this post was submitted on 08 Feb 2026
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Chapotraphouse

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[–] rootsbreadandmakka@hexbear.net 8 points 2 hours ago

My hypothesis: this might have something to do with the idea that Proto-Indo-Europeans invented the wheel*. The wheel was only invented once** so therefore “white people invented the wheel” is something believed by fascists. Wheel = round so this guy is somehow extending that to “white people invented round things.”

That or as someone said below he believes native Americans couldn’t cut things before Europeans showed up? but I somehow find that even more sad and absurd than my above hypothesis that I can’t even believe that.

*which I believe there is some debate about, but western Ukraine is one strong candidate for invention of the wheel, and one which white people will obviously grab on to.

**once in the “old world” and once in the “new world” but in the americas it was only ever used for toys and there’s no evidence of wheeled vehicles.

[–] Kefla@hexbear.net 14 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Fun fact, nobody knew things could be round until George Washington invented the wheel in 1996.

[–] Torenico@hexbear.net 6 points 3 hours ago

True, I still drive my old Toyota Corolla '86 with square wheels

[–] XiaCobolt@hexbear.net 18 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

I feel confused. Because it is a beautiful artifact of cultural heritage. But it's also not very round.

(Like you can make really round things with simple tools by using string and making the circumference of a circle)

[–] Hermes@hexbear.net 9 points 5 hours ago (1 children)

I think its ironic and he is making fun of white chauvinists, but since its the internet I have no way to know.

[–] Johnny_Arson@hexbear.net 10 points 5 hours ago

Based on his bio I don't think so.

[–] segfault11@hexbear.net 36 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago)

idk how to explain it but the fact that people like kkkarl aren't all that rare in burgerland anymore feels like a stronger indicator of the empire dying than even the material stuff like central banks dumping their USD reserves

i know racism has always been around but these latest iterations seem more "desperate" than in the past; it used to be "we're better than those people at things like medicine and rocket science" but now it's like, only white people are blessed enough to do checks notes astronomy, the oldest branch of science that pretty much everyone all over the world has been doing for centuries if not longer? what next, only white people are smart enough to build structures from wood and stone? lol

[–] radio_free_asgarthr@hexbear.net 29 points 8 hours ago (2 children)

My guess is he is assuming it was cut with a metal blade, which came from white people.

[–] stink@lemmygrad.ml 31 points 8 hours ago (3 children)

Obsidian is plenty sharp to cut into hide, no?

[–] Awoo@hexbear.net 17 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago)

A sharpened rock is sharp enough to cut hide. Flint and slate are very easy to make sharp knives from.

[–] radio_free_asgarthr@hexbear.net 12 points 7 hours ago

I am sure, I was just explaining my interpretation of this persons racism.

[–] purpleworm@hexbear.net 12 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago) (2 children)

I think obsidian is not good for cutting a shape like this because it's extremely brittle, though you are right that it's far sharper than would even be required.

I really don't know about this subject but from my limited experience, can't you also just make a superficially similar curved cut using a large number of straight cuts at increasing angles? Basically whittling. The edges of the map are pretty irregular, anyway.

[–] SerialExperimentsGay@hexbear.net 13 points 6 hours ago (1 children)

Before the 1800s, the Pawnee mostly used flint tools. Less sharp, but holds an edge better than obsidian. idk if they cut the leather for that map with flint or with a metal blade they traded in, but it seems kinda pointless when the objection is coming from a guy who, unlike pre-Colombian Pawnee, would be miserably trampled to death if he had to hunt bison with flint arrows and without a horse.

[–] Kefla@hexbear.net 7 points 4 hours ago

You could give this loser a gun and his choice of horse, car, or bike and he'd still probably get owned by the bison

[–] DasRav@hexbear.net 20 points 7 hours ago (2 children)

I don't get what the issue is. A flint knife will cut leather just fine.

[–] Johnny_Arson@hexbear.net 12 points 7 hours ago

Even funnier when "geologist" is in his bio lmao

[–] purpleworm@hexbear.net 7 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Would flint be effective for cutting long curves like this?

[–] DasRav@hexbear.net 13 points 7 hours ago

Flint is hella sharp, so I don't see why not. You don't necessarily need specialized tools to cut a circle, practice makes perfect and native americans had a lot of practice on that front.

[–] FlakesBongler@hexbear.net 35 points 8 hours ago (2 children)

smuglord how can you cut something without a metal kn—

[–] sharkfucker420@lemmy.ml 23 points 8 hours ago

Colonizers don't get the blade. They deserve the flat edge of the macuahuitl to the back of the head.

[–] purpleworm@hexbear.net 15 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago)

This is such a pathetic own. Like, let's assume they used tools from colonists to cut the map, so what? It's basically a decorative element here, and the substance of it being executed solely by indigenous people remains uncontested.