Newsgroups: sci.space
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From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: Philosophy Quest.  How Boldly?
Message-ID: <C6C29M.IyB@zoo.toronto.edu>
Date: Sat, 1 May 1993 05:36:56 GMT
References: <1993Apr29.162132.28366@hemlock.cray.com> <C6Assy.Ao9@fs7.ece.cmu.edu> <1993Apr30.164327.8663@hemlock.cray.com>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 25

In article <1993Apr30.164327.8663@hemlock.cray.com> bobo@thejester.cray.com (Bob Kierski) writes:
>...Over the years we have decided that certain
>cultures need improvements.  The native americans is a good example.  Prior
>to our attempt to civilize them, the native american culture had very
>little crime, no homelessnes, no poverty...

This is, shall we say, an overly-broad statement.  In particular, are you
referring to the native American culture that existed in 1400, or the one
that existed in 1800?  (Simplify things by assuming we're talking about
the eastern US rather than the whole continent.)  Given that those were
*radically* different cultures, which one are you referring to?

>...If we encounter life elsewhere, do we tell them they have to live in
>houses, farm the land and go to church on sunday?

Note that the pre-Columbian native Americans, east of the Mississippi,
did all of these things.  (Well, maybe not "on Sunday", but they did
have organized religions, not to mention cities and governments.)  If
you are judging the native Americans by the tribal culture that existed
in 1800, you might want to read an account of the De Soto expedition
to find out what pre-Columbian native American culture, at least in the
more civilized parts of the continent, was like.
-- 
SVR4 resembles a high-speed collision   | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
between SVR3 and SunOS.    - Dick Dunn  |  henry@zoo.toronto.edu  utzoo!henry
