Posted on 10/12/2009 6:48:09 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Let’s say Columbus found a young Mayan virgin girl; would he drag her up the steps and CUT HER HEART OUT for no reason..? For ANY reason..?
NOPE...!
Well, I doubt that Buffalo Bill made he gun he used. I didn’t say the Sioux started manufacturing plants. I am saying they radically changed their life style, as many peoples do when they encounter superior technology. In any case, stone age technology was not necessarily primitive. An indian living in South Carolina, a west African, and a French peasant who were contemporaries in the 16th Century lived on pretty much the same comfort level, even with the superior technology available to the last. Which is why, by the way, that a French peasant could immigrate to Canada and endure the hardships of a savage New Land, whereas you or I probably would not survive for more than a few months under those conditions.
That's the benefit of a division of labor.
I didn’t say the Sioux started manufacturing plants. I am saying they radically changed their life style, as many peoples do when they encounter superior technology.
Yes and after obtaining horses, the Sioux first waged holy jihad against tribes of the Plain well before coming in direct contact with Europeans. In other locations such as Florida, the same Indian tribes were in contact with Spaniards for centuries yet never managed to upgrade in any meaningful way.
In any case, stone age technology was not necessarily primitive. An indian living in South Carolina, a west African, and a French peasant who were contemporaries in the 16th Century lived on pretty much the same comfort level, even with the superior technology available to the last. Which is why, by the way, that a French peasant could immigrate to Canada and endure the hardships of a savage New Land, whereas you or I probably would not survive for more than a few months under those conditions
Darwin was definitely ever present. I'd be interesting in knowing just how many European newcomers didn't make it.
As for the life span of an immigrant, that depended. It took the Europeans about three generations to acclimate. Very often an indentured servant did not live out his seven year term. Bad water, bad food, and hard living will do that. And that's only on the trip over. Plus many of them were not in great health when they started.
Which brings me to what we owe to modern medicine. As late as 50 years ago, we were ravaged by diseases such as Polio. Many a worker was carried off by the lack of a tetanus shot. Giving them the right shots enables us to send troops into pestholes and expect to come out alive.
Different times, different paradigm. You are talking about an era where slavery was normal all over the world and the human race was evolving out of the dark ages.
How horrible was kidnapping and bringing the natives “against their will”?????-—compared to what the Aztecs did to the Mayans or whoever????.....sheeeesh! Most tribes brutalized other tribes and this kumbaya world of the “Noble Indian” is myth. The history of ALL MAN has been one of one group conquering the weaker group.
That you respect the rights of a minority is all because of the “evil white men” who fortunately arrived in a land where they could create their “ideal” government. They are the ones who wrote into the government protection for the minority—that did NOT allow for the tyranny of the majority. What other country or peoples have any respect for minorities??????? (or women for that matter not founded in Judeo-Christian paradigm).
Perfection is not achievable, but Christopher Columbus and the Christians that followed did an awesome job when you compare the US and the Founding Fathers’ genius to the rest of the world, especially at that point in history. That story is truly amazing and benefited far more people than it injured. People all over the earth today should drop to their knees and thank God for the courage and daring of Christopher Columbus!
The revisionists seem to work overtime to discredit anything good brought to this country by the Europeans.
You do know that Columbus went to jail for this in Spain, right? Ah, I thought not. Both the Pope and Isabel had forbidden the enslavement of the native peoples .
Using simple Trig, Eratosthenes measured the circumference of the Earth around 600BC. His number was amazingly close to reality: about 26,000 miles, + or-. Columbus somehow got the units wrong and claimed that the Earth was only 13,000 miles around the middle.
When he sought project funds from the Portuguese, they politely tried to straighten him out, before kicking him out of the country. The Spaniards also knew the ancient numbers, but they risked very little when they backed Columbus up and didn't even argue about Columbus' cut of the profits, figuring there would be none, They thought that if indeed they saw him again, he might add to their knowledge of the Western Seas.
Ferdinand and Isabella were super busy. They had just kicked the Moors out of Spain in that very year, and Columbus was just another back burner project; their medieval version of a very low budget space program.
If we had more people that were independently curious enough to study history - we wouldn't be in the mess we are now...
Parents need to do what Lt. Col. Allen West's parents did with him when he was growing up: assign history lessons at home for discussion and testing his comprehension. As a result, we have a 22 year war vet - and HERO - who understands the Constitution backward and forward - golly, he even understands that we are NOT a democracy but a REPUBLIC.
