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Europeans have primarily been the ones to venture out to new lands, colonize and usually as a result displace and even nearly wipe out the peoples that have been there. Should Europeans, or white people in general feel regret and shame for their past?
People have moved around the world as long as there have been people. Early colonization was not that different from this kind of movement. Today's Indians for example moved to the Americas and displaced the people that were here before them. Mongols took over lands from other people. Jews took over Canaan from earlier inhabitants, who took it over from even earlier inhabitants. The English were merely the latest in a long line of groups that took over India. The French were generally welcomed in Canada because their trade was greatly valued by the natives. England was first settled by pre-Celts, then Celts, then Saxons and Danes. Within America, tribes fought and displaced each other long before Columbus.
Africa I'm not so sure about. It had, as far as I'm aware, been occupied by Africans and Africans only since the dawn of the human race. (Although the Afrikaaners were in South Africa before the Zulus.) And the way it was divided up was different from other colonizations also. And the same comments about displacement apply to Africa as to the Americas.
The whole history of the human race has been one of peoples conquering and replacing other peoples. Most peoples have never looked back and I don't see why white people should be singled out for contrition.
What possible reason would I as a white persons with some European ancestry have for feeling bad or shameful or having any sense of responsibility for what some people did or the results of what some people did hundreds or thousands of years before my birth.
Europeans have primarily been the ones to venture out to new lands, colonize and usually as a result displace and even nearly wipe out the peoples that have been there. Should Europeans, or white people in general feel regret and shame for their past?
Here's my standard:
People should balance their effusiveness about how wonderful their history is, with the negatives about their history.
For example, on this forum we often see people praising to no end the Founding Fathers or the bravery of soldiers during the Revolutionary War, but then when it comes to the topic of slavery or the Indian Wars say that it's in the past, we should get over it.
If one is going to brag on the good, show some remorse over the bad.
What possible reason would I as a white persons with some European ancestry have for feeling bad or shameful or having any sense of responsibility for what some people did or the results of what some people did hundreds or thousands of years before my birth.
Hmmm...I dunno, lots of Americans feel proud of things done hundreds of years ago - like having a strong Constitution that has withstood the test of time! But contrition - never!
Sure, it's been done countless times over the centuries by many civilizations. Just because the OP singled out Europeans doesn't mean they are the only guilty ones, it's just the parameters of their question. Maybe we can think of how if such "colonization" continues in the future...like maybe the whole Israel situation....that consider how it could be done more humanely with consideration for and assimilation with the "native" people rather than just taking over the land and killing anyone getting in the way? Nope, to the victor goes the spoils whether it be property or human life? We've come a long way, baby!
What possible reason would I as a white persons with some European ancestry have for feeling bad or shameful or having any sense of responsibility for what some people did or the results of what some people did hundreds or thousands of years before my birth.
Because if you are feeling bad and shameful for something that occurred hundreds of years ago that you did not participate in you may feel obligated(I suspect that's the goal) to dole out some of your cash to compensate(through reparations) the descendants of the people that were displaced or enslaved.
This kind of a thread borders on a trolling thread. All of you non-white people, get in the aggrieved line. All of you white people, except those who have been fed the guilt potion, go to the privileged line.
Europeans have primarily been the ones to venture out to new lands, colonize and usually as a result displace and even nearly wipe out the peoples that have been there. Should Europeans, or white people in general feel regret and shame for their past?
LOL - someone should get some facts.
RE: Americas - 90% of the inhabitants were killed by Eurasian diseases, not "evil" Europeans.
RE: Australia - aborigines were not "nearly wiped out."
RE: Africa - European colonies did not displace indigenous peoples, when they homesteaded virgin territories.
RE: Asia - Asians were not "nearly wiped out."
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Nope, to the victor goes the spoils whether it be property or human life? We've come a long way, baby!
