[muir_redwoods]

It sucks to be a Neolithic people facing the forces of the Enlightenment. Europeans acquired the lands of North America through the accepted real estate transfer process used by Indians; conquest.

[stuartcr]

Yes but it was the speed and sheer numbers of so many different conquerors that makes it so different.

[stuartcr]

Yes but it was the speed and sheer numbers of so many different conquerors that makes it so different.

[Fzob]

It sucks to be a Neolithic people facing the forces of the Enlightenment. Europeans acquired the lands of North America through the accepted real estate transfer process used by Indians; conquest.

That about sums it up in a historically accurate way.

[Wissa]

Europeans acquired the lands of North America through the accepted real estate transfer process used by Indians; conquest.

No doubt. I have less complaint about the way things happened than about the Americans hypocrisy in believing they operate under "The Rule of Law" instead of "Might Makes Right".

No matter what the Indians agreed to by treaty, inevitably a few years later the Great White Father would be saying "I am altering our deal. Pray I don't alter it any further".

Nowadays, our government will still use the force of arms to take away somebody's property (the Kelo case) or somebody's life (Terry Schiavo). Might still makes right.