A History of UFOs:

UFOs and flying saucers have been a part of U.S. culture and folklore since the 1940s. Reaching widespread popularity across the United States in the 1950s, these "Unidentified Flying Objects" gripped Americans and caused them to question their own eyes, but also the U.S. government. At their peak popularity during the Cold War, to Americans, UFOs meant the presence of aliens, and thus an existential threat. In the 1940s, American pilots fighting in World War II claimed to have seen glowing lights trailing their planes while flying at night. These apparitions were dubbed "Foo Fighters." However, the official beginning of the UFO craze is labeled as 1947, when Kenneth Arnold, a pilot in Rainier, Washington claimed to have seen 9 "saucers" moving at high speeds. Not long after the Arnold sighting, a mysterious object in the shape of a disc crashed in Roswell, New Mexico. The U.S. government announced that it was a weather balloon, but by then, the UFO conspiracy theories had taken off. Throughout the late 1940s, UFO sightings continued to stir up Americans, who became more skeptical of the government's awareness of these unidentified aircraft. From 1952 to 1969, the U.S. Air Force opened an official investigation into UFO sightings. They concluded that most of these sightings were results of natural occurrences, or human-made aircraft. Project Blue Book, as it became known, attempted to put to rest many of the UFO conspiracies, but also left many sightings unsolved. By then, many Americans already believed the government was covering up information about these sightings.

The 1970s continued to be full of UFO sightings throughout the U.S., and even some claims that individuals had been abducted by these alien-controlled UFOs. Another famous citing occurred in 1980 in Rendlesham Forest in the UK, involving both locals and U.S. military personnel stationed there. After Project Blue Book, and because of continued unexplained sightings, the American public increasingly grew skeptical of the government's response to UFO sightings. Since the government could not explain every sighting, and as the notion of UFOs became more and more ingrained in U.S. culture through movies and books, many Americans believed the government was concealing information. This idea of aliens living among American citizens is reminiscent of McCarthyism and fear of communists living in the U.S. Peaking during the Cold War, the fears and sightings of UFOs correlates to this volatile period in U.S. history. However, even after the Cold War, Americans continued to claim that they had witnessed UFOs.

UFOs Today:

In 2004, Navy pilots aboard the USS Nimitz claimed they had encountered "unidentified aerial phenomena" (UAP) near San Diego, further stirring up public theories. In this new modern era of UFO sightings, which coupled with the arrival of modern technology and media, there has been a continuation of these conspiracy theories. In 2017 the New York Times reported on a finding in the U.S. defense budget, called the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program. The Pentagon had little comment on the program other than claiming it ended in 2012. In 2021, the Director of National Intelligence published a report documenting many unsolved UAP sightings. Then, in 2023, the government held Congressional hearings with 3 former military officials. All 3 claimed that the government is in possession of much more information about UFOs and aliens than they let on to Americans. One of the individuals, David Grusch, claimed he interviewed over 40 witnesses to determine that the government is in possession of unidentified aircraft. He also claimed the government collected UFO debris from crash sites in attempts to rebuild them.

What do UFOs have to do with Politics?

UFOs have long been ingrained in U.S. folklore. With the emergence of social media, the discussion around aliens and possible government cover-ups has become even more popular. With such discretion from the government throughout the whole UFO era, but also many sightings by U.S. military personnel themselves, it makes it difficult to determine how much the government actually knows. The 2023 hearings only added more fuel to the fire regarding the government's role. The popularization of pop-culture references to aliens, such as the famous Area 51 in New Mexico also contribute to the widespread conspiracy theories Americans hold. Of course, when it comes to UFO sightings, the government views these as national security issues. However, as 2023 and 2024 have shown, there could be a split between the government and the public in what either knows about UFOs. The 2023 hearings were a bipartisan issue, with both Democratic and Republican Congress-members questioning the former officials. Additionally, since the Department of Defense handles most UAP sightings, it remains largely a bipartisan issue to the government.

An ideological difference towards UFOs and aliens may come in the form of public beliefs about the issue. Because of regional differences and beliefs regarding pop-culture influences such as UFOs, it is hard to determine what Democrats and Republicans believe as groups, especially in whether they advocate for more government transparency. A 2019 Gallup poll details percentages of Americans who believe the government knows more than the public about UFOs and aliens. 68& answered that they believe the government knows more than they are telling us. The poll also found that Americans in the West are more likely to believe that UFOs are aliens, and that individuals aged 18 to 29 are the age group with the most people who believe in UFOs. The poll also indicates that lower income, and less educated individuals were more likely to claim they believed in UFO sightings.

Does the Government know More?

Polling shows that belief in UFOs and aliens varies by age, region, and socio-economic status. When it comes to political parties and their beliefs in whether the government knows more than the public, it becomes more bipartisan. A majority of Americans believe that the government knows more than it tells the public, but this is not always because of sinister motivations. For example, some individuals just believe the government keeps UFO sightings a secret so as to not unnecessarily frighten Americans. Additionally, many Americans do not even believe aliens exist in the first place. Thus the government not disclosing information about aliens is not clearly divided between Democrats and Republicans, but rather based more in regional differences. However, one thing is certain, that many Americans wish for more transparency when it comes to disclosing UFO and UAP information. Yet the government must balance the line between national security, and being more open with the public about its finding.

Do you think that Democrats or Republicans advocate more for government disclosure of information regarding UFOs? Is this a bipartisan issue? Should Americans push for further disclosure? Debate in our recent post! https://politicall.com/en/debates/should-americans-push-for-ufo-disclosure/

Images;

https://picryl.com/media/ufo-bremerhaven-grunhofe-3d7748

https://www.flickr.com/photos/9633592@N06/2210556965

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:UFO-Meersburg.jpg

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ufos_over_liverpool_-_panoramio.jpg

UFOs: The Public and the U.S. Government

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