1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created

by Charles C. Mann

without regular burning, much of the midwestern prairie would have been engulfed by an invading tide of trees.

Since the plains Indians were not farmers, why then would they need to clear land in the Mid-West prairies ?

think about what else those resources could have been used for.”

This a bit disengeous. The arguement is always made, but the alternatives are never specified. If the silver was not produced what woud have taken its place? Unless the alternatives are named, the base statement is irrelevant.

one reason for the conflict between today’s free traders and anti-globalization activists is that the former regard the first role as paramount whereas the latter think in terms of the second.

In today's world the concept of "free" trade is used as a cudgel. Today it seems that free trade ony works if the USA gets the short stick and the other side gets the long. Take NAFTA, in exchange for free access to USA markets the Mexicans also unloaded millions of illegal immigrants into the USA. This is not free trade. In exchange, the American worker gained only stagnant wages. Not very fair.

tens of millions of them.

Tens of millions seems exagerrated.