4 ms·

What are some of these worse black marks?

lettergram 8y ago
During elections people used to be bribed with alcohol. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/swilling-the-planters-with-bumbo-when-booze-bought-elections-102758236/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/swilling-the-pla... One of a thousand examples.
satya71 8y ago
Colonialism is one of them. History books in US and UK still teach that the colonizers saved the savages and brought them to the modern age. They continue to completely ignore that most colonies underwent centuries long recession as a result of the repression. Japan was never colonized and became quite advanced.
- pertymcpert 8y ago
  No they don't in the UK.
- IC4RUS 8y ago
  Which books? I've read through a fair number of history books published in the US, and they have tended to have a strong focus on the problems caused by colonization while criticizing the idea of 'saving' the locals.
- dmd 8y ago
  > History books in US and UK still teach that the colonizers saved the savages and brought them to the modern age. My history books (1980s public school, New York, US) most definitely taught nothing of the sort.
- ianmcgowan 8y ago
  I don't think that's true. I went to school in the UK in the 80's and my kids are going to school in the US now, and this is far from what I remember then and not what I see now. "Colonial guilt" is how I would sum it up. Not to say there's not a lot of whitewashing and selective reporting, far from it. But it's probably been 50 years since "teach that the colonizers saved the savages".. You have a point about the economic impact of the colonialism, and the economic value that was extracted. At least in the case of the UK, that was made it a global power. That is usually not discussed much, because it's history, not economics...
webkike 8y ago
I wouldn’t argue it’s worse than slavery, but as a singular event Bikini Atoll was horrific.
smacktoward 8y ago
Ask a Native American.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]
tezza 8y ago
Slavery Annihilation of local tribes by colonisers forced opium enslavement of China dividing up China between France/Britain/Japan pestilence from European cattle annihilating 2/3 of inland african people via starvation the policy of the Holy Roman Emperor and The Pope to keep german states at war with italian states emperor Chin executing the whole village where any crime at all occurred The Spanish Inquisition The Khmer Rouge The Long March under Mao Stalins purges and gulags the list goes on
- UpshotKnothole 8y ago
  The original premise was that black marks will be overlooked. I don’t know how to break it to you, but the ones you’ve listed are infamous and hardly overlooked. Premise: No they won't, it'll be whitewashed in textbooks and only those who study history will know. There's already so many so-called black marks that are worse and already quietly overlooked. And you just offered a ton of support for the competing hypothesis that our period of history will be infamous along with the ones you’ve listed.
  - tezza 8y ago
    you dont need to break it to me... ask a group outside of HN and they will come up with a couple if you’re lucky. try it.
    - UpshotKnothole 8y ago
      No offense to this site, I like it a lot so far, but I wouldn’t favorably compare it in terms of non-technical knowledge to most of the educated population. You listed a ton of really infamous events, ones that are routinely covered in intro classes at all levels of schooling, and have entered even pop culture. If you think that most people are unaware of all, but a couple of them, you’re grossly underestimating people. I’d argue that the only two many people wouldn’t know are the actions of the pope one, and the Chin emperor. The rest are familiar to pretty much everyone who made it through high school.
  - majewsky 8y ago
danharaj 8y ago
This is a moving target; I haven't been in school for a while. Here's two: The complicity of US corporations in the holocaust. The way the US protected people who committed atrocities to gain a scientific advantage after WW2.

During elections people used to be bribed with alcohol. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/swilling-the-planters-with-bumbo-when-booze-bought-elections-102758236/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/swilling-the-pla... One of a thousand examples.

satya71 8y ago

Colonialism is one of them. History books in US and UK still teach that the colonizers saved the savages and brought them to the modern age. They continue to completely ignore that most colonies underwent centuries long recession as a result of the repression. Japan was never colonized and became quite advanced.

pertymcpert 8y ago
No they don't in the UK.
IC4RUS 8y ago
Which books? I've read through a fair number of history books published in the US, and they have tended to have a strong focus on the problems caused by colonization while criticizing the idea of 'saving' the locals.
dmd 8y ago
> History books in US and UK still teach that the colonizers saved the savages and brought them to the modern age. My history books (1980s public school, New York, US) most definitely taught nothing of the sort.
ianmcgowan 8y ago
I don't think that's true. I went to school in the UK in the 80's and my kids are going to school in the US now, and this is far from what I remember then and not what I see now. "Colonial guilt" is how I would sum it up. Not to say there's not a lot of whitewashing and selective reporting, far from it. But it's probably been 50 years since "teach that the colonizers saved the savages".. You have a point about the economic impact of the colonialism, and the economic value that was extracted. At least in the case of the UK, that was made it a global power. That is usually not discussed much, because it's history, not economics...

webkike 8y ago

I wouldn’t argue it’s worse than slavery, but as a singular event Bikini Atoll was horrific.

smacktoward 8y ago

Ask a Native American.

deleted 8y ago

[deleted]

tezza 8y ago

Slavery Annihilation of local tribes by colonisers forced opium enslavement of China dividing up China between France/Britain/Japan pestilence from European cattle annihilating 2/3 of inland african people via starvation the policy of the Holy Roman Emperor and The Pope to keep german states at war with italian states emperor Chin executing the whole village where any crime at all occurred The Spanish Inquisition The Khmer Rouge The Long March under Mao Stalins purges and gulags the list goes on

UpshotKnothole 8y ago
The original premise was that black marks will be overlooked. I don’t know how to break it to you, but the ones you’ve listed are infamous and hardly overlooked. Premise: No they won't, it'll be whitewashed in textbooks and only those who study history will know. There's already so many so-called black marks that are worse and already quietly overlooked. And you just offered a ton of support for the competing hypothesis that our period of history will be infamous along with the ones you’ve listed.
- tezza 8y ago
  you dont need to break it to me... ask a group outside of HN and they will come up with a couple if you’re lucky. try it.
  - UpshotKnothole 8y ago
    No offense to this site, I like it a lot so far, but I wouldn’t favorably compare it in terms of non-technical knowledge to most of the educated population. You listed a ton of really infamous events, ones that are routinely covered in intro classes at all levels of schooling, and have entered even pop culture. If you think that most people are unaware of all, but a couple of them, you’re grossly underestimating people. I’d argue that the only two many people wouldn’t know are the actions of the pope one, and the Chin emperor. The rest are familiar to pretty much everyone who made it through high school.
- majewsky 8y ago

danharaj 8y ago

This is a moving target; I haven't been in school for a while. Here's two: The complicity of US corporations in the holocaust. The way the US protected people who committed atrocities to gain a scientific advantage after WW2.