History is written by the winners - this is a well known principle. For example, October 11 was Columbus Day. Ever since the 18th century, Columbus' arrival on American soil in 1492 is being celebrated in the United States, all throughout Central America, the Caribbean, Spain, Argentina, Uruguay etc. But what is actually being celebrated? And if
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Columbus is enormously important. But telling the full story is essential for understanding what exactly he is important for. Context does matter.
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I would question that. In the race for resources, the various colonial powers often competed on how brutal they could be. I recall a South Seas power struggle between the English and (IIRC) Portugeuse (sp?). Each were vying for the favors of two brother warlords for extraction rights.
The Dutch came along, killed both brothers outright, claimed the entire area for themselves, and brought enough firepower to repel both the other colonial ships.
Lesson: to the most inhumane went the spoils.
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I usually do.
More seriously, when the difference between resources can lead to national advantage, and the only impediment standing between those resources and your nation are getting the silly natives out of the way/co-opted first, brutality practicality becomes an almost Darwinian response. The first to exploit brutally gets the goodies. Those that demur get nothing, unless you include a future ass-whooping to the brutal resource winners as something.
Consider the wars Spain was able to finance with New World gold and silver. Extrapolate.
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This is great, and I admire that approach, and yet here we are speaking of a society largely driven by religious doctrine. And religious doctrine is very straightforward, as far as violence against other human beings is concerned. At no point does it give primacy of practical expedience over moral imperative.
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The French, the Spanish, the Portuguese, and even the English (with their Anglican faux-Catholic church) had more watchful eyes on them. And if the Dutch didn't like the condemnations of one preacher, they could always vote with their feet and find one more accommodating.
This doesn't in any way explain CC's despicable behavior, of course.
I would also take exception to your phrase "violence against other human beings," given just about every religious traditions' regard of "educational" violence, aka The Spanish Inquisition, the Curse of Ham, and the like. It seems to be the absolute rule only when applied to one's own church members.
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I don't know about the Dutch being influenced by Protestant schism, but the Spanish at the time of Columbus were pretty hardcore Catholic.
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Well, Gazprom decided to switch off the gas supply for a fortnight, and everything in Europe to the Elbe plunged into darkness and frost in the middle of winter. That was two winters ago. It became known as The Long Night.
Then the Whitewalkers came, hungry for baby flesh...
( ... )
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The special on nutmeg was pretty brutal, the natives still to this day honor those murdered hundreds of years ago.
I *think* this is the episode.
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