MLLG

Columbus and the War on Western Civilization

“A nation trafficking its own children is more to be condemned than the buyers.” (Voltaire)

Columbus and the War on Western Civilization

By: George Noga – October 9, 2022

This is a special Columbus Day posting; read our 2019, 2020 and 2021 Columbus Day posts on our website: www.mllg.us. Christopher Columbus is the lightning rod for the progressive war on western civilization; hence, it is appropriate to address criticisms leveled at him. We also intrepidly tackle the issue of slavery, which is central to the war on western civilization as well as to Critical Race Theory and to the 1619 project. Note: For those interested in this subject, I highly recommend “The War on the West” a new book by Douglas Murray, from which some of the material herein is sourced.

What if the Chinese or Arabs had Discovered America?

Progressive Svengalis use Columbus to brainwash our children to despise western civilization. They condemn Columbus for subjugating the native population and for genocide in introducing infectious diseases. What was the West supposed to do, leave America alone and keep it a secret? When the Chinese and/or Arabs would surely have come, things would have been far worse. What if an advanced Native American society had discovered paleolithic Europe? What would happen today if we discovered a resource rich planet inhabited by primitive people? No technologically advanced society has ever encountered an aboriginal population and behaved any better. It is disingenuous to condemn the West for innate, unchanging human behavior.

In the 15th century no one understood infectious diseases; contagion from outsiders to the native population was inevitable no matter who discovered America. Europeans had acquired immunity from many diseases because of their diversity and also travel being more commonplace compared to the mostly isolated indigenous population of the Americas – who were thus highly vulnerable to disease. Further, many of the infectious diseases brought from Europe originated in Asia. There is not one record extant that shows any American or European government had a policy of genocide.

Slavery and Western Civilization

Slavery is evil and is to be condemned always and everywhere. It is right and proper for schools to teach our children about the history and evils of slavery in America; that is not an issue. The problem is lack of context. Progressives, who run government schools, teach only about slavery in America and they fail to inform students about mitigating factors. Consequently, children in the USA believe slavery occurred only in America and are ignorant of the often-heroic efforts to abolish it. In the following paragraphs, I provide much needed context, including much that may surprise you.

Progressives condemn slavery only in the West and divorce it from all contexts. Slavery has been a constant throughout history. From the 15th century to the 19th century, 10 million slaves were shipped from Africa to the West; during that same time, a far greater number (15 million) was shipped east to the Ottoman Empire. Instead of being forcibly captured by European slavers, most slaves were sold by other Africans, even by their own families, making them complicit in the slave trade. The slave trade could not have succeeded without the active support of African elites.

There are no descendants of the slaves sent east, because they were all castrated and then killed when their usefulness ended. Thus, eastern nations that imported 15 million slaves do not have the same legacy as the USA with tens of millions descended from slaves. Again, this is because the Ottomans castrated and killed their slaves. As late as the 19th century, Barbary pirates captured and enslaved over one million Europeans. Slavery exists today in Mauritania, Ghana, South Sudan and many other places. There are more slaves today (50 million) than there were in the 19th century.

As Voltaire stated, selling one’s neighbors, and even one’s own

children, into slavery is more condemnable than buying them.

There were many heroic actions taken by the West to end slavery. England abolished slavery in 1807 and then used its navy to wipe out the slave trade throughout much of the world. England established a naval squadron in west Africa that grew to include 20% of its fleet. From 1808 to 1860, the West Africa squadron captured 1,600 slave ships and freed 150,000 slaves. The Royal Navy lost over 1,500 men in that operation.

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We rightly celebrate the achievements of western civilization – including those of Christopher Columbus. Happy Columbus Day 2022 from MLLG to all our readers!

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The 1619 Project is the subject of our next post on October 16th.
More Liberty Less Government – mllg@cfl.rr.com – www.mllg.us
MLLG

Christopher Who?

It’s not about Columbus; it never was. It’s all about weaponizing history.

Christopher Who?

By: George Noga – October 10, 2021

Over the years, certain posts have become reader favorites and are forwarded en masse to friends and relatives. Our July Fourth, Columbus Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas posts fall squarely into that category. Rather than disappoint, we present this post for Columbus Day 2021; it contains new material and perspectives while continuing tradition. You may read our 2019 and 2020 Columbus Day posts at: www.mllg.us.

In much of the USA, Columbus Day is a victim of cancel culture. Instead, Americans, and especially children, are force fed progressive claptrap that Columbus and all of western civilization (including you) are hateful, evil and geocidal, while all indigenous peoples are peace loving and noble. This is standard bilge by progressives, who seek to weaponize history to riddle Americans with guilt – especially on holidays.

The following states (or parts thereof) now call it Indigenous Peoples Day or Native Americans Day: AK, CA, DC, HI, IL, LA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NV, NJ, NM, ND, OH, OK, OR, RI, SD, VT, VA, WA and WI. In Colorado, Columbus Day is now Mother Cabrini Day in honor of Frances Cabrini, who started schools and hospitals. Canada abolished Columbus Day entirely, replacing it with First Nations Peoples Day.

