Galeano:
1492 was a groundbreaking year for Spain: the Americas were found, they recovered Granada, and 150,000 Jews were expelled from Spain. The Pope gave Queen Isabella essential ownership of all of these regained and new-founded lands, connecting all of these events. Spain felt that the Americas were the land of the Devil and that their souls were beyond repair, but the understanding that their religious message may not get through to the natives did not stop their travel there for the potential riches. With the Spaniards remaining in the Americas, they had several advantages over the natives which included weapons, the wheel, and agricultural advancements. The reaction to the wealth that they stayed for in America was that of greed and gluttony which has been commented on by historians for years after. The myth of Potosi can contribute to this lust for treasures. The Spaniards imagined the horses to have silver shoes and that the city was essentially made from its wealth, physically. It prompted all kinds of indulgence, consuming, and conflict. The lust for the riches of Potosi was not new, however. Discussion of this beautiful place has been taking place since before the Incan conquest.
The metaphor of the cow and the milk can be explained by saying that while Spain owned the land of the riches, they had so many debts to pay that the other countries got to enjoy the abundance of wealth coming from Spain. Another was it was described was that while Spain was doing the work to get the gold, it was the mouth that had to chew so that other countries they were paying with that gold were the organs that got to benefit from the food that the mouth chewed.
Marx believed that the discovery of these metals was the beginning of a capitalist society, and Galeano agrees. He expands that the capitalist jump in Europe prevented the source of the riches from doing taking the same leap.
Las Casas:
Las Casas describes the Native Americans as fragile beings who are naïve. While his words can come across as complementary and describing them as humble, it really comes across as condescending. He believes that even the weakest of the Spaniards are still stronger than the strongest Native American. He criticizes the Spaniards for their terror and violence. Describing them as savages and beasts, he claims the only reason the Christians kill is not to spread their religion, but to gain wealth and gold.
1492 was a groundbreaking year for Spain: the Americas were found, they recovered Granada, and 150,000 Jews were expelled from Spain. The Pope gave Queen Isabella essential ownership of all of these regained and new-founded lands, connecting all of these events. Spain felt that the Americas were the land of the Devil and that their souls were beyond repair, but the understanding that their religious message may not get through to the natives did not stop their travel there for the potential riches. With the Spaniards remaining in the Americas, they had several advantages over the natives which included weapons, the wheel, and agricultural advancements. The reaction to the wealth that they stayed for in America was that of greed and gluttony which has been commented on by historians for years after. The myth of Potosi can contribute to this lust for treasures. The Spaniards imagined the horses to have silver shoes and that the city was essentially made from its wealth, physically. It prompted all kinds of indulgence, consuming, and conflict. The lust for the riches of Potosi was not new, however. Discussion of this beautiful place has been taking place since before the Incan conquest.
The metaphor of the cow and the milk can be explained by saying that while Spain owned the land of the riches, they had so many debts to pay that the other countries got to enjoy the abundance of wealth coming from Spain. Another was it was described was that while Spain was doing the work to get the gold, it was the mouth that had to chew so that other countries they were paying with that gold were the organs that got to benefit from the food that the mouth chewed.
Marx believed that the discovery of these metals was the beginning of a capitalist society, and Galeano agrees. He expands that the capitalist jump in Europe prevented the source of the riches from doing taking the same leap.
Las Casas:
Las Casas describes the Native Americans as fragile beings who are naïve. While his words can come across as complementary and describing them as humble, it really comes across as condescending. He believes that even the weakest of the Spaniards are still stronger than the strongest Native American. He criticizes the Spaniards for their terror and violence. Describing them as savages and beasts, he claims the only reason the Christians kill is not to spread their religion, but to gain wealth and gold.
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