I agree with you that most alien stuff is horrible coverups but:

-I personally think that intelligent alien life is out there and watching us

-Only some UFO encounters are for real, lots are coverups/fakes

-There is microbial life on Mars and budgets on xenobiology have been slashed because the existence of alien life threatens the religious right’s concept of the universe.

-There are powerful people out there who are so scientifically regressive that they believe in geocentrism, flat earth, etc all because modern science conflicts with their literalist interpretations of their religious texts. They will do anything to prolong our ignorance of alien life because they can make huge money on creationist screeds.