Were Europeans or Americans Guilty of Genocide?

Progressives like to blame Europeans and Americans for genocide and massacres. Most native deaths post-Columbus resulted from infectious diseases brought from Europe, many of which originated in and migrated from Asia. The bubonic plague (and Coronavirus) originated in China, yet no one accuses them of genocide. There is not one record extant that shows any European or American government had a policy of genocide. What transpired following Columbus’s discovery of America was the same as what happened throughout human history when any aboriginal people encountered a more technologically advanced society. It is disingenuous to condemn western civilization for innate human behavior unchanged since men lived in trees.

Why was Iraq, with a casualty ratio of 11 to 1, a battle and Wounded Knee, with a ratio of 3 to 1, a massacre? It all depends on who writes the history.

It also is a myth that aboriginals were noble and peace-loving. If that were true, how could a handful of Europeans subjugate enormous populations and territories? Columbus allied with the Arawaks against the Caribs, who were vicious cannibals. Cortez, with only 500 conquistadores, subjugated the Aztecs with the help of 50,000 natives terrorized by the Aztec’s ritual human sacrifice and enslavement. It s much the same with Pizarro, who had but 180 men when he landed in Peru. Yes, Europeans committed many brutal acts, but it is manifestly dishonest to focus only on those while ignoring or excusing equal (or even worse) savagery by indigenous peoples.

Wounded Knee – Battle or Massacre?

In recent years, Wounded Knee has become the latte-left’s poster child for massacres. Like many Americans, I once accepted the progressive and media narrative that Wounded Knee was a massacre. Once, while driving in South Dakota, I planned to visit Wounded Knee. I stopped at a convenience store and asked for directions to the “Wounded Knee Battlefield“. My interlocutor, who happened to be a native American, glared at me and in a spittle-flecked voice made clear there was no battlefield and that it was a massacre. After that encounter I resolved to learn more about Wounded Knee.

Following are the facts. At Wounded Knee, the Miniconjou Sioux suffered 197 casualties (146 killed, 51 wounded); the US Cavalry had 54 casualties (25 killed, 39 wounded). The ratio of casualties was three Sioux to one cavalry. The cavalry cared for the wounded Sioux and transported them a great distance to receive treatment.

In the Iraq war 50,000 Iraqis died to 4,421 Americans – a ratio of 11 to 1. At Agincourt, Henry V lost 400 men to 6,000 French – a ratio of 15 to 1. In the 331 BC battle of Gaugamela, the Persians under Darius III had 40,000 killed to 500 Macedonians under Alexander the Great – a ratio of 80 to 1. History is chock full of battles with even higher ratios, yet no one ever refers to them as massacres. Whether Wounded Knee was a battle or a massacre depends, more than anything, on who writes the history.

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The circus engulfing Columbus Day is nothing more than progressive Svengalis seeking to brainwash your children to despise America and all of western civilization.

To our readers in Colorado, happy Mother Cabrini Day; to our Latino readers, happy Dia de la Raza and to everyone else, we wish you a happy Columbus Day 2021!


Our next post challenges readers to see how numerate they really are.

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Let’s Celebrate Columbus Day and/or Dia de la Raza

Columbus is not the issue; he never was. It’s about weaponizing history.

Let’s Celebrate Columbus Day and/or Dia de la Raza

By: George Noga – October 11, 2020

Happy Columbus Day tomorrow – not Indigenous Peoples Day, not Aboriginals Day, not Native Americans Day, not First Nations Peoples Day and most certainly not any other such PC blather. Progressives seek to weaponize history and use holidays to riddle Americans with guilt. Their mantra is that western civilization (and therefore you) is evil and genocidal and all indigenous peoples are peace-loving and noble.

What occurred following Columbus’s discovery of America was the same as what happened throughout human history whenever any aboriginal people encountered a more technologically advanced society. Even today, the same result likely would occur if homo sapiens encountered a primitive people on another resource-rich planet. It is manifestly disingenuous to single out Columbus or to condemn western civilization for innate human behavior that has not changed since the dawn of history.

Most native deaths post-Columbus resulted from infectious diseases brought from Europe, many of which originated in and migrated from Asia. The bubonic plague and coronavirus originated in China, yet no one accuses them of genocide. There is not one record extant showing that any European or American government had a policy of genocide. There have been many one-sided beat-downs in history. In the Iraq War, the casualty ratio was 11-1; at Agincourt it was 15-1. No one ever calls these massacres. At Wounded Knee the ratio was only 3 to 1, but progressives call that a massacre.

Aboriginals always are portrayed as peaceful; if that were true, how could a tiny number of Europeans conquer vast territories? Columbus allied with the Arawaks against the Caribs, who were vicious cannibals. Cortez, with only 500 conquistadores, conquered the Aztecs with the help of 50,000 natives terrorized by the Aztec’s ritual human sacrifice and enslavement. Europeans committed many lese majeste acts, but it is dishonest to focus on those while ignoring or excusing atrocities by natives.

