I think a preemptive strike makes sense, especially once humanity shows the slightest inclination (and practical capability) to begin colonizing other words.
Other, extraterrestrial civilizations may also have experienced a "Great Singularity" where their A.I.s have surpassed their creators' intelligence and have begun creating more and more intelligent versions of themselves, multiplying exponentially and wiping out all biological life as dangerous and obsolete. Instead of robots we can fight and defeat (think Daleks, Cybermen, Cylons, etc.), these sentient super-A.I.s would come at us with trillions of tiny, flesh consuming nanites. Game over.
Any species that can traverse light years' worth of space will have technologies that make our smartphones and smartbombs look like sticks and stones. We won't stand a chance.
The historical case study of the Spanish Conquistadors' comnquest of the Aztec empire offers some interesting precedents. The Aztecs welcomed them at first, even flirting with the notion that they were gods. Not only did the Spanish have superior technology (guns and steel), they unwittingly brought diseases which decimated the local native populations. It didn't help that the Aztecs fought to capture while the Spanish fought to kill. These technological and cultural difference favored the invader. I can foresee an alien invasion forces advantages being many-fold greater than those of the Conquistadors. Hell, less than 100 mounted Spanish fighters crippled the entire Incan empire of several million!
Invading aliens could also play human nation states or religious/ethnic groups against each other, much like human imperialist/colonialist powers have throughout history. The aliens show up, promise Muslims or Christians or whatever primacy over their rivals and BOOM, humans do most of the dirty work for them.
Bottom line, shows like V and Falling Skies are fun but they offer false hope. If aliens show up and want the earth for themselves, they're going to get it.
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