Poor misguided Robotech fans. We 7 fans don't care about that though, since we have a show with original content, and superbadasas Max!
More specifically, in each Macross series, Humanity has achieved something that the Protoculture failed at:
-TV/DYRL: Demilitarizing the Zentradi, bringing them into a normal societal structure
-7: Stopping the Protodevelin from taking out hte entire universe, by doing more than just sealing them away
-Frontier: Establishing lines of communication/understanding with the Vajra, the apparent inspiration for all the Protoculture's doings.
-Overall: Rebuilding the Stellar Republic, as colony fleets have begun to form independent states/planets, and spread out across hte universe.
So what's next on the check list? The AFOS is still out there somewhere, waiting to judge humanity, and with an unknown level of technology. Sure it took a reaction missile to the face, but that didn't seem to phase it all that much.