Top Ten Outrages of the Past Half Millenium

[Tripledoc]

French Revolution.
The Great Game (British and Russian attempt to control Asia)
Bismarck's Unification of Germany
Opium Wars
All invasions of Russia.
Oil Wars
Division of Korea.
Creation of Israel.
UN
Laboratory AIDS
Anti-communism

[JohnT]

Originally posted by GePap
I love it how this becomes (well, whats to expect) a way for everyone to go after their ideological pet peeves, with little thought of trying to create some sort of standard by which to judge, be it somehting so banal as number of dead bodies, or more precisely, percentage of those killed and population decline as a whole.

Isn't that the point of the OT?

Personally, I think this BS $1,500 invoice that came across my desk today is a travesty as well and will be fought to a successful conclusion. And how will I know when the conclusion is successful? Simple: when I get my way.

[GePap]

There is no point to OT-that is the point of OT.

[Evil Knevil]

Re: Many of the above.

There a very few 'atrocities' of a large scale that can be blamed on the Americans. Certainly not in the top ten. At least not in raw numbers!

It's better to subsume many outrages into more general themes, trans-atlantic slave trade was not an American invention, it was started by the Portugese, perpetuated by African kingdoms and fueled by the British and later Americans. Simply putting the US at the top is silly. Many peoples were to blame.

The same is true of Indian genocide. The colonisers were relatively mild, north of the Rio Grande. Instead European and American relations with the Indians should be subsumed into the 'Colonisation' outrage.

[Tripledoc]

Originally posted by GePap
I love it how this becomes (well, whats to expect) a way for everyone to go after their ideological pet peeves, with little thought of trying to create some sort of standard by which to judge, be it somehting so banal as number of dead bodies, or more precisely, percentage of those killed and population decline as a whole.

The number of dead bodies is not a means of standardization. Each mind is a universe in itslef. I think that a true outrage involves a conspiracy. Also it is to lay the foundation for further wickedness. In that regard the French Revolution is the mother of all wickedness.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I'm suprised that Imram, et al. hasn't mentioned the partitioning of India and Pakistan as one of the great outrages of at least the past century.

It doesn't make the top 10 for me.

[Wernazuma III]

Wow, a long thread, can't read everything.
Just have to mention that Albert's opinion on Chile is quite freaky. I'd suggest to do some reading, Allende was not building up any paramilitary group. He was democratically elected and there's no reason to suggest - and no evidence - he planned a coup d'etat against himself.

Anyways, my top ten:
1.) Nazi-Terror & Shoa
2.) Stalinist Terror
3.) Amerindian Genocide
4.) Slavery
5.) A-Bomb drop
6.) Confessional Wars (Cromwell, 30-Years-War etc.)
7.) Japanese Imperialism
8.) Imperialism generally
9.) WoMD use in WWI
10.) Rwandan Genocide

[Wernazuma III]

Originally posted by Evil Knevil
The same is true of Indian genocide. The colonisers were relatively mild, north of the Rio Grande.

This is a century old topos and not true. The Spanish relation to the Indians was in many aspects better than that in Angloamerica, they approached them in a completely different way. Yes, they were to be exploited (in the eyes of the colonizers) and in this process they suffered and in certain occasions massive deaths occured, but they were also to be considered subjects of the crown and therefore to be protected. They had special rights and enjoyed quite some autonomy and were not everytime pushed back and forcefully resettled and slayed just for being Indians in the way. The Spanish American society was never meant to be exclusively white, while in Anglo-America coexistance and mingling was never an option.

[Evil Knevil]

Yes, but we're talking about the results, not the attitudes. Besides the concept of Indian 'souls' wasn't really accepted in the NW until much later, despite the declarations in Europe. Brandishing the idea of 'protection' was -in the colonies at least- only to justify the economedia system.

I meant, of course, relatively mild compared to the results of Spanish rule south of the Grande.

[Az]

well, to be fair to the spanish, one could say they rapidly adapted to the customs of their new neighbourhood. Come, it's time to sacrifice some POWs.

[Evil Knevil]

(in case you don't remember I got in trouble for anti-Spanish remarks)

Er.... I don't think we should continue this conversation

[DAVOUT]

The assassination of Lady Di caused more tears that any other event in the last hundred of centuries.

Tears are a valid criteria to rank atrocities despite the quite difficult measure of numbers and volumes.

[Imran Siddiqui]

The assassination of Lady Di caused more tears that any other event in the last hundred of centuries.

Which was totally silly. Crying over a spoiled royal... why are people such idiots?

[DAVOUT]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
why are people such idiots?

Only plausible reason : for you to feel superior

[Lonestar]

Originally posted by aaglo

- American's war against indians

As oppose to Spain's, Argentina's, Brazil's, and Canada's wars againest the Indians?