What to do about "undiscovered" natives?

[HoreTore]

A good article about it here:

http://www.spiked-online.com/index.p.../article/5305/

So what is best for these people? I'm pretty sure they'd be rather happy to avoid having their mothers die while giving birth and they'll appreciate items like matches which will probably make life a lot easier.

But on the other hand, how high is the chance that some militia/government/corporation decides they want their land and exterminate the lot of them? Remember, they don't exactly live in peaceful and democratic countries...

[Fragony]

But on the other hand, how high is the chance that some militia/government/corporation decides they want their land and exterminate the lot of them?

Somewhere between very small and none at all.

[HoreTore]

Somewhere between very small and none at all.

You do realize that it has happened quite a few times, yes...?

[Mikeus Caesar]

Ultimately we should be thinking if we should even make contact with them on account of their isolation having isolated them from the major diseases of the world - they could be quite happy to make friends with us and enjoy the modern world, but by doing so they could quite easily all be wiped out by the common cold.

[Devastatin Dave]

Lets send them some blankets.

[Whacker]

I'm distinctly in favor of letting them "find" the rest of us, not the other way around. One thing that never ceases to annoy the crap out of me is when these christian missionaries make it a point to find these people and essentially destroy their culture and way of life, and at the same time bringing them some wonderful gifts in the way of diseases that end up killing quite a few of them. Leave em be.

[Odin]

I'm distinctly in favor of letting them "find" the rest of us, not the other way around. One thing that never ceases to annoy the crap out of me is when these christian missionaries make it a point to find these people and essentially destroy their culture and way of life, and at the same time bringing them some wonderful gifts in the way of diseases that end up killing quite a few of them. Leave em be.

Boy you've become cynical havent you? You're ageing well Whacker

To answer the question, as long as they arent threatened lets leave them be shall we?

[HoreTore]

To answer the question, as long as they arent threatened lets leave them be shall we?

But according to the article, they are threatened, by poverty. Life expectancy of 35-40, high percentages of mothers dying under birth, high percentage of infant deaths, etc etc...

They are human beings, after all. If we can significantly improve their lives by simple things like matches, metal tools, basic medicine, etc, how can we not do that?

[Odin]

But according to the article, they are threatened, by poverty. Life expectancy of 35-40, high percentages of mothers dying under birth, high percentage of infant deaths, etc etc...

this is subjective Hore Tore maybe by their standards they are living in the lap of luxury.

They are human beings, after all. If we can significantly improve their lives by simple things like matches, metal tools, basic medicine, etc, how can we not do that?

Improve by who's standards? If they ask us to come in I am all for it, but the imposition of improvements to others lives has a couple of failed examples through history dont you think commrade Lenin?

[HoreTore]

this is subjective Hore Tore maybe by their standards they are living in the lap of luxury.

Improve by who's standards? If they ask us to come in I am all for it, but the imposition of improvements to others lives has a couple of failed examples through history dont you think commrade Lenin?

Of course, I'm trying to generate some sort of debate here

But as the guy in the article says:

The Australian government followed a sensible, enlightened policy that allowed the indigenous people to develop at their own pace. They stopped encroachment by missionaries and miners, set up regular trading posts in the interior, and simply waited for the native people to approach. Contrary to the view of groups like Survival, native peoples are not stupid. They have always heard a great deal about the white men from contact with other tribes. They know that ‘white man’s medicine’ offers better treatment for many conditions than the tribal shaman. They know the value of metal tools and matches – simple implements that can mean the difference between starvation and survival. They know their lives are hard and not as full of ‘social and leisure activities’ as Survival’s ‘experts’ believe.

They would prefer not to have to lose their wives during childbirth, that half their children would not die within the first two years of their lives, and for outsiders to stop the brutal retaliatory wars between tribes that often start as an accident but must then escalate as ‘payback’. They quickly understand the value of disease-prevention (by vaccination or malaria eradication).

[Odin]

Okay fine set up the trading posts but the intent still bothers me. Its being done under the pretense of improving their lives because we feel we could improve them. Again, if the pretense changes too "they are in serious danger lets start the process now" sign me up.

If you want debate you are going to have to pick something far more emotional, or become more sensational in you're presentation Hore Tore.

[HoreTore]

If you want debate you are going to have to pick something far more emotional, or become more sensational in you're presentation Hore Tore.

Haha, I usually leave the gun threads for CR and tribesman

[Lemur]

Haven't any of you mooks played Civilization? You move in a scout or a warrior, and you usually get some cash, a bonus tech, a free scout, a free settler or XP for your unit. Sometimes the villagers are hostile, and they spawn like eight spearmen who go ape on your unit.

