I don't get it
You and me both. I thought of that all the way through the article.
Our "superior" American culture has sacrificed 50 million human human fetuses -- all on the verge of "personhood" -- since 1973. Most of those living little humans were butchered in the womb by slicing them into small scoopable pieces with surgical blades. This ritual is defended with religious fervor by sexually "liberated" feminists.
If you choose to condemn the Mayans for their brutality you should take into consideration our own culture's crimes against humanity. If you think a little you'll be able to find many examples, starting with slavery. As for the 2012 nonsense, how does it compare with a formerly thriving culture that's committing economic suicide through a popular delusionary belief in mythical human-caused global warming? Only the ignorant believe the world will end based on the Mayan calendar. The Mayans didn't: it's just the beginning of a new 5,126-year cycle.