> Thiago Oppermann wrote:
>
>> Most of the earth's people never committed genocides, as far as we can tell.
>
> Maybe, but you're not among them.
>
Oh yes, quite so! As a German-Portuguese Brazilian with Jewish, Italian,
Irish, English, and African ancestors, I have genealogical links to the
some of the most genocidal peoples of Europe AND their victims. I am so
lucky! That's what happens.
When asked to identify their ancestry, a very large number of Brazilians with my kind of family tree tend to overplay the Jewish, African and Amerindian roots (mine are extremely remote). That's interesting. There is a similar effect in New Zealand regarding Maori roots. An increasing number of Australians identify some remote and often unverifiable aboriginal ancestry. I think this shows we are dealing with our nasty pasts in one of the classic modalities of human conflict-resolution: altering kinship. But how many Japanese fake Korean roots? How many Israelis acknowledge (let alone fake) Arab roots?
> To quote the British governer general of India: "the bones of the
> cotton weavers are bleaching the plains of India".
>
> Perhaps you have heard of the Middle Passage, a great monument to the
> creation of America's wealth?
>
> Have much Indian trouble out your way?
>
> It is an embarrasement to have to remind a reader of this list of
> these elementary facts.
>
Mate, I am an anthropologist. We don't take lightly to such talk. My whole clan will come after you if you don't retract this.
>> And those which have don't celebrate such events as holy victories and
>> inspirational ones at that
>> And exactly who does?
Christian fundamentalists? The Hebron settlers? The religious right in Israel? People who talk about the greatness of the British Empire? People who celebrate Columbus? Aren't you the least worried about these fruitcakes?
Thiago Cintra Oppermann