[pavel_lishin]

But we're also not a threat - even if we did detect another civilization, we'd have no way to attack them.

I don't buy the Dark Forest hypothesis at all, but it's also just not particularly a factor for us at our current stage of technological development, any more than a stone-age tribe has to worry about Mutually Assured Destruction via nuclear ICMBs.

[hazbot]

On the other hand, better to do the weeding early than wait for it to get out of hand...

[pavel_lishin]

With that sort of logic, you might as well exterminate every solar system around, whether or not it shows signs of civilization or even eventual habitability.