tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307187040250193857.post2761073593325233456..comments2024-03-20T03:33:22.357-07:00Comments on Skeptophilia: Sanitizing historyGordon Bonnethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06003472005971594466noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307187040250193857.post-72638181136820832242011-09-15T10:12:52.139-07:002011-09-15T10:12:52.139-07:00I think the tendency to nobilify "savages&quo...I think the tendency to nobilify "savages", though the tendency cannot be justified by this, comes from the resistance of the political culture to face the negative things it has done. If I say colonization caused the deaths of sometimes violent, authoritarian-minded people, somehow it makes it seem less bad. However, if I say, colonization caused the deaths of noble, innocent savages it makes it seem bad. But, mythologizing victims to tear down the myths of perpetrators is not okay. Just tear down the myths of the perpetrators.Ron Leightonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16601390062709042769noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4307187040250193857.post-78178557290324864222011-09-14T03:02:08.992-07:002011-09-14T03:02:08.992-07:00What a lovely article and I whole-heartedly agree ...What a lovely article and I whole-heartedly agree (says a native European, German to be precise). And you could add a whole lot more people to that list (Neanderthals anyone?). I think it is generally a bad idea to judge a group of people as a whole without prolonged studies (a lifetime for each culture should suffice).<br />However, for writers like me, it's far more interesting to see the humans behind the cultural differences. It makes for much more interesting stories.Katharina Gerlachhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00223722392075669331noreply@blogger.com