If there was a massive alien invasion.

[Araraukar]

Well, Finland ended up fighting off the Nazis too, and made it through as an independent country. Worked pretty well for them.

Well, if we only count countries that didn't end up losing badly it would seem that it wasn't too bad an idea, yeah. But that would be intellectually dishonest, now wouldn't it? =P

The exception to the rule, then?

[Laerod]

Well, if we only count countries that didn't end up losing badly it would seem that it wasn't too bad an idea, yeah. But that would be intellectually dishonest, now wouldn't it? =P

The exception to the rule, then?

Not exactly, seeing as they were pretty much Russia's bitch afterwards. Not Russia's property like some other places, but their sovereignity wasn't as sovereign as they'd hoped.

[Phaedrus Imperator]

Most countries can destroy the world 3x over, and while I can't speak for the rest of the world, the UK can be ready to fire in just over an hour.

Heh, even before the nuclear disarmament treaties and programs, humanity didn't possess enough nukes to destroy this planet. Wipe out most of the civilization, maybe, but the world? Nowhere near.

By that, I mean kill everyone and make Earth inhospitable, not like this...

[Araraukar]

Not exactly, seeing as they were pretty much Russia's bitch afterwards. Not Russia's property like some other places, but their sovereignity wasn't as sovereign as they'd hoped.

Heh, show me a European country that was completely independent during cold war.

[Laerod]

Not exactly, seeing as they were pretty much Russia's bitch afterwards. Not Russia's property like some other places, but their sovereignity wasn't as sovereign as they'd hoped.

Heh, show me a European country that was completely independent during cold war.

Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Yugoslavia...

[Ifreann]

Heh, even before the nuclear disarmament treaties and programs, humanity didn't possess enough nukes to destroy this planet. Wipe out most of the civilization, maybe, but the world? Nowhere near.

By that, I mean kill everyone and make Earth inhospitable, not like this...

It's still not true.

[New Rogernomics]

I've written a story like this. Hopefully I can get it published.

A pretty full market I think as the alien invasion theme has been overkilled by Hollywood and around two centuries worth of sci fi authors, so it might be quite difficult to be published. Remove the aliens, and well less interesting...but less competition.

[Grand America]

1.) We'd panic. We know what to do in situations of war, but we don't know what to do when that situation is coming from up top. Once we start getting invaded, we're screwed. Humanity panics, and nothing gets done. Except for us, of course.

2.) Tactic? We'd guerrilla for as long as we can, but it won't get us anywhere. We'd get screwed.

3.) No. Animosity runs wild!

4.) Argh! We're fighting aliens! We do not need swarms of troops, we need technology! If China swarmed 750 British soldiers with 10,000 and lost, you cannot imagine what the aliens would do. National armies are abolished and everyone gets together in little groups to try and fight aliens off.

5.) I see it more that the aliens would bombard blocks to kill six people.

6.) Humanity is being forced to fight. No longer do we have an option. It's either die or die. Might as well die fighting.

7.) Just poor countries? I see it as aliens coming and, firstly, attacking major military powers. Europe, the U.S., China. However, they would eventually win.

I'm currently writing a story about an alien invasion. I had planned to post it on NS once it is complete. I'll be sure to notify you guys.

Also, I really doubt the world would unite. Hollywood says that we would, but that's bullcrap; nations would fall before anyone know what the hell was going on. Washington would be on fire before the president finished his breakfast.

[Dolmhold]

In my opinion:

Assuming that this is a desperate alien race whom fried their own planet and is similar to us:

Reaction

Humans: Mobilize everything immediately. Evacuate civilians to the countryside, and try to get everyone armed. Teach everyone about IEDs, and welcome former terrorist groups like Al-Queda as brothers in arms.

Aliens: Mobilize sufficient forces to take over the planet. They want it intact so that their civilization can restart. Take out the enemy infrastructure as soon as possible.

Tactics

Humans: Terror bombings, guerillia resistance, and swarming the enemy will be common methods of attack, while the possibility of nuclear terrorism by humans is not held back. Weaknesses will be attempted to be found, but chances that we can find some alien weakness is little.

Reproduction laws take effect, as in that man must breed wildly. Everyone must scalvage resources, and the notion of a childhood disappears. Dead corpses are considered fuel for fire or food, and will be treated as such.

