Why does everybody insist on calling enemy occupiers, “settlers”?
When Russian civilians move in to annexed Ukrainian lands they’re not called settlers. Settler suggests peaceful civilians moving somewhere they’re allowed to inhabit, to start a new life.
you’re absolutely right, settler is the word the colonists want you to use
historically, i can’t really think of any settlers who were peacefully domesticating unloved land. i think you can really only look at pre-historic first movers as non-violent “settlers” since anyone who’s been a settler since the invention of the written word has settled land against the interests and will of the indigenous people of those lands
The colonizing of North America, especially in the first century after its “discovery,” was often done by settlers moving into empty land. Except that the only reason it was empty is the inhabitants had already been killed by disease brought by the Spanish. Within 150 years after contact, the population of the Americas was reduced by 93%.
additionally, eurocentric world views tend to see nomadic people as less than. for the Apache, Blackfoot, Comanche, Crow, Lakota, Nez Perce, Ojibwe, Sioux, and i’m sure many others, that “empty” land didn’t look empty at all, even with their numbers reduced
the time period @FlyingCircus@lemmy.world is referencing predates America existingt as an idependent entity by about 2 centuries. the original rape of Turtle Island was a collaborative effort between the Spanish, French, Dutch, and English primarily. groups from Germany, Denmark, Scotland (which wasn’t yet unified with England), and Polish-Lithuania were also involved
Oh I did not mean to imply that colonizers didn’t actively murder as well, but manifest destiny was a couple of centuries after the period that I’m talking about.
I assumed most people use the term ironically, as “settlers” immediately brings them and their routine violence to mind. We know they’re not actually settling. That’s the joke.
Why does everybody insist on calling enemy occupiers, “settlers”?
When Russian civilians move in to annexed Ukrainian lands they’re not called settlers. Settler suggests peaceful civilians moving somewhere they’re allowed to inhabit, to start a new life.
They’re invaders. Occupiers. Thieves.
Settlers my arse.
The colonizing of North America, especially in the first century after its “discovery,” was often done by settlers moving into empty land. Except that the only reason it was empty is the inhabitants had already been killed by disease brought by the Spanish. Within 150 years after contact, the population of the Americas was reduced by 93%.
additionally, eurocentric world views tend to see nomadic people as less than. for the Apache, Blackfoot, Comanche, Crow, Lakota, Nez Perce, Ojibwe, Sioux, and i’m sure many others, that “empty” land didn’t look empty at all, even with their numbers reduced
Yes, I was also thinking of that. Very common for colonizers to arrive in seasonally-used lands and think they were empty until the natives showed up.
It is factually incorrect that it was all disease. America actively committed a violent genocide and murdered millions.
the time period @FlyingCircus@lemmy.world is referencing predates America existingt as an idependent entity by about 2 centuries. the original rape of Turtle Island was a collaborative effort between the Spanish, French, Dutch, and English primarily. groups from Germany, Denmark, Scotland (which wasn’t yet unified with England), and Polish-Lithuania were also involved
Oh I did not mean to imply that colonizers didn’t actively murder as well, but manifest destiny was a couple of centuries after the period that I’m talking about.
I assumed most people use the term ironically, as “settlers” immediately brings them and their routine violence to mind. We know they’re not actually settling. That’s the joke.
It’s a really bad joke, but I get it
Poe’s Law
Zionazism.
L‘ Espresso just gave the term „Israeli Settler“ an associated image the Israeli regime decidedly dislikes.
I think that’s perfect TBH. Let them use euphemisms (like collateral damage, alternative facts) as much as they want.
Use it too and then rip away the mask with a photo like this.
This.