# A world without Indian contributions **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 22, 2011, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309 "2011-04-22T01:03:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![pinguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac8455/32.png) [@pinguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinguin)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2011, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/101 "2011-04-24T02:28:51Z")
> [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#): > > This is a good point. Columbus was not the discoverer of America, not when there’s already people living on it. Columbus was some stupid hack who thought Cuba was India, and probably died thinking it was India. He wasn’t even the first European, Leif Ericson kicked his stupid ass by hundreds of years. Further he was reported to be a torturer so vile even the government handling the Spanish Inquisition had him arrested. > > Columbus was a dick. 😃 Absolutely. This Catalan, Columbus, was stopped by the crown because his brutality, against Indians but against Spaniards as well. He was also forgotten for a while and resurected in recent times. By the way, Inuits reached the Americas 2.000 before Ericson :D, and some say they get into Europe as well… :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2011, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/102 "2011-04-24T03:43:57Z")
WHERE DID THE WHITE MAN GO WRONG??? Indian Chief ‘Two Eagles’ was asked by a white government official, ‘You have observed the white man for 90 years. You’ve seen his wars and his technological advances. You’ve seen his progress, and the damage he’s done.’ The Chief nodded in agreement. The official continued, ‘Considering all these events, in your opinion, where did the white man go wrong?’ The Chief stared at the government official for over a minute and then calmly replied. ‘When white man find land, Indians running it, no taxes, no debt, plenty buffalo, plenty beaver, clean water. Women did all the work, Medicine man free. Indian man spend all day hunting and fishing; all night having sex.’ Then the chief leaned back and smiled. ‘Only white man dumb enough to think he could improve system like that.’ ---
**Author:** ![pinguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac8455/32.png) [@pinguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinguin)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2011, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/103 "2011-04-24T03:56:39Z")
What a cartoon! Some societies in the Americas where even more represive than the European tyranies, like the Aztecs were. It was tragical for the U.S. American indians the European invasion that destroyed locals lifestyle. But we should remember that people was dying of hunger at Europe at the time. That violent continent, full of wars and classism, holded no future for the poor. So they picked theirs bags and with rotten clothes and lice on the hair, they picked the first ship to scape hell. I don’t blame Europeans moved to the Americas. They escaped poverty; that’s all. What I blame are the capitalists that since Cristopher Columbus from the slave traders, up the the explotations in the manufacturing plants, converted the Americas in a place to exploit humans!! They were the people guilty of all the tragedy that happened here. Don’t blame the “white” man. Blame the elite! ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2011, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/104 "2011-04-24T05:57:24Z")
> [@pinguin](#): > > Sure. But were the Wright Brothers the first? I just heared that the French claim Adler was first :D. And the Ruskies beat you putting the first satellite and the first man into space. We just were remembering the 50 years of Gagarin historical flight. For 3 axis powered flight I’m comfortable attributing it to the Wright Brothers. There were many people experimenting with powered “air deflectors” but they were clueless as to what they were doing. The two I mentioned plus Langley and Glenn Curtiss would certainly have figured it out in short order. there was quite a stack of people who got something off the ground before the Wright Brothers but they were not demonstratively stable in flight. i don’t want to sound like the Borg but we are a collective now. Our accomplishments are really a composite of every culture on earth. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2011, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/105 "2011-04-24T10:53:36Z")
> [@pinguin](#): > > What’s your point? Making fun, or trying to get me banned, calling you what you deserve? > > This thread is about Amerindian contributions to the world. If you don’t like the topic, please go to fool around elsewhere. Yes, some of the posters in this thread are making fun. You’ve started another thread about native peoples, which seems to be your particular hobby-horse to ride, and you’re making lots of hyperbolic claims about their contribution to society, of the type: “without rubber- no condoms - without condoms - widespread starvation from overpopulation”\*. A lot of people have debated fairly with you in your first few threads, and tried to help out with your logic and debating skills, to limited success. Now people are getting tired of your act, and that you only have one topic, and you don’t seem to acknowledge what other people have to say. This isn’t meant as an attack, despite my name. I realize that you are operating in a second language, and I want to make it clear to you so that you don’t get frustrated and blow up and get banned. I won’t derail your thread any further. Tah tah. A3D - actually this is a better one than most of the ones in the thread. Thank you, thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2011, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/106 "2011-04-24T20:34:26Z")
> [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#): > > Yes, some of the posters in this thread are making fun. You’ve started another thread about native peoples, which seems to be your particular hobby-horse to ride, and you’re making lots of hyperbolic claims about their contribution to society, of the type: “without rubber- no condoms - without condoms - widespread starvation from overpopulation”\*. > > A lot of people have debated fairly with you in your first few threads, and tried to help out with your logic and debating skills, to limited success. Now people are getting tired of your act, and that you only have one topic, and you don’t seem to acknowledge what other people have to say. Attack from the 3rd dimension does not speak for everybody in this thread. Me, however, he has pretty accurately pegged. This isn’t an 1882 Missionary Society meeting- nobody here states that American Indians were unintelligent or made no contributions to the fabric of society, but crediting them with pretty much everything from spearheads to Skype is patently ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![Taber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac91a4/32.png) [@Taber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taber)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2011, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/107 "2011-04-24T20:41:47Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Native Americans invented handlebars? Eh, I can ride my bike without them ---