Nuclear Missiles will be fired on the first day, but this will be counter-productive as the nuclear EMP knocks out most of human electronics, although the military recovers quickly. The notion that we could have an air force disappears as fighters are easily blown up before a single missile can be shot.

Aliens: Land as many people as possible while ensuring safety, and begin taking over like so. Strike anything remotely suspicious using kinetic strikes, nukes, or antimatter bombs from orbit. Counter-terrorism attacks will also ensure. Figure out how to keep humans out of their new cities.

Military: America will lead by far due to the huge amount of gun owners and the fact that their military spending is more then the rest of the world combined. However, this point soon become moot when it is realized that conventional warfare tactics will not work at all, meaning that places such as the Middle East and South America may take the lead due to their prior experiance. Most of the entire world is screwed, barring some Russians, some Chinese, the entire Swiss nation, most of America, and basically some of each nation.

Alien Strategies:

Attack in small numbers tactically, much like how America did to Afghanistan. Patrol around in case of IEDs. Maintain aerial dominance, and use UAVs to massive advantage. Their preferred weapon in atmospheric warfare will be good-ole bullets and missiles. Anything resembling a factory or any important infrastructure will be eliminated. They are here because Earth was most like their old planet, and they want to restart. They will realize that it would not be possible to eliminate all resistance, but reducing them to the stone age is much more easier.

Resistance:

It would be impossible not to be part of the resistance.

[Ifreann]

Heh, show me a European country that was completely independent during cold war.

Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Yugoslavia...

I don't think we got involved in the Cold War.

[Risottia]

In my opinion:
Reaction:
Declare international emergency. Mobilize troops and fight off the invaders as soon as possible. Rush civilians to safe areas.

When invaders come from space, there's no safe area on the planetary surface.

Tactics:Defend mostly. Find their weaknesses. Discover what they invaded Earth for. Launch counter-attacks when the time is right.

Best defense is, as usual, destroy their logistics: Nuke their support ships out of orbit.

Military:
I think China and the U.S/NATO would make the largest impact. China has swarms of troops and the U.S. and NATO have massive numbers in their combined armies. US or UN would probably lead the coalition.

Russia and US would have the largest impact, because of orbital/suborbital nuclear capacity.

[Araraukar]

By that, I mean kill everyone and make Earth inhospitable, not like this...

Still no. Not enough firepower, even with nuclear, chemical, biological and conventional weaponry all counted together. You forget that this planet is BIG compared to the general radius of destruction/fallout. And that humanity can be found practically everywhere. You could probably wipe out most large cities, but not every small town and little village.

[Awesomeland]

Aliens Strategy:
Attack in massive numbers. Learn our weaknesses. Eliminate major cities. They would have guns, but guns that do not shoot bullets. Some sort of different material. They would want Earth's water and manpower.

Are you joking? They want the WATER? Water is the most common compound in the freaking universe. The solar system itself is filled with more water than exists on the entire Earth, with the added bonus that nothing has pissed in it. Invading the Earth to steal water makes NO SENSE AT ALL.

And the manpower? Really? Advanced aliens who can travel the vast distances between stars, who can't think of an economic model more efficient than the equivalent of enslaving stick-wielding aborigines? You're joking, right?

An alien invasion works as follows:
Aliens show up, sell us stuff, offer to establish factories here to produce more of that stuff, while paying us lucrative wages in whatever kind of valuable thing we can think of. We naturally accept.

Eventually, we'll find out that we're working for the alien equivalent of less than minimum wage, being paid in worthless shiny beads and trinkets. But what can you do? The pay's still better than anything here.

[Araraukar]

Heh, show me a European country that was completely independent during cold war.

Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Yugoslavia...

Switzerland I'll concede to you, but the others were hardly neutral. Remember that it was very much an "us or them - if you're not with us, you're with them" atmosphere at the time.

...and we're essentially threadjacking the alien invasion thread.

[Forster Keys]

I've written a story like this. Hopefully I can get it published.

A pretty full market I think as the alien invasion theme has been overkilled by Hollywood and around two centuries worth of sci fi authors, so it might be quite difficult to be published. Remove the aliens, and well less interesting...but less competition.

Oh, this one's about forty years after the aliens have come and gone they don't actually feature.

