1421: The Year CHINA Discovered America?

[Mai-Sai-Le]

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1421: THE YEAR CHINA DISCOVERED AMERICA?
Wednesday, July 21, 2004 9 - 11:00 pm

This two-part program presents a startling journey of adventure and exploration that could turn the conventional view of world history on its head. Gavin Menzies, a retired British submarine commander, claims he has stumbled across "evidence" that now shows that the Chinese were the first to discover America -- decades before Columbus. (CC, Stereo)

ALAN ALDA IN SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS
"Coming into America"
Tuesday, July 20, 2004 9 - 10:00 pm

Who were the first Americans and when did they arrive? New discoveries and techniques for dating them have experts rethinking what we know -- and rewriting history. Join Alan
Alda as he tries to find out who's saying what, and why. (CC, Stereo, DVI) Learn more about the tools archaeologists use to reconstruct our human history at the companion Web site.

http://www.pbs.org//saf/1406

[SunWuKong]

i think this should probably be in A&E instead.
moving...

[kitty]

this is based on a book by the same name, i assume. and there's a thread on the book.

[sageb1]

When the Western revisionists of world history have gone, perhaps a true world historian will make the following claim, and not be subject to the narrow mindedness of historians who feel that Greco-Roman civilization helped the West immensely during the Renaissance.

Actually the greatest contribution to Western civilization was the openmindedness of secular scientists who learn alot from Saracen Muslims and Moors alike, before the Catholic Church hid behind God and used their superstitious fear to wipe out Moors, perpetuate anti-Semitism and pretend it was godliness.

By 1421, Asia was also travelling the seven seas as it had been doing since 1000 BCE. It was only after Confucian scholars who advised the Emperor used racism and jealousy to get rid of the Chinese fleet, partly because the eunuchs had gotten influential through usury.

The caveat is, the Dark Ages and China's loss as a sea power were both caused by religious fanaticism: Catholic superstition against science (which was a form of paganism to them i.e. spiritual competition) and Confucian resentment of foreign eunuchs who had political power in the court.

The caveat is, don't let your fears cut you off from growth as a whole person, or the fear for the good of a nation lead to global isolation.

See? Nationalism and the artificial borders are both symptoms and cause of war.

[Filiprish]

I saw the documentary on PBS. Interesting. The evidence is a little weak, but the theory is very interesiting and quite possible.

[truMp]

Argh a month too late, I really want to watch this.

[Filiprish]

Argh a month too late, I really want to watch this.
You might be able find it at a library or local video rental.