One of the things that Europeans brought to the Western Hemisphere, in addition to pillage and slavery and cultural destruction generally, was disease. Measles, mumps, influenza, gonorrhea, and other illnesses new to the indigenous peoples wiped out almost 80% of them, leaving the remnant totally unable to fight off the human invaders. It is strongly suspected that, in return, the Incas, Aztecs, and Native North Americas sent a gift back to Europe in return--syphilis. This "gift", in addition to the others the disease-ridden and hygienically challenged westerners carried, then was spread by the Europeans to the Polynesians and helped the white man conquer them by wiping out almost 90% of their people. Syphilis is once again on the rise; the Great Imitator is spread through careless sexual contact and thrives on ignorance and denial. In the end humanity has crafted many gifts for itself that just keep on giving....
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