[New Rogernomics]

In my opinion:

Assuming that this is a desperate alien race whom fried their own planet and is similar to us:

Okay, unlikely but still.

Reaction

Humans: Mobilize everything immediately. Evacuate civilians to the countryside, and try to get everyone armed. Teach everyone about IEDs, and welcome former terrorist groups like Al-Queda as brothers in arms.

Actually that is the worst possible idea, by mobilizing all forces you put them in the open for the enemy to take shots at; military thinkers actually planned in the case of nuclear war to have large numbers of military forces underground or in reserve...especially due to the effects of EMP from nuclear weapons.

Aliens: Mobilize sufficient forces to take over the planet. They want it intact so that their civilization can restart. Take out the enemy infrastructure as soon as possible.

A flawed strategy, akin to the Napoleonic wars; far more sensible to attack communications centers, destroy the satellites in orbit, and target and destroy all nuclear silos from a safe distance before mounting a full scale invasion (surprise strikes on military bases and creating multiple fronts to divide enemy forces). Also targeting infrastructure would be a waste of resources, and if we follow world war two thinking then excluding nuclear weapons...bombing has a negligible effect on reducing arms production. Lastly, this would be a silly strategy for an alien species unless their goal is the extermination of humanity and thus the native labour force.

Tactics

Humans: Terror bombings, guerillia resistance, and swarming the enemy will be common methods of attack, while the possibility of nuclear terrorism by humans is not held back. Weaknesses will be attempted to be found, but chances that we can find some alien weakness is little.

Yep, that would work. Though the best strategy is in fact to keep out of the way and distract the enemy with as few forces as is possible; if the aliens are like humans then there would be heavy repercussions for terrorism, they may even resort to genocide of humans in response like the Nazi's did to some towns in France i.e. game over.

Reproduction laws take effect, as in that man must breed wildly. Everyone must scalvage resources, and the notion of a childhood disappears. Dead corpses are considered fuel for fire or food, and will be treated as such.

Terrible idea, out of control reproduction would spread disease (influenza killed more than ww1), increase competition for resources, and put heavy pressure on infrastructure, which would likely be under attack once and a while. Rather than a united effort, humans would break out into infighting; so game over.

Nuclear Missiles will be fired on the first day, but this will be counter-productive as the nuclear EMP knocks out most of human electronics, although the military recovers quickly. The notion that we could have an air force disappears as fighters are easily blown up before a single missile can be shot.

Actually they won't be fired on the first day, instead any sensible planner would keep them as a last resort and additionally the use of nuclear weapons would escalate the conflict; turning what was a conventional war into a nuclear war which could very well wipe out the human race, so game over there too.

Aliens: Land as many people as possible while ensuring safety, and begin taking over like so. Strike anything remotely suspicious using kinetic strikes, nukes, or antimatter bombs from orbit. Counter-terrorism attacks will also ensure. Figure out how to keep humans out of their new cities.

Actually that would be a terrible idea, landing forces should be used strategically to attack targets and withdraw to attack others; and the point would be to keep humans in their cities and cut off supply lines to them, and they could use the captured cities to produce weapons for the war effort against humanity. If the humans escape into the wilderness they become more a threat (guerrilla warfare), and it also gets rid of an otherwise useful labor force.

Military: America will lead by far due to the huge amount of gun owners and the fact that their military spending is more then the rest of the world combined. However, this point soon become moot when it is realized that conventional warfare tactics will not work at all, meaning that places such as the Middle East and South America may take the lead due to their prior experiance. Most of the entire world is screwed, barring some Russians, some Chinese, the entire Swiss nation, most of America, and basically some of each nation.

America stopped using conventional methods a long time ago, and Hollywood loves to show the David and Goliath struggle, but in truth it would only be military research and development that would win the day. America and other nations would have to supply the capacity to fight back, for that reason the middle east (and third world) would be worse off despite being targeted last. Think logistics, as sea and air routes would be under constant attack...ground forces are easier to camouflage and can be taken in parts...planes and ships are sitting ducks; and might have already been all knocked out by EMP.

Alien Strategies:

Attack in small numbers tactically, much like how America did to Afghanistan. Patrol around in case of IEDs. Maintain aerial dominance, and use UAVs to massive advantage. Their preferred weapon in atmospheric warfare will be good-ole bullets and missiles. Anything resembling a factory or any important infrastructure will be eliminated. They are here because Earth was most like their old planet, and they want to restart. They will realize that it would not be possible to eliminate all resistance, but reducing them to the stone age is much more easier.

