Blankets with Smallpox were given to Indians to kill them by US gov. So is US guilty of boilogical warfare?

Question

biological

Answer 1

The smallpox blanket story is one that has been going on for a good while. As far as I know about the facts of the case, it happened in the 18th century, before there was an US government. The perpetrator was not acting with the orders of the British government either. At this distance in time, he seems to have been the only perpetrator.

You should be careful with stories like this, while they may have a basis in fact the crime may have been committed only once and by one person. They get expanded on by some people for political reasons and the facts get carefully hidden.

In reality smallpox, measles, influenza, tuberculosis, diphtheria and any number of infectious diseases were endemic among Europeans and European Americans from the earliest days of contact with Native Americans in the 15th and 16th centuries onwards.

One reason the Aztec civilisation collapsed to a handful of Spanish adventurers, hardly more than a rabble, was that most of the Aztec government was sick with measles on the day when the Spanish took over.

Though smallpox was the first disease that could be vaccinated against, that was not until 1795 and in fact the immunisation was not very effective.

Deliberately releasing smallpox into a Native American population was a definite double edged sword because by no means all Euro-Americans were vaccinated or immune from having recovered. In general, European children were not immunised using cowpox or the real smallpox virus itself until they were 8 or so years old, and then only if there was a doctor around to do it and the parents could afford it.

These stories are often passed about but sometimes do not bear close examination.

Answer 2

If, in fact, the US govt. knew that Indians would die from smallpox and if, in fact, they purposely sought out blankets that carried the smallpox germs in order to give them to Indians, they are certainly guilty of genocide. Since purposely killing with germs is considered biological warfare you could say they are guilty of that as well. Do we know any of this to be true and factual, or is it knowledge based on opinion and suspicion that has been repeated over and over so many times that it is now believed to be fact?? If we look back far enough, every country is guilty of heinous crimes, which is awful. I'm just not sure how bringing up past events and arguing about them helps us to move forward and find common grounds to build future peace on??? Nor do I adhere to the idea that people of todays generation, who mostly abhor past events, such as slavery and the terrible treatment of the American Indian, should be held responsible for events that occurred prior to our birth. If we enforce this concept on society as a whole, then we also have to enforce it on the individuals who make up society, and I am quite certain that most ranting on for compensation for past events would not be very happy if their own family trees were shaken.

Answer 3

This is the sort of thing they dwell upon in public schools these days. Sure, there are many things that were done by American officials that are reprehensible when we look at them today. This is done to make you hate America by people in charge of teaching you but they have a socialist agenda.

You cannot look back on historical events in any country without first putting on your context glasses. You have to look at it in the context of the time, in the context of the mind-set of the people involved and without all the modern sensibilities. People back then did not have TV, Radio or the Internet. News of any sort was slow in arriving. Commands and orders were only able to be transmitted via courier. The whole world was different.

Don't believe for one minute that other countries do not have ugly episodes in their past. In fact, many countries are still having ugly episodes. Believe me, you would rather be an American Indian than one of the indigenous people of Mexico today. They are discriminated against to this day in the most despicable ways.

You also must look at the remarkable good things America has done. To dwell on the ugly episodes and ignore the rest is like getting a beautiful Palomino horse as a pet, lifting up the tail and complaining about the smell. You miss all that is beautiful and great!

.

Answer 4

The US government has done many things to many people in the years gone by None greater than 911 Yes the American gov had a big hand in it And like many things the truth will come out in the long run Big brother is watching

Answer 5

You really need to give a credible reference for your claims. Besides, I'm still wondering what BOILOGICAL warfare is? I wasn't aware that smallpox caused boils, guess you learn something everyday.

Answer 6

New world people gave infected blankets to Indigenous peoples in the Americas shortly after white man arrival.
It was a common practise and a smart one if you wanted to win a war without bullets and casualties.
biological weapons are used to save life as in having less casualties, not afftecting it upon ordinary peoples

Answer 7

No, but if the US gov gave them scalding hot water they would be guilty of boilogical warfare.

Answer 8

yes that was an act of biological warfare. Also the US supplied the chemical weapons to Saddam that he used on his own people.

Answer 9

Indians provide potatoes to the Irish and when they die out in Ireland could you say that the Indians are also engaging in bio warfare too?

Stop rewriting history it makes you look silly.

Answer 10

Sure. Guilty of lead poisoning too (ha ha). Different times, different attitudes. They used mustard & chlorine gas in WW1 as well, same as every one else. What is your point ?