On Columbus Day, Celebrate Western Civilization, And Not The Cruel Hoax of Multiculturalism

Capitalism Magazine ^ | October 8, 2003 | Michael Berliner

[Varda]

Given that "race" in this instance means something on the order of "blend of cultures" I don't see how this is "racist" in the common American meaning of the term.

[NordP]

"Did Columbus "discover" America? Yes..."

NO, LEIF ERIKSON DID!!!

arrrrh, ;-) NordP!

[NordP]

Those darn Italians just got all the PR!

;-)

[Polybius]

Interesting history but I believe that the above is not entirely true. I guess it's how you define the term "disappear". The Caribbean indians culture did disappear but apparently some number of them did survive and assimulated into the island populations. I do know that I have recently seen a notice of descendents of island indians getting together to celebrate their heritage.

It is true that the Caribbean Indians did not all die but the numbers were reduced to such a degree by diseases that their numbers made it impossible to survive as a distinct people.

In Spain itself, Catalonia had been ravaged by the Black Plague introduced from the East so that it's population had gone from 430,000 in 1365 to 278,000 in 1497. The population was large enough, however, to allow the survival of Catalonia as a distinct people, both biologically and culturally. Today, the Catalonian language is important enough to even has it's own Yahoo site.

In Puerto Roco, however, the Year 1771 census was as follows:

Whites...............31,951
Indians.............. 1,756
Free Colored.........24,164
Free Negroes......... 4,747
Mulato Slaves........ 3,343
Negro Slaves......... 4,249

Today, many Purto Ricans style themselves as "Tainos" and it is true that, if you go back far enough, a certain percentage have some indegenous Indian ancestors. However, their Taino bloodline can only be evident by DNA analysis and the "Tainos" no longer exist as a visually or culturally recognizable people.

By contrast, in Mexico, the visually evident racial appearance is predominantly Mesoamerican Indian.

[Varda]

Very interesting! It's been awhile since I studied Indians. Yes I think what was wiped out was the Indian culture and their distinctiveness as a people. Here's one of their sites, http://www.taino-tribe.org/tainos.htm, even they say that the culture was absorbed.

" By contrast, in Mexico, the visually evident racial appearance is predominantly Mesoamerican Indian"

I haven't been to Mexico for a long time but as I recall the predominate look was mixed, not straight Indian but I wasn't in southern Mexico. It's difficult to simply look at someone and tell what percentage of nationality there might be since some characteristics are clearly recessive to others and some characteristics produced blended effects. My son has a Puerto Rican teacher who has mostly european characteristics but I would guess most Americans would call him black. I find this nations obsession with people pedigrees,counterproductive .

[twigs]

I've also read that a document was discovered in the Vatican library about 100 years ago which indicated that priests were sent over here to minister in NA.

[RJCogburn]

The Ayn Rand Institute seems to like to recycle articles. The same one was posted in October 2002.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/769681/posts

[presidio9]

It is a year later, but you may find this thread enlightening.

[presidio9]

Oops.

Disregard.

[ffusco]

It's not about race, but culture. Western civilization is superior, but it doesn't belong to any race. Anyone can identify with western culture if they choose to.

[ffusco]

Pure and total bs.

[Tailgunner Joe]

bttt

[jersey117]

Interesting.