3 ms·

I am wondering how much of this is fueled by the change in the word alien from simply meaning foreign to meaning extraterrestrial and people misreading the form

I am wondering how much of this is fueled by the change in the word alien from simply meaning foreign to meaning extraterrestrial and people misreading the former for the latter. The research into foreign weapon technology is in one of those gray areas where not only does some of those activities border really close to industrial espionage against companies in potentially allied countries, or might contradict stated US State Department positions on international law it's usually classified and spoken off in hushed tones It's very likely that an alien(as in foreign) technology evaluation program exists without there being anything extra-terrestrial about it as legalese can trail popular changes to terms by several decades. And that mentions of those in wider circles might fuel some rumors and misconceptions among those "who wants to believe".

jwestbury 3y ago
"Foreign" is quite common in intelligence contexts, though, and "alien" is not.
- Stranger43 3y ago
  The US immigration services uses the term Alien, and the US State Department have historically used both. Given how byzantine the US military industrial complex's paperwork and pretend regulation is someone might have been relying on legislation or paperwork predating the change in word usage, and that that influenced the naming of some program somewhere in the secretive world. It's also worth noting that such a misconception definitely benefit's the military industrial complex as it draws focus towards something that is not there rather then towards what's actually happening, which again is a very common strategy within military intelligence.
  - mc32 3y ago
    Moreover, when it comes to corps/biz incorporation domestic is in-state, foreign is out of state, and alien is international. presumably if one day one could charter a corporation at an office on Mars it would be extraterrestrial.

jwestbury 3y ago

"Foreign" is quite common in intelligence contexts, though, and "alien" is not.

Stranger43 3y ago
The US immigration services uses the term Alien, and the US State Department have historically used both. Given how byzantine the US military industrial complex's paperwork and pretend regulation is someone might have been relying on legislation or paperwork predating the change in word usage, and that that influenced the naming of some program somewhere in the secretive world. It's also worth noting that such a misconception definitely benefit's the military industrial complex as it draws focus towards something that is not there rather then towards what's actually happening, which again is a very common strategy within military intelligence.
- mc32 3y ago
  Moreover, when it comes to corps/biz incorporation domestic is in-state, foreign is out of state, and alien is international. presumably if one day one could charter a corporation at an office on Mars it would be extraterrestrial.