Which comes first, politics or culture?

What about the colonists and those that exploit the natives. They put their people in power so they can continue exploiting and building their wealth.

GySgt Gary Cordeiro - Actually, the native Americans exploited the first colonists. Disease had wiped out many tribes and they were in fear of their neighbors. They enlisted the colonists to help them defend themselves. My point is that we are in the habit of always casting the natives in the role of victims. In the centuries prior to European exploration and conquest, the natives themselves had won their lands through conquest. In fact, there is not an inch of Earth's surface that remains in the hands of indigenous peoples. All was taken by conquest. Is any conquest less legitimate than those that preceded it?

Good point, your definition of exploitation seems to be the difference. Did the natives continue their exploitation and profited from their ventures? Was the disease brought in by the new “visitors “.as what befell Hawaii almost wiping out the natives.
I feel that the natives used the resource once, and paid them back fourfold.
There were wars, granted, however, the concept of war differs from our definition. It was like sibling rivalries, I pinch you, you punch me; not the I will take everything you cherish and wipe out your culture and place you in a penned area that you despise so we can further exploit what you once had. That is my definition of exploitation.

Corruption at every level in society does not provide a fair electoral system. Shameful anyone would actually think different. Voting matters for one real absolute right. To hold office in a PARTY POLITIC it is mandatory to VOTE. Dem or Gop. Same Rule applies. You cannot even be appointed to an elected position in either party if you did not VOTE in the recent General Election.

Let me expound a little further, we agree that the culture needs to exist. Solid on that. Laws are needed? I question that because there are tradition and religion that carries the culture through eternity. No laws are needed. Bear with me, colonialism and manifest destiny erased culture. THEN CAME THE NEED FOR LAWS TO KEEP MANIFEST. DESTINY MOVING FORWARD

Copy That Gunny!GySgt Gary Cordeiro

GySgt Gary Cordeiro - I think you are confusing two different topics. First we have a society, then we build a culture based on that society. The laws are passed that reflect the current culture and maintain order within the society. Colonialism was the culture that allowed the laws to be passed that allowed manifest destiny to occur. As our culture changes over time, the laws also change. Laws are needed to maintain order.

So where did tribal culture originate? Are you saying that they were of a society first and later decided to build a tribal culture. Then they adopted laws to make them nomadic, fishing or hunting based.
I agree colonialism was the tip of the spear of manifest destiny. Divide conquer, rob, rape, plunder a culture and take away everything that is of value to the society, then and only then they have culture?

Definitely Agree!