

This is a whole different situation.  If aliens were able to get here prior
to us being able to get there, one might conclude that they would be more advanced
and therefore "more intelegent" that we are.  However if we get somewhere where there
is life, chances are we wont be able to communicate with them.  So we will have
no clue as to weather they are "intelegent" or not.


That's a good point, I hadn't thought of it that way.  My question however was
more along the lines of... Every year the US spends millions of tax dollars
and giving tax breaks to individuals and companies who feed the poor of foreign
countries while thousands of our own people sleep on the streets at night.
Would we give to the economicly dissadvantaged on another planet if we hadn't resolved
these issues on our own?


But... Your comment brings up another good question.  Over the years we have decided
that certain cultures need improvements.  The native americans is a good example.  Prior
to our attempt to civilize them, the native american culture had very little crime, no
homelessnes, no poverty.  Then the europeans came along and now they have those and
more.  If we encounter life elsewhere, do we tell them they have to live in houses, farm
the land and go to church on sunday?
-- 
Have a day,