Native Americans - villans or heroes?

[BeBMan]

Originally posted by aneeshm


Aryans.

[aneeshm]

Originally posted by BeBro

Originally posted by aneeshm

Aryans.

[Kuciwalker]

I think you might have missed BeBro's point.

[Wycoff]

I don't completely agree with Pekka's post, but I agree with his sentiment. IMO, there's too much "noble savage" bs out there today. The native Americans weren't any more pure hearted or good natured than any other group of people. The only reason that they were the victims in history and not the conquerors is because of their technological and soicalbackwardness as compared to the Europeans.

I don't really feel guilty about the settlement of North America. It's just another example of the movement of peoples. Various stresses and pressures made it optimal for many people to leave Europe to settle in the new world. The newcomers were more powerful than the original inhabitants, and they took the land. It's one of the most common themes throughout human history.
If you could switch the technology and social development levels, then I'd bet that advanced Native Americans would have conquered and colonized a primitive Eurasia

Should the English feel guilty? Should the Turks feel guilty? If not, then why should Americans feel guilty?

[Meticulous Man]

Originally posted by BeBro
Bah, they saved Mulder.

The Anasazi

[BeBMan]

Originally posted by Wycoff
Should the English feel guilty? Should the Turks feel guilty? If not, then why should Americans feel guilty?

People should not feel personally guilty for stuff they didn't do personally. Responsibility is another matter, but feeling guilty for something done several hundred yrs ago is stupid.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Wycoff
I don't completely agree with Pekka's post, but I agree with his sentiment. IMO, there's too much "noble savage" bs out there today. The native Americans weren't any more pure hearted or good natured than any other group of people. The only reason that they were the victims in history and not the conquerors is because of their technological and soicalbackwardness as compared to the Europeans.

I don't really feel guilty about the settlement of North America. It's just another example of the movement of peoples. Various stresses and pressures made it optimal for many people to leave Europe to settle in the new world. The newcomers were more powerful than the original inhabitants, and they took the land. It's one of the most common themes throughout human history.

But our country was established on revolutionary principles, that renounced many of the common themes of human history. "we hold certain truths to be self-evident ......" We are, rightly, proud of introducing those new themes into world history. The question is what should we do to live up to our OWN values as Americans?

[Cyclotron]

Indians cheated x 100 more than the settlers. I don't know why you guys give these casinos, it's not their fault, they're just heritage of the murderous tribes, but still, by doing this, you're admiting to attrocities while the other side was so pure? Hell no!

Tribal gaming is just a continuation of the proud Native American tradition of scalping the White Man.

[Mr. President]

Pekka, you're my hero.

[SlowwHand]

All we had to do was breathe on them. They dropped like flies.