Far Left Crazy is wailing and gnashing its teeth today, as normal people celebrate Christopher Columbus’ successful crossing of the Atlantic Ocean.
It was an incredibly brave thing for anyone to do in 1492, but Columbus did have grounds for believing that it could be done–sail into the west to get to the Far East. Educated persons had believed in a spherical earth for over 1,500 years. Sometime around 240 B.C., Eratosthenes accurately calculated the globe’s circumference. And in all likelihood Columbus had heard of the Norse discoveries of Vineland. So it’s hardly likely he was afraid of sailing off the edge of a flat earth.
His voyage led directly to the founding of our own country–an unrelieved disaster, according to liberals. I wonder what you’d hear if you were to sit in on public school today. Actually, I don’t wonder that hard; I think I already have a pretty good idea of what I’d hear. They’ll either pretend there never was any such person as Columbus, or indulge in an orgy of America-bashing. That’s those teachers’ unions that cost us so much freakin’ money.
As for those who believe America is a historical tragedy and a hell-hole–well, I’d buy you a ticket to Venezuela if I thought you’d stay there. But you’d only come back and complain some more.
Your last paragraph is the perfect coda to a brilliant piece.
[He takes a humble bow…]
Liberals will pretend that the Native Americans were more virtuous than the Europeans but they had all the sins and vices of the Europeans, and even some they didn’t.
Most of them died from diseases they had no natural immunity to. If the Chinese or anyone else had discovered the Americas instead of the Europeans it would have turned out the same way.
Well stated, Watchman. All of this is the result of a fallen world. The Europeans had plenty of flaws, but they had no monopoly on flaws. When we look back on history, we tend to do so win comfort that even royalty didn’t enjoy in the time of Columbus. It’s easy to pick apart historical figures, but they faced challenges we can’t imagine. Even in our times of virtue signaling and “wokeness”, we are no better than are predecessors.
“but they faced challenges we can’t imagine.”
Can you imagine getting on a boat for months on end not knowing what you would find or if you would find anything at all? Life was already hard back then, but they willing endured additional hardships and put their lives at risk for a greater good. Modern civilizations and so many of the things we enjoy today was paid for with blood, sweat, and lives. This generation couldn’t even do half the things that generation did. They are afraid to even leave the house without a mask.
“Even in our times of virtue signaling and “wokeness”, we are no better than are predecessors.”
People will laugh about all the weird beliefs and superstitions those living in the Middle Ages believed. Yet, people hundreds of years from now will probably be laughing at all the crazy beliefs and superstitions that our generation believes. And we have no shortage of crazy beliefs.
We also have some really prime asinine beliefs.
I wonder how many people realize that life was much, much harder hundreds of years ago. A lot of people that sailed on the ships of those times never reached their destinations. These voyages were not trivial undertakings, and were not undertaken for trivial purposes. The Europeans needed trade with the Far East, because they were dependent on spices for the preservation of foods. This was important enough that voyages of exploration were commissioned and financed. That wouldn’t have happened for trivial reasons.
It’s interesting that we have come to similar conclusions. It strikes me that our time is one of increasing fear and superstition. I’ve seen people wearing a mask while driving alone in their cars. That makes no sense whatsoever. For some, the mask is a talisman against an unknown threat.
At this point, I’ve concluded that Romans 1 provides the best explanation; people are given over and no possess an unfit mind.
It’s also interesting that no one wants to talk about why a long way around to the East was necessary instead of already established closer routes. The answer is that Muslim conquerors had closed off all those closer routes and would kill or enslave any Christian Europeans who tried to get through.
Indeed.