So does anybody speak the language of the predators? seems dangerous to assume that 'they' will speak our language - unless they are built like us there may be no way to communicate verbally...

But I would take either the licking of lips (or mandibles if they have no lips) or superior strength and weapons (since they have better space travel) as a bad sign for us ugly bags of mostly water

LOL I have heard that the 'aliens' have gray skin - maybe they are not e.t. but time traveling and got caught *gasp* you know what they do to aliens!

An Important Distinction: Democracy versus Republic

Do YOU know the pledge of Allegiance?

interesting history that you may like - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pledge_of_Allegiance
but in all versions we are (supposed to be) a republic

  WHY?

It is important to keep in mind the difference between a Democracy and a Republic, as dissimilar forms of government. Understanding the difference is essential to comprehension of the fundamentals involved. It should be noted, in passing, that use of the word Democracy as meaning merely the popular type of government--that is, featuring genuinely free elections by the people periodically--is not helpful in discussing, as here, the difference between alternative and dissimilar forms of a popular government: a Democracy versus a Republic. This double meaning of Democracy--a popular-type government in general, as well as a specific form of popular government--needs to be made clear in any discussion, or writing, regarding this subject, for the sake of sound understanding.

These two forms of government: Democracy and Republic, are not only dissimilar but antithetical, reflecting the sharp contrast between (a) The Majority Unlimited, in a Democracy, lacking any legal safeguard of the rights of The Individual and The Minority, and (b) The Majority Limited, in a Republic under a written Constitution safeguarding the rights of The Individual and The Minority; as we shall now see.

A Democracy

The chief characteristic and distinguishing feature of a Democracy is: Rule by Omnipotent Majority. In a Democracy, The Individual, and any group of Individuals composing any Minority, have no protection against the unlimited power of The Majority. It is a case of Majority-over-Man.

A Republic

A Republic, on the other hand, has a very different purpose and an entirely different form, or system, of government. Its purpose is to control The Majority strictly, as well as all others among the people, primarily to protect The Individual's God-given, unalienable rights and therefore for the protection of the rights of The Minority, of all minorities, and the liberties of people in general. The definition of a Republic is: a constitutionally limited government of the representative type, created by a written Constitution--adopted by the people and changeable (from its original meaning) by them only by its amendment--with its powers divided between three separate Branches: Executive, Legislative and Judicial. Here the term "the people" means, of course, the electorate.

Read the full article at: http://www.lexrex.com/enlightened/AmericanIdeal/aspects/demrep.html

much more GOOD reading to understand the 'founding fathers' intent can be gained by investigating further: http://www.lexrex.com/enlightened/AmericanIdeal/index.html

and a quote from another that seems to be appropriate to show what forgetting 'REPUBLIC' has gotten us

You never were taught early democratic history have you? The Greeks were the first ones to identify the weaknesses inherent in democracy.

And the biggest weakness is, indeed, it all starts falling apart when the regular folk realize that they can vote themselves raises and are swayed by skillful politicians who promise to fulfill those desires.

The other major weakness, is of course, a fully democratic nation is easily directed by mass hysteria.. that is a country will typically go huge, rather temporary, swings in political opinion that has more to do with emotion then reason. For example: 9/11 or the stock market crash. Then again, skillful politicians can leverage this temporary lack of reason to rush through laws and garner more power in a short time.

That's why the USA (with the longest lasting democracy so far) was originally designed with a very weak and ineffectual central government. The designers wanted to have a way to counter the negative effects of democracy and prop up the positive effects. The way it's designed with a 3 branch system is designed to slow things down and make it hard for people to rush through legislation and pass laws.

After 200 years or so those limitations have, unfortunately, been largely forgotten and in the past 30 years people have been happy to give huge amounts of power to the central government for all sorts of lets-get-boogyman-now-before-they-get-us reasons. (economic paranoia, terrorism, war on drugs, environmentalism scare tactics, religious wackiness, its-for-the-children, etc etc)