Howard Zinn quoting Columbus' diary after first encountering native people on Hispaniola:
"They were well-built, with good bodies and handsome features.... They do not bear arms, and do not know them, for I showed them a sword, they took it by the edge and cut themselves out of ignorance. They have no iron. Their spears are made of cane... They would make fine servants.... With fifty men we could subjugate them all and make them do whatever we want."
#Columbus #IndigenousPeoplesDay #colonialism #genocide #history
@SFRuminations @sts @histodons I appreciate the framing. I'd be proud to have contirbuted in any way to those important works.
We tend to focus on the civil defense materials of that time in terms of their "camp" value. I read them as much more sinister. Perhaps you would be interested in this article about "Duck and Cover" and "Atomic Alert." For me the CD materials aimed at children had a profound and existential effect.
"Atomic Kids: Duck and Cover and Atomic Alert Teach American Children How to Survive Atomic Attack"
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236749496/_Atomic/_Kids/_Duck/_and/_Cover/_and/_Atomic/_Alert/_Teach/_American/_Children/_How/_to/_Survive/_Atomic/_Attack