**Author:** ![pinguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac8455/32.png) [@pinguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinguin)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2011, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/108 "2011-04-24T22:47:28Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Me, however, he has pretty accurately pegged. This isn’t an 1882 Missionary Society meeting- nobody here states that American Indians were unintelligent or made no contributions to the fabric of society, but crediting them with pretty much everything from spearheads to Skype is patently ridiculous. There is something wrong with logic here. That’s for sure. Perhaps the problem is that most people here are Americans. Given the fact Americans have to live with many phantoms, such as the “political correctness Inquisition”, and the “white guilt institution”, it is clear that they overreact. Perhaps this is not the public to talk about these issues. It this pretty clear to me that U.S. people are accustumed to have a servile attitude with certain minoritary groups, that control theirs politics, but at the same time they don’t care about Amerindians. I leave this thread finally, and the site as well. It doesn’t make sense to continue here. Please don’t correct me on what I wrote above. Be sincere with yourself, at last, “Americans”… (Even the name “American” is funny, given the fact all the people of the Western Hemisphere are Americans, and “America” was the name given to South America :smack:) BYE. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2011, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/109 "2011-04-24T22:54:50Z")
> [@pinguin](#): > > I leave this thread finally, and the site as well. Hooray! ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/110 "2011-04-25T01:43:32Z")
The greatest contribution Indians have made–and I’m surprised our departed friend found it less important than rubber or corn cultivation–is the modern notion of personal freedom. Up until the 17th Century, Europeans could think of no greater freedom than to choose which tyrant to serve (and modern job hunters are warming up to that concept pretty quickly). Then they met the Indians, many of whom lived just fine outside any kind of rigid social structure. The impact of this is immeasurable. And **Pinguin** kind of lost me when he held up Jack Daniel’s as some kind of improvement over single malt Scotch. Taste comparisons are available, you know. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/111 "2011-04-25T06:19:43Z")
Well, that was quite the Internet Flounce. I hope you’re satisfied, you meanies. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/112 "2011-04-25T07:05:57Z")
> [@pinguin](#): > > I leave this thread finally, and the site as well. It doesn’t make sense to continue here. . . . > > BYE. That is no ordinary post. That is the tear of a warrior. . . . One who has finished his battle somewhere on this message board. A pitiful soul that could not find its way to the great spirit that awaits us all. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/113 "2011-04-25T07:09:06Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > I hope you’re satisfied, you meanies. I for one am not. Firstly, there are many more to go and much ignorance to be fought. Secondly, fuck flouncing - I want to see a good old fashioned Dope meltdown! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/114 "2011-04-25T10:01:07Z")
Wasn’t Cleopatra Indian? And Jesus? ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/115 "2011-04-25T11:26:16Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Hooray! Dont get your dander up. Pinguin threatens to leave the thread/site almost as many times as he promises to get back with a cite (whenever he does cite something, it has to be by Cabeza de Vaca, his favorite superhero, a former toreador bitten by a radioactive bull, and his amazing adventures deep in Jungle South America, where Pygmies dare to roam free). ---
**Author:** ![Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunzio_Tavulari)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 11:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/116 "2011-04-25T11:45:51Z")
What a shame. The Indians wasted all that time developing rubber and the wheel when they could have been inventing the rifle and smallpox vaccine. Last I checked, whiskey hasn’t done them any big favors either. As a civilization, they were lazy compared to the Romans and Chinese. ---
**Author:** ![what\_do\_I\_type\_here](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a5b964/32.png) [@what\_do\_I\_type\_here](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/what_do_I_type_here)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/117 "2011-04-25T13:23:49Z")
This guy reminds me of the Virginia Tech shooter, the way he talks. ---
**Author:** ![pinguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac8455/32.png) [@pinguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinguin)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/118 "2011-04-25T14:02:59Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > The greatest contribution Indians have made–and I’m surprised our departed friend found it less important than rubber or corn cultivation–is the modern notion of personal freedom. Up until the 17th Century, Europeans could think of no greater freedom than to choose which tyrant to serve (and modern job hunters are warming up to that concept pretty quickly). Then they met the Indians, many of whom lived just fine outside any kind of rigid social structure. The impact of this is immeasurable. Excellent post! ---
**Author:** ![Capitaine\_Zombie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@Capitaine\_Zombie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capitaine_Zombie)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/119 "2011-04-25T14:17:33Z")
> [@pinguin](#): > > I leave this thread finally, and the site as well. It doesn’t make sense to continue here. > > BYE. This is what you wrote earlier. Mind you, it had been the nth time since you’re here that you promised (threaten?) to leave both thread and site. What the fuck are you still doing here, pinguin? ---
**Author:** ![pinguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac8455/32.png) [@pinguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinguin)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2011, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309/120 "2011-04-25T14:20:19Z")
> [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](#): > > What a shame. The Indians wasted all that time developing rubber and the wheel when they could have been inventing the rifle and smallpox vaccine. Last I checked, whiskey hasn’t done them any big favors either. Gunpowder was invented in China. How come Amerindians could have invented rifle without gunpowder? Smallpox was unknown in the Americas before the invasion, how natives could have developed a vaccine for something unknown? :rolleyes: Europeans were lucky people, that received all the technological advancements from China, for free: gunpowder, paper, magnetic compass, printing press, vaccines, etc. And then, after copying everything from China, claimed for theirs own… :smack: > [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](#): > > As a civilization, they were lazy compared to the Romans and Chinese. What civilization are you talking about? Amerindians have several civilizations, and not a single one, like you suggest. Besides, what Chinese are you talking about? Chinese of the warrior kingdoms, from the Han, Sung, Tang, Ming and Manchu dinasties are quite different from each others. And I can assure you the effort to develop Tenochtitlan, or the infrastructure of the Inca empire, has nothing to envy to the overvalued Romans. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-world-without-indian-contributions/579309.md?page=7)