Quote:
Originally Posted by
VictorCharlie
One event is considerably downplayed b/c it is not similar or comparable to the other. As an aggregate the professional historians and anthropologists of the world don't consider the de-population of the North, Central and South America a holocaust. Oh and 100 million? That is laughable.
You clearly don't understand the historical concept of the word holocaust. It isn't a relatively recent word such as genocide, but a word that goes back a long time and describes the mass slaughter of a group of people.
It is downplayed because the settlers won and interpreted history to suit their own agenda. As a historian you will know that this is how history is made. The winners write history or at least get the attention. The settlers won and the allies won and thus you have overexagerration and the subsequent downplaying of what are both extremely brutal histories.
It is laughable to you, but not to Stannard for instance. The 100 million figure is for the Americas and not only the northern part of the continent alone.
Genocide is genocide and though clearly all genocides are different, the elements of murder, starvation and disease are common strands in all.