Oh, yes, what wonderful things Columbus brought to the American Indians. His arrival brought forth lots and lots of Europeans to the Americas, who proceeded to infect the native peoples with European diseases, colonize their land, destroy their civilizations, and commit outright murder. I would venture to say that the world might have been better off if Columbus's voyage had been delayed a century or two. Imagine how much quality of life could have been improved/maintained on both sides of the Atlantic. Similarly, I don't think we would be prepared to deal with the consequences of finding alien life if it were to be found.
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Oh, yes, what wonderful things Columbus brought to the American Indians. His arrival brought forth lots and lots of Europeans to the Americas, who proceeded to infect the native peoples with European diseases, colonize their land, destroy their civilizations, and commit outright murder. I would venture to say that the world might have been better off if Columbus's voyage had been delayed a century or two. Imagine how much quality of life could have been improved/maintained on both sides of the Atlantic. Similarly, I don't think we would be prepared to deal with the consequences of finding alien life if it were to be found.