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| Reply | Next | Previous | Up ]From: Horace
Date: 06 May 2001
Time: 11:04:03
Remote Name: 203.16.172.8
I do not think that anyone is denying that Africa is the origin of people. "Guns Germs and Steel" only concerns intself with the last 13,000 years. The reason for that is that it is only during the last 13,000 years that mankind began producing food and not being totally reliant on a hunter gatherer lifestyle. That development in turn, the author believes, led to other developments and so on. The upshot being that European culture was eventually able to dominate the globe.
In fact the author is very careful not to make any value judgments about different societies. Technology is not the absolute measure of a society. There is no absolute measure. No doubt there have been great societies that had exquisite cultures but which were technologically backward. Technology is, however, often the measure of whether a society can conquer and subdue its neighbours.
What you say about the "whitewashing" of history concerns me. It seems to be the usual Afrocentric versus Eurocentric nonsense. You are falling into the trap of playing the white man's game. You are allowing the white people to define what makes a valuable culture. By doing that you are arguing on their turf. They have defined what is a valuable culture by referrence to their own cultures. How can you hope to win that fight?
The other thing that troubles me is that (asuming you are American) their culture is your culture. If you are American then what is your connection with Africa? Your genetic material came from Africa, but then so did theirs originally. You were most likely brought up in America as an American. Surely America's victories are your victories. Her cultural heritage is your cultural heritage. You just have the added advantage of being able to lay claim to an additional and fascinating African heritage IN ADDITION to your American heritage.