One of the main conclusions of the Zinn reading that was surprising, and made me uncomfortable, was the argument that the bloodshed and genocide committed in the Americas might be necessary for the drive to civilization. What particularly made me uncomfortable was the comparisons first to the Soviet use of peasant camps and then to the fire bombings of Germany and Japan during World War 2. The problem is all of these are completely different situations.
For example, the genocide and enslavement of native Americans in the Americas by Europe wasn’t done with the goal of civilizing or bettering the Americas. It was done with the goal of enriching Europe with the resources and wealth found in said new territories. Then there’s the Soviet work camps and the killing of peasants. The problem is neither the work camps nor the killing of peasants was done to industrialize the Soviet Union. Rather, they were punishment to help Stalin solidify control of his regime. And then the fire bombings of Germany and Japan just fall off the wagon entirely. These were tactics of war by a foreign power in order to win, not to bring civilization or industrialization. These examples used by the writer are odd, and do little if anything to prove their point.
The insight you mentioned with the comparisons is really interesting! I would have completely skipped over nuances of these histories, but it is important to know that cruelty occurs for a variety of reasons.
The land of the free seems more and more ironic the more we understand how our country was founded. It appears that we will slaughter in the name of conquest. As long as we are on the benfiting end.
I like how you pointed out that the enslavement of Native Americans was for the betterment of Europe. I think that people are taught that the Native Americans chose to help the Europeans and that they wanted to when that is not true.
I completely agree with your post. It was done with selfish intentions not to improve future generations but so simply improve their own lives and completely decimate an entire civilization in the cruelest way imaginable.