: I am unimpressed by claims that the lifestyles of Native American tribes in aggregate were any more perfect than that brought to this continent by white settlers from Europe.Who are you to say what is 'better' and what is worse. many would consider that industrialism is abhorrent when contrasted with a hunter/gatherer and other traditional societies. It all depends on how you wish to live.
: Before the arrival of Europeans there was still war. There were also still barbaric religious rituals (no I don't believe in ritual sacrifice or making "offerings" to any deity) that fail the test of common sense.
After the arrival of europeans there was still war. In fact wasn't there an attempted genocide of the indians?
As for barbaric rituals, well what is so surprising about that, it is a common theme that runs through all religions. I didn't hear anybody kicking up a fuss when 'god told abe to go kill me a son' or when they used to offer up live animals to j******h.
So we have in fact ancient biblical precedent for barbarism and as america is founded on fundamentalist principles, i really don't see what the problem is.
[oh yeah and if any american wants to talk about barbarism, maybe they shoulld start with the death penalty, rather than an already persecuted minorrity killing a couple of birds]
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: Human nature exists outside the boundaries of culture--and ensures that underneath it all, our aims are quite similar and our ends of like kind.
Human nature, what's that? I'd really like to see you try to define it outside of culture.