We need this man in the pipeline...He ran for Congress in ‘08 - with no real support from the GOP = (a new comer - like Palin - so the establishment is threatened, it's not “his turn”)
He's running again for 2010 - Another big plus, like Palin, he's NOT a lawyer - so tells it straight up, no twisting/parsing.
But I digress ;o)
Dion introduces Allen West
History is full of the end of previous peoples. It did not begin on America's shore. There were 40,000+ natives with Cortes when he destroyed the Aztecs. They hated their Aztec Overlords.
Disease was the principal killer of Native Americans. It was tremendous and rapid. There simply weren't enough Europeans to kill that many people that fast, do the math.
I would also caution you to beware of the "official history" as passed down from the British. It was greatly propagandized and often downright invented to paint the Spanish in a bad light. I can't imagine that it would be a good thing to have the Americas preserved as a giant zoo lightly populated by stone-age peoples.
As historically accurate as any stone-age, oral tradition history can be. Bone counts are the archelogical indication. Cortes had about 40,000 native Americans who were oppressed by the Aztecs join his march, who told stories of the people they had to give up or have taken.
Which is worse?
Columbus did indeed discover new land on the continent. What Columbus did was to open the “New World” to the Europeans, who explored it and many contemporary Europeans did consider it a discovery.
Say, I don't mean to imply that Columbus was incompetent, or a charlatan. Bit of a hustler, maybe. He had a project to sell, and sell it he did, he also sold himself as project manager, and he did set up a viable colony. In making it back and forth across the Atlantic 3 times with feeble gear any self-respecting lobsterman would laugh at, not to mention the USCG, he deserves a lot of credit for guts, if nothing else ... and there's a hell of a lot else.
That boy done good. Still taking gold out of the Dominican Republic from sources he found!
I have lots of photos, taken over the years of both Olympia and Susan - both are diminutive and classy, as to demeanor and dress.
I took the photos over about 25 years, some in conjunction with my years in the newspaper business, some in working on campaigns and some at conferences, etc., in my politically active days.
My favorite one of Snow, years ago, was her first up close encounter with a Percheron horse - a giant of an animal. She was fascinated and I snapped just as she reached out to stroke it's muzzle. The contrast between the largest of horses and the tiny lady was great.
I have also, a lot of pics with her and her hubby, "Jock" McKernan, whom I met when he first threw his hat into the political cauldron. He subsequently served as our Congressman and then as our Governor.
She didn't used to be so liberal. Don't know what happened. Hoping she means what she said after her vote the other day: that her 'yea' vote was NO indication of how she would vote on a final bill.
I think her reelection is in real doubt - and will be in "dire" doubt if she votes for the final bill. I will certainly be looking for a replacement.
The RINOs have Maine all figured out. There are still enough real people left in the state who are loyal Republicans, no matter what. The fact that Ollie and Susie dress like demure young maidens of old Norumbega is enough to get their vote! The contest is among the young, i.e., those not smart enough to find work, the loonie left massholes flocking in, single women, college students, South Portland Alternative Life Stylers, and the whole left- leaning host of obamanites who would not know what the sharp side of an ax is for.
A Maine RINO has to con=vince THEM that SHE is just as liberal as any Democrat. When elected with 15% of that vote, plus the die-hard Republicans, the woman simply delivers what she promised the more liberal voters. They're the ones that count. She doesn't need to pay the Republicans any mind at all because she knows come hell or hard freeze, she's going to get their vote.
Plus, Olympia ain't no political dummy. She has been successfully working the "Maverick Republican" game longer than McCain, who may really be a dummy. Susie? As long as she does what the head cheerleader says, she'll make the squad.
That's the dynamic at work in the GOP establishment that tries to marginalize Palin. And that refused to offer support to Lt. Col. Allen West of Florida in his run for Congress in 2008.
Both are JUST what we need.
West is running again for the 2010 election. We need to slam Michael Steele HARD and the Florida GOP, to SUPPORT this war Hero/Strict Constitutionalist.
It may not be 'his turn' - but it IS his TIME. WE need this man in the pipeline.
I'd like to see him and Sarah team up and gather more like them. We need a lot of new blood in the party if we're going to cull out the rot in DC.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.