Aboriginal Revisionism
Jesse Walker | October 17, 2007, 11:35am
History is written by the victors, but sometimes a scholar can
correct the record:
Before white settlers arrived, Australia's indigenous peoples lived in houses and villages, and used surprisingly sophisticated architecture and design methods to build their shelters, new research has found....
The findings, by the anthropologist and architect Dr Paul Memmott, of the University of Queensland, discredits a commonly held view in Australia that Aborigines were completely nomadic before the arrival of Europeans 200 years ago.
The belief was part of the argument used by white settlers to claim that Australia was terra nullius - the Latin term for land that belonged to nobody.
Few of the original buildings remain, because "local authorities burned or bulldozed the structures in the belief they were health hazards."
Memmott outlines his evidence in a thick and pricey
new book,
Gunyay, Goondie + Wurley. If you don't feel like shelling out $70 for that, you can see a gallery of Aboriginal architecture
here.
mnuez | October 17, 2007, 1:17pm | #
My comment here had absolutely nothing to do with race or any justification conquest. I do nevertheless, have lots to say on the subject. In fact I just came across a post here by Ronald Bailey entitled: "Is Nobelist James Watson, Co-Discoverer of the Structure of DNA, a Racist?" wherein Watson makes some fine points about the importance of recognizing the differences between peoples when we attempt to help others and in response Ronald quotes himself off saying something like, "aw shucks, let's still be nice to SMART black people, okay?".
In any event, the post is from yesterday and still here on the main page but considering the impressive output of the Reason staff (and I mean that entirely complimentary, this blog is one of the best and most interesting in my opinion) I doubt that many people will read my comment there. Considering the subjects that appear to loom behind the surface on THIS comment thread however, I think that my comment there (posted all of ten minutes ago) is important to reprint here as well:
The fault, dear Ronnie, is not in our stars but in ourselves. It is EXTRAORDINARILY obvious that the main factor, out of which most other factors flow, for black non-success in our society is genetic.
That being the case, you and all of your libertarian friends have the choice of either choosing to be Nazis or to cease being Free Marketers (capitalized as all religions are).
People don't suffer the ravages of Western Civilizations bottom rungs because they "choose" to live a life of worry, stress and struggle for survival. They live among the dregs because they aren't as "fit" as you to "survive" the Free Market that you worship.
In my opinion therefore they have every natural right to rise up and take from you your status, class and goodies by the force of their brute fists. Your capitalism has resigned them to a world where they live constantly at the edge of despair and they have every right to upturn your applecart.
So, again, racial inequality May be an illusion of mine... but I don't think so.
Of course however race has nothing to do with it. The evil nature of the unregulated free market destroys the souls of less able Japanese people in a racially monolithic society as well. Pygmies are not the only people less able to become top-notch lawyers than is Alan Dershowitz. Lots of Ashkenazi Jews have low intelligence or other personality faults that keep them from attaining "the American dream" as well - and these people are just as likely to suffer the ill effects of the "greed is good" (or was it "God"?) doctrine as is a Birmingham black kid. But the issue of "race" may turn out to be the one that finally shows your type for who you are: people who are simply Lucky enough to be born with the right intellectual goods to succeed in the modern economic system and who justify their success through self-congratulatory claims that "anyone can do it!", meaning that you have what you have because you Deserve it rather than because of luck-of-the-genes.
And who supports you? who props you up? the very people who have the most to lose by it. The believers in the religious doctrine of Racial Tabula Rasa who keep up their laughable patter about how "racism" is what's "keeping the black man down". No doubt this constantly expressed belief improves some people's sense of self-worth by constantly telling them that "your brains are not inferior!" (Or Dumbo Diamond style, "Yali's people are SUPERIOR!") but it serves the one overriding goal of Genetic Meritocracy by allowing the capitalistic system to continue to function as it does.
Cheers Gentle Libertarians ~
mnuez
www.mnuez.blogspot.com