I thought a forum of Total War addicts would be on the ball when it comes to native villages ...

[Ronin]

I say we get in there and trade any valuables they might have for shinny pieces of glass and coca-cola!

[Don Corleone]

I'm all about the Prime Directive, baby.

[Kagemusha]

Maybe we should just join them and leave our modern gizmos behind?

[Samurai Waki]

Assimilate them!

[Lemur]

I say we dress up Devastatin' Dave in some tubes and wires and we rename him Locutus of Borg. The we drop him among those silly grass-skirt-wearing natives and coach him to say "Resistance is futile" over and over again. Then we film the whole thing for a basic cable channel.

[Kagemusha]

I say we dress up Devastatin' Dave in some tubes and wires and we rename him Locutus of Borg. The we drop him among those silly grass-skirt-wearing natives and coach him to say "Resistance is futile" over and over again. Then we film the whole thing for a basic cable channel.

But if we drop DevDave in there. I have my doubts whether anything other then some xrated channel will show the material, once Dave starts the "assimilation" rituals with the locals.

[CountArach]

I don't think there is much we can do without it turning into Neo-colonialism. Leave them be - they are happy, so why should we care?

[FactionHeir]

Arrive on a horse with a gun. You'll be worshipped like a god and can enjoy their lands

I'm surprised no one said "Let's give them human rights and democracy". Not that they need it.

[Reverend Joe]

Dude. Leave them the hell alone. God knows I would rather have lives 35-40 years as an innocent villager than live in this psychotic world.

I'm all about the Prime Directive, baby.

...What the hell's that? Firebomb them and convert the suriviors to Christianity?

[LittleGrizzly]

Star Trek reference, shouldn't interfere with a less advanced peoples technological advancment

[Mikeus Caesar]

Dude. Leave them the hell alone. God knows I would rather have lives 35-40 years as an innocent villager than live in this psychotic world.



...What the hell's that? Firebomb them and convert the suriviors to Christianity?

Go watch some Star Trek. Then you'll get the reference.

The fact you're on this, a forum full of geeks, and don't get Star Trek references is, quite frankly, shocking and disturbing.

[Reverend Joe]

Go watch some Star Trek.

I was afraid of that... I have vague memories of references to such a thing on other shows, generally in mocking reference to it.

And, frankly, I pride myself on not knowing what all that ridiculous crap means.

[Crazed Rabbit]

It seems to me the people behind the 'Survival International' Group are bigots of the highest order.

How many among us would really like to live such a life, where half (or more!) of those born die in childhood, where every day is a struggle, literally, to survive? So what must the 'Survival' group think of those people to insist they enjoy it and that such a life is best for them. I can hardly comprehend it.

If you saw your neighbor living in a hut like an ancient peasant, barely scraping by on sustenance farming, half of their children dead, would you pass them by, thinking they must enjoy it?

Something like what Australia did in PNG would seem best in this situation.

CR

[LittleGrizzly]

And, frankly, I pride myself on not knowing what all that ridiculous crap means.

I wouldn't even class myself as a trekkie, i think i became a fully fledged geek with my explanation of the prime directive... lets keep that to ourselves ;)

[discovery1]

Leave em be, helping out others only gets you in trouble. Besides, according to Cannibal Holocaust the jungle is where non-natives go to die unless they have a tape recorder.

[HoreTore]

It seems to me the people behind the 'Survival International' Group are bigots of the highest order.

How many among us would really like to live such a life, where half (or more!) of those born die in childhood, where every day is a struggle, literally, to survive? So what must the 'Survival' group think of those people to insist they enjoy it and that such a life is best for them. I can hardly comprehend it.

If you saw your neighbor living in a hut like an ancient peasant, barely scraping by on sustenance farming, half of their children dead, would you pass them by, thinking they must enjoy it?

Something like what Australia did in PNG would seem best in this situation.

CR

I bet they're having a snowball fight in hell, CR and I are in complete agreement

[Louis VI the Fat]

The incomparable David Attenborough made a documentary about meeting an undiscovered tribe. He went to New Guinea, along with some Aussie government eh, somethings, to establish contact. It was filmed way back in 1970. Great program. It's titled 'A Blank on the Map'. I got it on dvd, it should probably float around on some internets.

I've lost my ability to post coherent posts in English lately so i won't post any extensive comment on it.

a forum full of geeks

Geeks!? Here? Pah!

Watch me dance in this cool video and then tell me I'm a geek.

Tsk.