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I can understand chaos and tyranids and any army trying to kill ya. But why kill xenos who have nothing. Do they kill only sentient xenos or are animals killed as well.

Because it's Grimdark.

The Eldar seek to purge man from their Mother Worlds, the Tau seek to beat everyone into submission in order to rule with as Silk(iron)fist, the DE kill or enslave anyone they can, Orks are Orks.. 'Nids are drivin by hunger. Every race has its own Xenocidical tendencies.

Because xenos are filthy corrupters of all humankind.

Because in a world where everything wants to kill you then its fairly safe to be prejudicial about well... everything

garret wrote:I can understand chaos and tyranids and any army trying to kill ya. But why kill xenos who have nothing. Do they kill only sentient xenos or are animals killed as well.

It is sometimes difficult to give well founded rational reasons for extreme racism and genocide

Because said filth are xenos, enough said

The Imperium follows the philosophy that if something has the ability to kill you, better to kill it first. So if a xeno has the intelligence and technology to attack the Imperium they are to be exterminated. If they are mindless animals then they are ignored unless in the way, likely to be a threat in the future, or a resource.

Of course, being a threat doesn't mean they must be a big threat that should be responded to immediately. So they might not get several regiments of guardsmen and some marines flung at them on sight; rather, a moderate force to mop up when convenient. Although sometimes you have a situation like the Tau that managed to kick the backside of the guardsmen sent to mop them up at leisure... and the marines sent to supposedly bail the guard out.

Tau are a good example of why you need to exterminate all xenos on site. When they first met them they were still swinging clubs at each other. Imperium goes on a coffee break comes back and they got flying tanks with railguns! Imperium smacks itslef on the head and goes "D'oh!"

Kilkrazy wrote:Because it's Grimdark.

LOL. Despite what anyone says, this is the only valid answer.

candy.man wrote:

Kilkrazy wrote:Because it's Grimdark.

LOL. Despite what anyone says, this is the only valid answer.

That seems to be the answer for everything in 40k that has no proper answer.

The Imperium is an oppressive theocracy that tries to create a single overlapping culture across all of itself dedicated to the God Emperor of Mankind, who the Imperium remembers for his crusade that killed plenty of Xenos.

The reasons why the Imperium destroys Xenos are typically these.

1. They are afraid of the actually dangerous xenos. Those nids are pretty scary, hey, those other aliens must be pretty scary!
2. Fear of cultural integration. This is probably biggest against the Tau and peaceful xeno cultures; the Imperial faith objects to outside forces weakening it, especially when that faith is one of the things that keeps chaos away (In For the Emperor, Cain says at one point that he's worried that those who could be influenced by the Tau could also be open to influence from the ruinous powers).
3. Extreme prejudice. Consider that, in Nightbringer, Uriel is unwilling to think the Eldar might possibly have different conflicting groups, even with overwhelming evidence to the contrary, simply because they're all "filthy xenos." People are grown from the cradle indoctrinated by Imperial propaganda.
4. "The Emperor did it." Remember, a lot of the people in power happen to be fanatically devoted to the Emperor.

Is it a good idea to destroy all Xenos, even ones that actually do want to create peaceful trade relationships (AKA Not Eldar, Tau, Orks, Nids, Necrons)? On one hand, it can be quite beneficial to both groups (The use of Kroot mercenaries in some groups of Imperial Guard, for example). On the other, it might weaken the power of the Imperium as people recognize that the less oppressive alien cultures are a lot less scary-looking.

Because xenos tend to be any or all of the following: violent, manipulative, chaos-touched, warlike, want to eat you, and refuse to worship the Emperor.


By the way, the Imperium DOES have xeno protectorates, such as the Jokaero.

"NUKE IT FROM ORBIT!!! ITS THE ONLY WAY TO BE SURE!!!"

I rest my case, yet again..

In a more serious vein... Asking why the Empirum hates Xenos is like asking why Humans still have racial and tribal hates and fears.

Because Xenos are EIVIL .

Melissia wrote:Because xenos tend to be any or all of the following: violent, manipulative, chaos-touched, warlike, want to eat you, and refuse to worship the Emperor.


By the way, the Imperium DOES have xeno protectorates, such as the Jokaero.

The Imperium has a Jokaero protectorate? Crazy space-orangutangs

Yep. The Jokaero are under the protection of the Inquisition in specific and the Imperium in general because of their ability to produce such complex and insane technology as digital weapons.

