[peterbraden]

Actually the article is asking whether a good but curtailed life is better than no life at all. Which is a more interesting question.

[Sporktacular]

Actually they refer to suffering as one alternative a few times:

"Even if, on net, the humans in the alien world suffer, is oblivion really the preferable alternative to net suffering? Especially if you could alleviate that suffering through action?"

[dundarious]

The important point is that that is a hypothetical. In the US for example, that hypothetical is incredibly far from present reality.