This is one of those sad human truths right? Put 1000 babies on an island and let them grow up free from influence. Somehow a group will find another group and marginalize them. Maybe skin color, maybe hair color, maybe height, maybe weight. Seems like humans do this in just about every culture, and although we try to "hide" it in political correctness - it still happens.
Wonder if this is just some part of the bad side of the "humans need other humans to connect and bond" coin - "humans need enemies so they can bond together against, and if there is a lack of a real enemy they will somehow construct one". I mean go to a nice middle class soccer match. Some mom will be the outcast for her kid always being late to practice, or something...
In the competition for (real or abstract) resources, individuals will align along whatever differences suit them. If they are all the same race, they might align along religious differences. If they are all the same race and religion, then its which side of the tracks, football team, musical tastes, editor and programming paradigm...
If we don't find aliens soon, someone needs to send up a secret satellite, that randomly broadcasts messages about the imminent arrival of the most evil aliens in the galaxy.
Actually I thought the film had the better ending. A giant fish like monster that could be sold as an alien invasion is less plausible than a radiation signature that matches Dr. Manhattan.
The way I see it, it comes down to external vs. internal threat. As campy as the terrible interdimensional creepy things are, they are a clear external threat to the people of Earth. Making Dr. Manhattan the fall guy internalizes the threat as he is-was "of us".
With Dr. Manhattan as the patsy you get some superficial solidarity while every nation tries their hardest to recreate him--to obtain their own WMD+/God. With the terrible interdimensional creepy things humanity faces a clear external threat; Unite, people of Earth, for the Universe will fucking eat you.
Maybe the monsters could've been done in a way that wouldn't have people laughing at their implausibility. Using Dr. Manhattan destroyed the message. The film's ending wasn't worth the sacrifice, IMHO.
Wonder if this is just some part of the bad side of the "humans need other humans to connect and bond" coin - "humans need enemies so they can bond together against, and if there is a lack of a real enemy they will somehow construct one". I mean go to a nice middle class soccer match. Some mom will be the outcast for her kid always being late to practice, or something...