Belief in ancient aliens is just good ole' racism

[DrZoidberg]

https://hyperallergic.com/470795/pseudoarchaeology-and-the-racism-behind-ancient-aliens/

Not surprised

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Racism? Or not believing that long-ago societies had the ability to engage in such construction?

 

[GenesisNemesis]

Racism? Or not believing that long-ago societies had the ability to engage in such construction?

My favorite part about that is, why would ancient people use such advanced technology only to make stone structures? Surely they'd acquire knowledge of how to mass produce steel or perhaps something even stronger?

 

[Underseer]

https://hyperallergic.com/470795/pseudoarchaeology-and-the-racism-behind-ancient-aliens/

Not surprised

Wut? Is yew all tryin' t' tell me that them thar dark peepul wuz able to figger out how's to stack rocks on top o' other rocks? It wud be impossible fer them thar dark peepul to pile rocks on top o' each other! Therefore, it musta been aliens! Aliens're the only possible explanation fer dark peepul figgerin' out how 't stack rocks on toppa other rocks! Now iff'n y'all will excuse me, ah needs t' git back t' fuckin' mah sistuh. She's gitten mighty lonely by now, I reckon! [/satire]

 

[Politesse]

I don't know about racism as such but certainly Eurocentric diffusionism. People are, still, loath to admit that history has not been one long even progression from "primitive" to their own current way of life. If there are advanced ancient civilizations, it blows not just people's current sense of cultural and technological superiority, but also their eschatological hopes that the "progress of man" will continue into the future and liberate us from our problems. If we are not now at a peak, how's to be sure we aren't sliding into a trough? And this doesn't sit with the New Age mentality. For some folks, they may be happy to invite other races along, but not to give up on the notion of constant, eternal improvement. Solution? Find a way to contextualize the bright points in the past as still somehow a part of the presently unfolding future.