Proponents of the default position emphasize attrition by disease despite other causes equally deadly, if not more so. In doing so they refuse to accept that the colonization of America was genocidal by plan, not simply the tragic fate of populations lacking immunity to disease.

Professor Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

[–] TheDankHold@kbin.social 4 points 1 year ago

Did disease not account for the vast majority of death? Even still, I never discounted the brutal conquest that was engaged in. My point is that Europeans aren’t special for brutal conquests. Imperial Japan is a prime example this.

You’re also treating a bunch of competing individuals as a hive mind with a coherent plan. I find that “grand scheming entity” kind of narrative to be just as naive as the people buying into racist narratives. It doesn’t make sense when it’s Jewish people and they’re a smaller demographic than “Western European”.

[–] RupeThereItIs@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago

Look, the reality is that disease did kill the majority of natives.

The genocide after that is not made any less horrible by that reality, but it was made POSSIBLE because of it.

If European settlers had to deal with the full original population, things would have been VERY different.