Such a strategy failed in Afghanistan, just as it did in Iraq and Vietnam. The aliens would try and capture and hold cities or just raze them to nothing (if they have genocide in mind), and all nations will be forced to hold major industrial and agricultural areas with at least half of their forces, while keeping the rest in reserve. The best tactics would be to target the reserves, while seizing as many industrial and agriculture areas as possible.

Resistance:

It would be impossible not to be part of the resistance.

Where there is resistance, there is collaboration; perhaps nations will get a good deal with the aliens by betraying each other. This is the best strategy for alien invaders i.e. divide and conquer.

[Dolmhold]

In my opinion:

Assuming that this is a desperate alien race whom fried their own planet and is similar to us:

Okay, unlikely but still.

Reaction

Humans: Mobilize everything immediately. Evacuate civilians to the countryside, and try to get everyone armed. Teach everyone about IEDs, and welcome former terrorist groups like Al-Queda as brothers in arms.

Actually that is the worst possible idea, by mobilizing all forces you put them in the open for the enemy to take shots at; military thinkers actually planned in the case of nuclear war to have large numbers of military forces underground or in reserve...especially due to the effects of EMP from nuclear weapons.

Aliens: Mobilize sufficient forces to take over the planet. They want it intact so that their civilization can restart. Take out the enemy infrastructure as soon as possible.

A flawed strategy, akin to the Napoleonic wars; far more sensible to attack communications centers, destroy the satellites in orbit, and target and destroy all nuclear silos from a safe distance before mounting a full scale invasion (surprise strikes on military bases and creating multiple fronts to divide enemy forces). Also targeting infrastructure would be a waste of resources, and if we follow world war two thinking then excluding nuclear weapons...bombing has a negligible effect on reducing arms production. Lastly, this would be a silly strategy for an alien species unless their goal is the extermination of humanity and thus the native labour force.

Tactics

Humans: Terror bombings, guerillia resistance, and swarming the enemy will be common methods of attack, while the possibility of nuclear terrorism by humans is not held back. Weaknesses will be attempted to be found, but chances that we can find some alien weakness is little.

Yep, that would work. Though the best strategy is in fact to keep out of the way and distract the enemy with as few forces as is possible; if the aliens are like humans then there would be heavy repercussions for terrorism, they may even resort to genocide of humans in response like the Nazi's did to some towns in France i.e. game over.

Reproduction laws take effect, as in that man must breed wildly. Everyone must scalvage resources, and the notion of a childhood disappears. Dead corpses are considered fuel for fire or food, and will be treated as such.

Terrible idea, out of control reproduction would spread disease (influenza killed more than ww1), increase competition for resources, and put heavy pressure on infrastructure, which would likely be under attack once and a while. Rather than a united effort, humans would break out into infighting; so game over.

Nuclear Missiles will be fired on the first day, but this will be counter-productive as the nuclear EMP knocks out most of human electronics, although the military recovers quickly. The notion that we could have an air force disappears as fighters are easily blown up before a single missile can be shot.

Actually they won't be fired on the first day, instead any sensible planner would keep them as a last resort and additionally the use of nuclear weapons would escalate the conflict; turning what was a conventional war into a nuclear war which could very well wipe out the human race, so game over there too.

Aliens: Land as many people as possible while ensuring safety, and begin taking over like so. Strike anything remotely suspicious using kinetic strikes, nukes, or antimatter bombs from orbit. Counter-terrorism attacks will also ensure. Figure out how to keep humans out of their new cities.

Actually that would be a terrible idea, landing forces should be used strategically to attack targets and withdraw to attack others; and the point would be to keep humans in their cities and cut off supply lines to them, and they could use the captured cities to produce weapons for the war effort against humanity. If the humans escape into the wilderness they become more a threat (guerrilla warfare), and it also gets rid of an otherwise useful labor force.

Military: America will lead by far due to the huge amount of gun owners and the fact that their military spending is more then the rest of the world combined. However, this point soon become moot when it is realized that conventional warfare tactics will not work at all, meaning that places such as the Middle East and South America may take the lead due to their prior experiance. Most of the entire world is screwed, barring some Russians, some Chinese, the entire Swiss nation, most of America, and basically some of each nation.

