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To: FTL
A pox on you! Anti-Christians teach that the Christian Europeans deliberately spread smallpox among the American Indians, as in handing out blankets with the germs. "...the myth is so vibrant that it made its way into a scene in the movie Broken Trail (2006)."[6] In fact, the germ theory of disease was not even discovered until the 19th century. '... at odds with any such idea is the effort of the United States government at this time to vaccinate the native population. Smallpox vaccination, a procedure developed by the English country doctor Edward Jenner in 1796, was first ordered in 1801 by President Jefferson. The program continued in force for three decades, though its implementation was slowed both by the resistance of the Indians, who suspected a trick, and by lack of interest on the part of some officials. Still, as Thornton writes: "Vaccination of American Indians did eventually succeed in reducing mortality from smallpox."'[7]

A little truth on the subject. If you are actually interested in truth.

343 posted on 04/19/2009 2:46:31 PM PDT by Ben Mugged ("You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom".)
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To: Ben Mugged

A little truth on the subject. If you are actually interested in truth.

According to historian Francis Parkman, Amherst first raised the possibility of giving the Indians infected blankets in a letter to Colonel Henry Bouquet, who would lead reinforcements to Fort Pitt. No copy of this letter has come to light, but we do know that Bouquet discussed the matter in a postscript to a letter to Amherst on July 13, 1763:

P.S. I will try to inocculate the Indians by means of Blankets that may fall in their hands, taking care however not to get the disease myself. As it is pity to oppose good men against them, I wish we could make use of the Spaniard’s Method, and hunt them with English Dogs. Supported by Rangers, and some Light Horse, who would I think effectively extirpate or remove that Vermine.

On July 16 Amherst replied, also in a postscript:

P.S. You will Do well to try to Innoculate the Indians by means of Blanketts, as well as to try Every other method that can serve to Extirpate this Execrable Race. I should be very glad your Scheme for Hunting them Down by Dogs could take Effect, but England is at too great a Distance to think of that at present.

On July 26 Bouquet wrote back:

I received yesterday your Excellency’s letters of 16th with their Inclosures. The signal for Indian Messengers, and all your directions will be observed.

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1088/did-whites-ever-give-native-americans-blankets-infected-with-smallpox


354 posted on 04/20/2009 5:48:05 AM PDT by macebowman
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To: Ben Mugged

No, my point is that there was a time on the American continent BEFORE we were the U.S.A that in at least one case (and possibly several others) where British officers were involved in planning and delivering smallpox infected blankets to American Indians. Although the term “Biological WMD” was not used at the time, only an imbecile would argue that deliberately infecting a stone age indigenous people with a devastating disease they have no immunity to - isn’t use of WMD-like tactics.

This was documented in British military correspondence and this writing has never been translated from another language (duh, it was English writing it), changed or misinterpreted wheres its possible the KJV bible has been so multiple times as there were many versions of it, and it was revised four times after the first version of the KJV bible was released around 1611 and it was translated from several different languages over time. Not much prior to that there wasn’t even an English version of the bible - it was scriptures transposed to Latin. Versions written in Greek and so on. So the British Military writing of the Colonial era on smallpoxing the Indians is far more recent and provable then say, Moses turning a staff into a serpent, parting the Red Sea, the Burning Bush, or Angels descending from on high - not to get sidetracked into a completely different subject. Not saying any of those things happened - and not saying they didn’t. I’m an agnostic after all.

These guys who were involved in this stuff were British Crown Loyalists and Tories. The ones we fought against for freedom. The same crowd whose ships we attacked and dumped their 45 tons of their tea in the harbor worth nearly $2,000,000 in today’s money. The same type of Brits who at the time were our enemy.

So, that incident is in no way blamed by me on the USA - its blamed on the Brits of the time who were our enemy and I have no interest in defending the Brits who we fought against at the time as they were known to be cruel, arrogant and oppressive taskmasters many of whom who regarded the Indians as vermin - again British oppression among the reasons why we rebelled against the Crown.

I could even argue further that anyone who tried to defend nefarious British actions of the time would be taking the side of the enemy a la Benedict Arnold.

Although there are some who attempt to cast doubt that deliberate smallpoxing the Natives never happened - I differ. Some of the Early Brits were real bastards and based on what we know of them and the fact that they talked openly about it - I personally have no doubt they were involved in it. They didn’t even need to have an in depth understanding of science at the time - all they needed to know is that smallpox while very injurious and at times lethal to Europeans - when these Savages were infected with it, they were decimated and eradicated by it which is why they said “lets give these vermin some smallpox to wipe their asses out” so to speak.

As far as my other points about the USA fire bombing and nuking Japan, Dresden, rounding up Japs for internment etc., the popular notion these days is to apologize and bash America for those actions.

I differ. While it is silly to try to deny that we fire bombed and nuked, napalmed and slayed, where I differ is I make no bones about it. Yes, we did it, did what we had to do, and I make no apologies for it.

OTHERS might argue - “well, I draw the line at My Lai, that was wrong and we should apologize for it.” Again, I differ. A lesson needed to be taught and fear and terror needed to be instilled. But hey - again, that’s just me. Like the ad says; “Your level of savagery, cruelty and brutality may differ.” Others can apologize for it - I never will cause its plain dumb to apologize for something you had no involvement in.

To me we are too much of a coddling, touchy feely nation. I happen to believe in scorched earth and crushing the enemy mercilessly and have no problem with certain concepts that others find abhorrent. The goal is to win and conquer with the least amount of time, treasure and lives spent on our side - not pussyfoot around.

I recognize that not all might share that view - which is why I doubt I’ll be supreme ruler any time soon.

Another argument that could be made is that “well the majority of atrocities in US history happened under Democrat administrations”.


399 posted on 04/20/2009 4:32:34 PM PDT by FTL
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