Alexander Wendt (Sovereignty and the UFO)

Overview

ASSESSMENT: Alexander Wendt (Ralph D. Mershon Professor International Security, Ohio State) provides the POLITICAL THEORY of why UAP are taboo. 'SOVEREIGNTY AND THE UFO' (2008, Political Theory, with Raymond Duvall): 'Modern sovereignty is anthropocentric, constituted and organized by reference to human beings alone.' 'Authoritative taboo on taking UFOs seriously.' 'UFOs never systematically investigated because assumed known that none are extraterrestrial — yet this is NOT known.' 'The UFO can be known only by not asking what it is.' 'THE UFO IS A POLITICAL PROBLEM BEFORE IT IS A SCIENTIFIC ONE.' 'Taboo on taking UFOs seriously is attractive, functional solution.' 'THE LAST HUMANS: UFOs and National Security' (Oxford, Spring 2026): Builds on 2021 Pentagon UAP Report. 'Takes no stand on what UAP are.' Hypothetical: 'what if in 25 years authorities announce ETs behind UAP?' 'The threat is not Them, it is Us.' 'Global identity crisis could cause states to collapse from within.' SOL 2024 TALK: 'grave implications for national security, stability of state, social contract.' Fear categories: fear of them, fear of each other ('neighbor is reptilian'), fear of ourselves (shame, loss of meaning). 'Social cohesion may narrow.' 'People less willing to obey state.' Could lead to 'collapse of state' or 'imposition of Martial law.' 'Garrison State' (Lasswell 1941) = state organized entirely for war. 'Potential for military takeover.' DISCOVERY SCENARIO: '200 state-led efforts' to study UAP, 'geopolitical competition,' 'reverse engineering alien technology.' 'Pentagon is doing now' (some research in secrecy). CRITICAL: Explains WHY AARO denies, WHY HPSCI blocks Disclosure Act, WHY executive keeps secrets. Not just classified programs — survival of anthropocentric state.

Entity Type: Assessment — Alexander Wendt (Sovereignty and the UFO, 'The Last Humans' 2026, Anthropocentric State) is an analytical assessment synthesizing multiple data points.

Source Documents

Intelligence derived from 5 source documents:

• journals.sagepub.com — Sovereignty and the UFO (Wendt + Duvall, 2008)
• YouTube — Dr. Alexander Wendt 'The Last Humans: UFOs and National Security' (Sol 2024)
• ondisc.nd.edu — UFOs and Human Security (book chapter)
• mershoncenter.osu.edu — Alexander Wendt
• The Sol Foundation — Dr. Alexander Wendt