Conspiracy theories, UFOs, Aliens
@cshlan
Could be, but I think he also probably knows that when you ask a former president if aliens are real it means something different than if someone asked you or me. I'm not reading too much into it, TBC, I just think its odd considering how every president including him has said "no" or "I can't tell you"
Conspiracy theories, UFOs, Aliens
@jonny
I think he was just talking off the cuff saying that they likely exist. He was quick enough to point out the conspiracy theories about aliens and the military were wrong that I don't think he was trying to say the government had evidence. I think he's one of the rare smart politicians who don't constantly consider how what they're saying will play in the media. He seems to speak pretty freely. I think this was just him being conversational.
Conspiracy theories, UFOs, Aliens
@cshlan
Could be, but I think he also probably knows that when you ask a former president if aliens are real it means something different than if someone asked you or me. I'm not reading too much into it, TBC, I just think its odd considering how every president including him has said "no" or "I can't tell you"
Conspiracy theories, UFOs, Aliens
@jonny
I don't know that they know. It may depend on who they talk to. There was apparently something of a hazing culture around aliens in the Air Force. Some are in on the joke and others aren't. There are people in Congress who believe fervently because there are people in the military who believe fervently but never have real evidence. I've heard multiple versions of the VIP being told not to ever ask again story. So who knows. Maybe someone convinced him.
@jonny I mean, aliens are real to the best of our knowledge, right? Not many people who study space think that Earth is unique in having intelligent life, as far as I know.
If you come from a hard humanities background, you might well only think of aliens as pop-cultural big-headed grey-skinned rural anal probers. If you then become president of the USA and ask your chief scientists if aliens are real as a joke, the answer may not be what you expected.
Conspiracy theories, UFOs, Aliens
@djm62
I gotta believe that if you were Obama asking the military about aliens you would ask the follow up "like no not just in general, you know what I mean" question
@jonny Ever tell an annoying kid "okay" after the ten billionth time they've asked you for something just to make them stop? I feel like it was like that.
@jonny we really have forgotten that he could tell a joke.
This truly is the worst timeline
Conspiracy theories, UFOs, Aliens
@jonathankoren
Idk ive seen him tell a joke and that didn't look like one
Isn't it just a joke ?
He's prone to those...
(the job interview he did with Stephen Colbert after his second mandate is hilarious)
Conspiracy theories, UFOs, Aliens
@lienrag
Didn't seem like one, but I guess that would be one answer
Note that if you've read Vance's "The Anome", this could explain the current events, and notably how the Democratic establishment decided to do everything in their power to not prevent Trump form gaining office...
@jonny distraction from all of the deportations he was doing, the mishandling of Iraq and Afghanistan, the absolute surge in drone killings he's responsible for, his complete failure to close Guantanamo (and explain why). I could go on, but I think that's enough.
Conspiracy theories, UFOs, Aliens
@fancysandwiches
Well if that was the plan it certainly didn't work, because I associate him with all those things but now also separately wonder why he said aliens are real
@jonny it seems to have worked for all of the "blue maga", "girl boss", "can't wait to get back to brunch" types that blue sky is full of.
