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You really have to judge a person by the times in which they lived, he really believed they were bringing civilization and a better way of life to the world, so
by shrewduser 7y ago
You really have to judge a person by the times in which they lived, he really believed they were bringing civilization and a better way of life to the world, sort of like many religions.
If he were alive today with the type of information we have and with the benefit of hindsight he might have a completely changed view.
in either case it's so strange to me to judge someone from one or two sentences.
- DSingularity 7y agoOne or two sentences? It’s one of his most famous works. Not to mention that he actively promoted colonialism. He pushed Roosevelt to colonize. He was a critical part of making colonial-settler attitudes mainstream in Europe. Would I also be wrong for judging CNN for beating the drums of war for Iraq on behalf of George Bush? Words matter. Those who write should be judged by their words. Those who influence positions should be judged by the causes they furthered. Doesn’t matter if they wrote wonderful children’s novels.
- ncmncm 7y agoTom Friedman and Ted Koppel were big boosters of the Iraq invasion. Hillary voted for it, probably against her better judgment. Barrack might have lost if he had not voted against. But Barrack also enormously expanded the "random death from the skies" program, deportations, and espionage prosecutions against earnest whistleblowers. We need to know all the defining facts about people, even if it colors our perceptions. Those of us capable of nuance can note it.
- SuddsMcDuff 7y ago> "Those who write should be judged by their words." > "Doesn’t matter if they wrote wonderful children’s novels. " Can you see the contradiction in your argument?