America stopped using conventional methods a long time ago, and Hollywood loves to show the David and Goliath struggle, but in truth it would only be military research and development that would win the day. America and other nations would have to supply the capacity to fight back, for that reason the middle east (and third world) would be worse off despite being targeted last. Think logistics, as sea and air routes would be under constant attack...ground forces are easier to camouflage and can be taken in parts...planes and ships are sitting ducks; and might have already been all knocked out by EMP.

Alien Strategies:

Attack in small numbers tactically, much like how America did to Afghanistan. Patrol around in case of IEDs. Maintain aerial dominance, and use UAVs to massive advantage. Their preferred weapon in atmospheric warfare will be good-ole bullets and missiles. Anything resembling a factory or any important infrastructure will be eliminated. They are here because Earth was most like their old planet, and they want to restart. They will realize that it would not be possible to eliminate all resistance, but reducing them to the stone age is much more easier.

Such a strategy failed in Afghanistan, just as it did in Iraq and Vietnam. The aliens would try and capture and hold cities or just raze them to nothing (if they have genocide in mind), and all nations will be forced to hold major industrial and agricultural areas with at least half of their forces, while keeping the rest in reserve. The best tactics would be to target the reserves, while seizing as many industrial and agriculture areas as possible.

Resistance:

It would be impossible not to be part of the resistance.

Where there is resistance, there is collaboration; perhaps nations will get a good deal with the aliens by betraying each other. This is the best strategy for alien invaders i.e. divide and conquer.

Point taken, my little ideas are changing on this subject.

[New Rogernomics]

Point taken, my little ideas are changing on this subject.

I recommend watching this discovery doco made a while back: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LuZt3FbZww

[Grand Antarctica]

World: We can haz peace?
Aliens: lolno
US: Nuke 'em
Russia: Nuke 'em
China: Nuke 'em
UK: Nuke 'em
France: Nuke 'em
India: Nuke 'em
Pakistan: Nuke 'em
Israel: Nuke 'em
North Korea: Nuke 'em
World: *nukes*
Aliens: kthnxbai

How would you nuke aliens? lol
Blow up their ships?

The Modern day nuclear missile does reach space before turning directions to head for it's target it is theoretically possible to send said missile at the alien ships and to nuke alien landing areas. An anti-alien tactic may perhaps entirely include Nuclear missiles as they would be effective against what we assume shields, as some things are just too powerful to be ignored.

[Nude East Ireland]

I'd quickly take cover in my basement, for one.

[Grand Antarctica]

I'd quickly take cover in my basement, for one.

Unlrelated Subject: Grats on your 2,000th post.. it was on an Alien Topic

[Little Tralfamadore]

Just because they can travel the distances to get here doesn't necessarily mean they would far outrank us in technology.
It could be a race of aliens who are able to enter a deep hibernation/statis where no sustenance is needed. Might take centuries to get somewhere but could be done.

It is also possible that the aliens discovered a method to allow for Superluminal motion without having been super-advanced in other fields. Perhaps it is a very simple method that we never found. There was book written using this scenario. Aliens came to invade but found that we greatly outranked them in technology with the exception of space travel.

OF course, as others mentioned. They wouldn't need advanced technology. They could just push an asteroid or two to fall in out atmosphere.

[Dolmhold]

Point taken, my little ideas are changing on this subject.

I recommend watching this discovery doco made a while back: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LuZt3FbZww

Hmmm...

I watched a different one by discovery lolz.

Thanks for the link. I will prepare to be educated...

[Condunum]

How would the World react?

World: We can haz peace?
Aliens: lolno
US: Nuke 'em
Russia: Nuke 'em
China: Nuke 'em
UK: Nuke 'em
France: Nuke 'em
India: Nuke 'em
Pakistan: Nuke 'em
Israel: Nuke 'em
North Korea: Nuke 'em
World: *nukes*
Aliens: kthnxbai

this.

[Felkonberg]

Focus on trying to capture an alien, render them unconscious.

Then, infect them with as many of the worlds most infectious diseases as possible, and, in a contained environment, send the alien back to the mothership.

Keep on attacking the mothership until the infection spreads throughout the ship and destroys them all.