it, there would be some left behind) and take the fight to their home planet, viral apocalypse-style!

 

[Veylon]

They'd probably be shoved in concentration camps until the larger threat is dealt with and then used as bargaining chips in whatever peace treaty is ultimately struck.

How would that resonate with future generations? (Ours and theirs)

How will we feed hundreds of thousands of alien prisoners (wide-spread resentment of which will be palpable) while we pick up the pieces of our own world?

(I'm not saying any answer is 'wrong' here, just like to know what the 'short term' and 'long term' solutions of you Escapists would be with reasonable regard placed on social and economic stressors)

It would resonate badly with (hopefully free) future generations. It would be seen as an entirely unnecessary atrocity, similar to the way a lot of people feel about Hiroshima.

Feeding them would involve equal parts "nothing" and "garbage". Ex-slaves are unlikely to have much sympathy for their former masters and would only preserve the mass of them for bargaining chip purposes. Individual aliens could expect open brutality and gross negligence for their lives and safety. The "food" would be whatever is unfit for human consumption yet still has some modicum of nutrition. Sawdust bread, tree bark, vegetable leaves and the like. When there's not enough to go around, starvation happens.

 

[Shock and Awe]

We would probably use them as bartering chips, interrogated for any kind of information, and used to test biological weapons for use against the rest of the race.

 

[Erttheking]

I'd like to see if we can find any that are semi-friendly, see if we can squeeze the secrets to some advanced technology out of them.

 

[dyre]

If they were one of many species that perhaps had some tensions with each other, I (presumably as leader of Earth) would contact a different species and offer to be their protectorate. Demeaning, but it'll mean the survival of the species. How prisoners are handled would obviously be taken care of by our protector species.

If it's just us against them, I'd keep as many prisoners under reasonably humane conditions as I can, and contact the aliens and offer terms that would give us at least semi-autonomy. It's not ideal, but doing anything else would probably trigger a massive retaliatory strike against the human race within the year that would wipe out everyone left on Earth. It's not like we can keep the revolution secret forever :/

I don't think we would win against an army of aliens that has mastered interstellar travel before we do.

They'd have us beat intellectually and technologically. We'd only stand a chance if somehow our atmosphere was making them less intelligent with each passing day.

This. I don't see a resistance defeating an occupying force in conventional combat after they've taken out the combined armed forces of the world. Unless they just left a skeleton force so they could conquer other countries.

edit: by countries I mean planets

 

[dyre]

They'd probably be shoved in concentration camps until the larger threat is dealt with and then used as bargaining chips in whatever peace treaty is ultimately struck.

How would that resonate with future generations? (Ours and theirs)

How will we feed hundreds of thousands of alien prisoners (wide-spread resentment of which will be palpable) while we pick up the pieces of our own world?

(I'm not saying any answer is 'wrong' here, just like to know what the 'short term' and 'long term' solutions of you Escapists would be with reasonable regard placed on social and economic stressors)

It would resonate badly with (hopefully free) future generations. It would be seen as an entirely unnecessary atrocity, similar to the way a lot of people feel about Hiroshima.

Feeding them would involve equal parts "nothing" and "garbage". Ex-slaves are unlikely to have much sympathy for their former masters and would only preserve the mass of them for bargaining chip purposes. Individual aliens could expect open brutality and gross negligence for their lives and safety. The "food" would be whatever is unfit for human consumption yet still has some modicum of nutrition. Sawdust bread, tree bark, vegetable leaves and the like. When there's not enough to go around, starvation happens.

Honestly, as bartering chips to ensure the survival of the human race against a massive revenge attack, I'd say it'd be in our interests to keep them well-fed. They would probably even be better-fed than lots of humans (the important ones, anyway). Sort of like capturing enemy officers in battle. You don't want to give the imperialist aliens more reason rally their citizens to blow up Earth.

 

[RamirezDoEverything]

Make them slaves, simple.

Out society is going to need rebuilt quickly before the hostile aliens come back, slavery is a quick way to do it.

If the aliens are unfit for slavery, then we execute them.

I'd imagine the Native Americans wouldn't mind enslaving/killing the colonists if they managed to push them off of the continent.

Slavery isn't good, I'd desire to kill everyone that had to do anything with the slaughtering of millions and enslavement of countless others.

 

[Don Savik]

Every government would fight like animals over their technology, and their species would be driven to poverty and famine. I mean...lets be real here, human beings are only heroes in the movies.

 

[Veylon]

Spoiler

They'd probably be shoved in concentration camps until the larger threat is dealt with and then used as bargaining chips in whatever peace treaty is ultimately struck.

How would that resonate with future generations? (Ours and theirs)

How will we feed hundreds of thousands of alien prisoners (wide-spread resentment of which will be palpable) while we pick up the pieces of our own world?

(I'm not saying any answer is 'wrong' here, just like to know what the 'short term' and 'long term' solutions of you Escapists would be with reasonable regard placed on social and economic stressors)

It would resonate badly with (hopefully free) future generations. It would be seen as an entirely unnecessary atrocity, similar to the way a lot of people feel about Hiroshima.

Feeding them would involve equal parts "nothing" and "garbage". Ex-slaves are unlikely to have much sympathy for their former masters and would only preserve the mass of them for bargaining chip purposes. Individual aliens could expect open brutality and gross negligence for their lives and safety. The "food" would be whatever is unfit for human consumption yet still has some modicum of nutrition. Sawdust bread, tree bark, vegetable leaves and the like. When there's not enough to go around, starvation happens.