Melissia wrote:Yep. The Jokaero are under the protection of the Inquisition in specific and the Imperium in general because of their ability to produce such complex and insane technology as digital weapons.

Does the Inquisition's hypocrisy know no bounds? I'm sure Jokaero have ships too....laden with monky bars.

It's not hypocrisy. The Inquisition protects the Imperium from threats within, threats without, and threats beyond-- the Jokaero are not a threat, but rather a boon. They aren't even sentient according to most definitions of the term.

garret wrote:I can understand chaos and tyranids and any army trying to kill ya. But why kill xenos who have nothing. Do they kill only sentient xenos or are animals killed as well.

Why do humans hate/attack/oppress other cultures, religions,races then there own etc.?

Why did the colonials kill the "savages" of the places they subjugated?

etc., etc.

Humans are by nature xenophobic, violent and selfish.

Besides, some (rare) xeno races ARE under Imperial protection.

The answer to this is pretty simple. (At least I think it is.)

Most cultures seem to reach their zenith when they are at their most closed-minded and oppressive. (The British Empire, the Roman Empire, the list goes on.) As their culture goes into decline, they become more accepting and open minded towards new ideas, religions, cultural beliefs, etc. I'm not saying there is a cause and effect relationship here, but there is a definite trend towards this pattern.

The 40k universe just takes this idea to its logical extreme. The Imperium (at least the higher ups in charge of policy) understand this, and act accordingly. They know that the Imperium, as a whole, will suffer from exposure to alien cultures and ideas. They will experiment with mind-altering new forms of government, and threaten the stability of the Imperium. Instigated xenophobia is but one weapon they Imperium uses to preserve its existence. It also allows the administration to focus everyone on an external threat, which allows them to consolidate their own power base.

The policy makers within the Imperium don't want to see a fractured human society, with multiple different governments, independent stellar nations, and whatnot. Keeping everything under the umbrella protection of the Imperium ensures that the human race will not fall back into the Old Night again. It's part of the tragedy of the 40k universe: it isn't a good system, but there isn't any other option that's viable.

If you follow the fluff, the Imperium exists to promote the interests of humanity (not humans, humanity as a whole), and sees all xenos races as in conflict with humanity for the resources and space that both need to survive. Nuff said.

Melissia wrote:Because xenos tend to be any or all of the following: violent, manipulative, chaos-touched, warlike, want to eat you, And the Imperium doesn't want the competition.

Fixed it for you

@OP-It is a universe of war. The Imperium has Xenos and Ab-human allies, but only ones that are easily controlled or, if control slips, are easily destroyed.

Jimsolo wrote:Most cultures seem to reach their zenith when they are at their most closed-minded and oppressive. (The British Empire, the Roman Empire, the list goes on.) As their culture goes into decline, they become more accepting and open minded towards new ideas, religions, cultural beliefs, etc. I'm not saying there is a cause and effect relationship here, but there is a definite trend towards this pattern.

I noticed that too, kinda makes me not like where the U.S. is going.....


If I remember my fluff right, before the Great Crusade, many aliens had humans in slavery, which lead to resentment, and also because the alien technology was starting to replace human technology, and they don't want the people being corrupted to alien ways.

focusedfire wrote:Fixed it for you

Not really. As amusing as that sentence is, the Imperium is full of donkey-caves because you need to be one to survive in 40k.

OK, I confess.

That's right, I'M THE REASON why the Imperium Hates Xenos.

That's right, its my birthday, go focused go focused go focused go!


Seriously, 40K is a kill or be killed universe.



Edit spacing

The imperium hates xenos because they are human and therefore hate everything.

It's like how we are now. In the Uk, people (mostly those influenced by the papers) are always going 'moan moan, bitch, moan, dirty foreigners, bitch, moany moanington'

I am assuming it the same in the US, but with mexicans

S_P

Space_Potato wrote:The imperium hates xenos because they are human and therefore hate everything.

It's like how we are now. In the Uk, people (mostly those influenced by the papers) are always going 'moan moan, bitch, moan, dirty foreigners, bitch, moany moanington'

I am assuming it the same in the US, but with mexicans

S_P

We also Hate how much everyone else HATES us

Poor_Fething_Guardsman wrote:Because in a world where everything wants to kill you then its fairly safe to be prejudicial about well... everything

This is the best summary of the paranoid Imperium I've ever read...