The Claw and the Eye

About Book One: Of Seaweed and Chocolate

Letters from the Chuzek Ambassador:

Greetings from the Chuzek Alien Command, 

When we look at life on Earth, we are reminded of ourselves.

Not many centuries ago, our world was much like yours. There was fighting all over the planet, and our people died young.

But now, our homeworld is peaceful. Chuzeks regularly live to be 300 years old, an age that would have been unthinkable in the past. The oldest living Chuzek is now 318 years old.

What happened to produce this dramatic difference? Organization.

Organization is both a concept and a practice. It is a worldview and a way of life. It has eliminated hunger, homelessness and poverty from our homeworld while improving healthcare and education and providing individuals with more time for recreation and the arts.

After helping ourselves in this way, we have been privileged to be able to help others by bringing organization to their planets.

Sometimes people who have never encountered organization before can have difficulty understanding it or imagining what it's like.

One of the most frequently misunderstood aspects of organization is how it intersects with competition. People living under disorganized conditions sometimes tell us that while organization sounds nice in theory, in practice it would stifle competition and violate the basic rights of the people ("human" rights).

While this sentiment is understandable, it is also based on a misconception, as I will explain in my next letter.

Until next time,

Bekk Dwoze, Ambassador,

Alien Command

..

Greetings from the Chuzek Alien Command,

Have you ever looked up at the stars and wondered if anyone was there? Well, you may have been looking right at us. Our planet orbits the star you call Helvetios, which from the Human perspective is located in the constellation Pegasus, and is about 50 light years away.

When we first contacted Earth, we followed your planet's protocol as much as possible by dealing with your three most powerful governments. (It is their right to deny that this contact occurred.) But we also think it's important to communicate directly with you, the people of Earth. So we are starting with this message.

Our planet looks a lot like Earth, with oceans, rainforests, deserts, tundra and taiga, cities, farms and nature preserves. There are many beautiful natural wonders on our planet, including a plateau covered in flowing water that ends in a waterfall hundreds of miles wide and nearly a mile deep.

But in other ways, the Chuzek homeworld is very different from Earth. The two most important differences are our technology, which is far more advanced than yours, and Organization.

Organization is a very important concept. In fact, understanding it is essential to understanding Chuzek life, and perhaps your own, as well. 

But something that important deserves its own post, so watch this space.

Until next time,

Bek Dwoze, Ambassador

Alien Command

.