Honestly, as bartering chips to ensure the survival of the human race against a massive revenge attack, I'd say it'd be in our interests to keep them well-fed. They would probably even be better-fed than lots of humans (the important ones, anyway). Sort of like capturing enemy officers in battle. You don't want to give the imperialist aliens more reason rally their citizens to blow up Earth.

True enough. But whatever leaders are in charge of the ragged ex-slave armies are going to have nothing going for them but their reputation in meting out destruction to their alien overlords. Most people (leaders included) aren't going to be coolheaded enough to want to patch up an amiable relationship with a nation that, shortly before, had invaded, conquered, and enslaved them. No, they are going to pay back every indignity they can upon their newly-helpless captives. Leaders unwilling to accommodate this aren't going to stay leaders for long.

Also, the aliens can't blow up Earth in revenge as long as their own people (in whatever condition) are still on it. It would be as senseless as nuking Tehran to force Iran to free the embassy hostages. And if they don't care about their own people's lives, then why were they upset in the first place? And why were we bothering with hostages?

 

[dyre]

Spoiler

They'd probably be shoved in concentration camps until the larger threat is dealt with and then used as bargaining chips in whatever peace treaty is ultimately struck.

How would that resonate with future generations? (Ours and theirs)

How will we feed hundreds of thousands of alien prisoners (wide-spread resentment of which will be palpable) while we pick up the pieces of our own world?

(I'm not saying any answer is 'wrong' here, just like to know what the 'short term' and 'long term' solutions of you Escapists would be with reasonable regard placed on social and economic stressors)

It would resonate badly with (hopefully free) future generations. It would be seen as an entirely unnecessary atrocity, similar to the way a lot of people feel about Hiroshima.

Feeding them would involve equal parts "nothing" and "garbage". Ex-slaves are unlikely to have much sympathy for their former masters and would only preserve the mass of them for bargaining chip purposes. Individual aliens could expect open brutality and gross negligence for their lives and safety. The "food" would be whatever is unfit for human consumption yet still has some modicum of nutrition. Sawdust bread, tree bark, vegetable leaves and the like. When there's not enough to go around, starvation happens.

Honestly, as bartering chips to ensure the survival of the human race against a massive revenge attack, I'd say it'd be in our interests to keep them well-fed. They would probably even be better-fed than lots of humans (the important ones, anyway). Sort of like capturing enemy officers in battle. You don't want to give the imperialist aliens more reason rally their citizens to blow up Earth.

True enough. But whatever leaders are in charge of the ragged ex-slave armies are going to have nothing going for them but their reputation in meting out destruction to their alien overlords. Most people (leaders included) aren't going to be coolheaded enough to want to patch up an amiable relationship with a nation that, shortly before, had invaded, conquered, and enslaved them. No, they are going to pay back every indignity they can upon their newly-helpless captives. Leaders unwilling to accommodate this aren't going to stay leaders for long.

Also, the aliens can't blow up Earth in revenge as long as their own people (in whatever condition) are still on it. It would be as senseless as nuking Tehran to force Iran to free the embassy hostages. And if they don't care about their own people's lives, then why were they upset in the first place? And why were we bothering with hostages?

Yeah, unfortunately we're a rather hotheaded race, and there would probably be more support for "justice" (revenge) than practical ways to save maximum human life. And you're right, it'd be a hard sell to spare the assholes who just slaughtered and enslaved our planet.

Assuming we keep most of the hostages in a one place or even a few camps though, the aliens could easily send a small army to take over the area, and then nuke the rest of us. And I'm guessing if the aliens are like us (at our worst), they'd be more interested in preserving their "honor" after being attacked by us savages than in individual lives of their soldiers.

 

[senordesol]

My my my 'kill 'em all' or 'use them as bargaining chips' seems to be the prevailing options.

No concern for the implications of 'sentient rights'? I guess we humans can get downright hardcore when it comes to survival.

 

[Ocelano]

The more practical side of me wants to say execute them. Can even kind of justify it since they were apparently fine with coming over there to take our world and enslave us. They're all scum anyway.

I'd say imprison them though. Don't feel comfortable with the idea of sentencing people to death if we can just imprison them. Do, however, get all the information you can out of them.

Imprison them where? (we're talking several hundred thousands still) Including children?

Three simple words "Fast food restaurants" nobody would notice the addition to the servant classes and hell in some shops they would fit right in thinking anywhere with a mascot

 

[El Dwarfio]

I
A hostile extra-terrestrial force invades Earth, slaughters untold millions, presses the vast majority of survivors into slavery, and proceeds to colonize Earth.

After more than a decade of this, a global resistance effort finally pushes the invading aliens off Earth and is able to do so in a way that will leave the galaxy at-large unaware of what's transpired (at least for a few months, maybe a year).

I thought this was gonna be 'aliens invade, topple earth's government and military, assume control... and then turn out to be pretty alright, bring world peace, an end to poverty and are just all around nice guys. We win.'

Now sorry, to me that sounds much more interesting, give me $50million and I'll make that into a film.

 

[Zorg Machine]

We hold them as hostages. I don't think it would work but it would be the only chance of surviving. We let them go, they kill us all. We kill them, they kill is all. We keep them as hostages, the will probably kill us all.

That said, this hypothetical situation is ridiculous. Aliens that have had the technology to travel between solar systems for some time (I'm guessing this isn't the first thing they did after getting spaceships) will be so far ahead of us that enslavement (let alone resistance) would be futile. What could we do that they can't? At that point they don't even need manual labor.

Disregarding this, how would we fight them? This would be like the entire american army (with satellite suport) invading ancient rome or even cavemen. Best case scenario, we stand about as much chance against them as we would against Daleks.