Columbus Day, or Dia de la Raza, is Wildly Popular in Latin America

Christopher Columbus is held in high esteem throughout Latin America. In Puerto Rico there are two Columbus Day holidays – the federal holiday and again November 19th when he landed there. While the latte-left calls him an oppressor and defaces and tears down his statues, new ones are being erected in the rest of the hemisphere. In 2016 Puerto Rico erected a new Columbus statue taller than the Statue of Liberty.

Without Columbus and the Spanish colonization of Latin America, Latinos as a people would not exist. In recognition of this, the day Columbus landed is wildly celebrated as Dia de la Raza, or Day of the Race throughout Latin America. The rich Latino culture incorporates skin tones and characteristics of Spanish, Africans and indigenous people. By honoring the courage and daring of Christopher Columbus, Latin Americans celebrate their own place in a world that he made possible.

Those most directly affected by Columbus honor him, while in the USA progressive Svengalis use Columbus Day to indoctrinate our children and shame us into despising America and western civilization. Columbus is not the issue; he never was.

We at MLLG again wish you a Happy Columbus Day 2020 and/or Dia de la Raza!


Next on October 18th, we address the lessons learned from COVID-19 .
More Liberty Less Government – mllg@cfl.rr.com – www.mllg.us

Happy Columbus Day 2019

Progressives weaponize history and use holidays to riddle Americans with guilt.
Happy Columbus Day 2019
By: George Noga – October 13, 2019

        TRIGGER WARNING: This post is beyond politically incorrect; it is radioactive! We at MLLG unabashedly wish you a happy Columbus Day – and not Indigenous Peoples Day, Aboriginals Day, Native Americans Day, First Nations Peoples Day or any other such PC claptrap. This post is the antidote to the progressives’ weaponization of history and to their mantra that western civilization (and therefore you) is hateful and genocidal and that all indigenous people were peace loving and noble.

          What happened following Columbus’s discovery of America was the same thing that occurred throughout human history whenever any aboriginal people encountered a more technologically advanced society. Through a 21st century prism this is seen as evil; but it is manifestly unfair to single out Columbus or western civilization for condemnation of a human behavior unchanged since men lived in trees. What would happen even today if we encountered a primitive people on a resource rich planet?

      Let’s address liberals’ favorite “G” word. Most native deaths resulted from infectious diseases brought from Europe, many of which first migrated from Asia; yet, no one accuses Asians of genocide. There were many one-sided beat-downs and brutal battles, but never any American or European government policy of genocide. What you learned in school and from the media was fake, weaponized PC history. Let’s look at just one  example – the progressive shibboleth that Wounded Knee was a massacre.

          The Indians suffered 197 casualties (146 killed, 51 wounded); the US Cavalry 64 casualties (25 killed, 39 wounded), for a ratio of 3 to 1. In the Iraq War, 50,000 Iraqis died to only 4,421 for the US – a ratio of 11 to 1. History is chock full of battles with far higher ratios. Henry V at Agincourt lost only 400 men to 6,000 French dead (ratio: 15 to 1). You decide: was Wounded Knee a massacre and, if so, why did the cavalry care for the 51 wounded Indians? Were Iraq or Agincourt massacres? For the record, real massacres were committed by the Apaches, Comanches and many other tribes.

        How do you believe a tiny number of  Europeans was able to conquer vast territories? Columbus allied with the Arawaks against the Caribs, who were vicious cannibals. Cortes, with only 500 conquistadors, conquered the Aztecs because he had 50,000 allied natives who feared the Aztecs’ ritual human sacrifice and enslavement. To be fair, the Europeans carried out their share of lese majeste acts, but it is dishonest to focus on those while ignoring the equal or worse atrocities of indigenous peoples.

Without Columbus There Would Be No Latinos

       Although the latte-left regards Columbus as an oppressor, he remains highly esteemed throughout Latin America. In Puerto Rico, Columbus is celebrated twice each year – on the federal holiday and again on November 19th commemorating his second voyage when he landed on that island. While his statues are being defaced or torn down in the USA, new ones are being erected in the rest of the hemisphere. In 2016 Puerto Rico erected a new Columbus statue taller that the Statue of Liberty.

         Throughout Latin America, the day Columbus landed is celebrated as Dia de la Raza, or Day of the Race. Without Columbus and the Spanish colonization of Latin America, Latinos as a people would not exist. The rich Latino culture incorporates skin colors and physical characteristics of Spanish, Africans and the indigenous people. By honoring the courage and daring of Columbus, Latin Americans celebrate their own place in a world he made possible. Without Columbus there are no Latinos.

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           Christopher Columbus is not the issue; he never was. The circus surrounding Columbus Day is a campaign by progressive Svengalis to indoctrinate your children to despise America and all of western civilization. Happy Columbus Day 2019!


Next week we begin our blockbuster multi-part series on climate change.
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More Liberty Less Government  –  mllg@mllg.us  –  www.mllg.us