05-30-2008, 06:45 PM
OH yes, by all means, let's romanticize the noble tribe members, for they are pure and deserving of special dignity and awe. It's just a tribe. I imagine they've seen airplanes before. They've probably invented a whole religious ritual, or war ceremony, based on these peculiar bird-like appearances.
"Just because they've "never been contacted" directly, doesn't mean they're ignorant savages"
Who said they were? And how do we know? Maybe some of them are smart, and others might be as dumb as pancakes. Some might be benevolent, others might be ritual murderers. Just because they're stone-age people in the 21st century doesn't mean they're savages, true. But it also doesn't mean they're thrilled to be barefoot and living in a rain forest. For all we know, they might be thrilled to have a hot shower, or eager to imagine a future where their children could someday read books, or see the outside world. Or, they might want to shoot arrows at planes, and have their destiny remain relatively untouched. Who knows?
Interesting article about policy failures associated with romanticizing indigenous tribes in Australia. A different kind of situation entirely (a long history of cross cultural influences) but an insightful tale about misguided good intentions:
Intellectuals, indigenes, and denial
Roger Sandall
http://www.rogersandall.com:80/Spiked_Do...lemmas.php
"Just because they've "never been contacted" directly, doesn't mean they're ignorant savages"
Who said they were? And how do we know? Maybe some of them are smart, and others might be as dumb as pancakes. Some might be benevolent, others might be ritual murderers. Just because they're stone-age people in the 21st century doesn't mean they're savages, true. But it also doesn't mean they're thrilled to be barefoot and living in a rain forest. For all we know, they might be thrilled to have a hot shower, or eager to imagine a future where their children could someday read books, or see the outside world. Or, they might want to shoot arrows at planes, and have their destiny remain relatively untouched. Who knows?
Interesting article about policy failures associated with romanticizing indigenous tribes in Australia. A different kind of situation entirely (a long history of cross cultural influences) but an insightful tale about misguided good intentions:
Intellectuals, indigenes, and denial
Roger Sandall
http://www.rogersandall.com:80/Spiked_Do...lemmas.php