Conquistadors

The subtlety of this modern empire building puts the Roman centurions, the Spanish conquistadors, and the (...) European colonial powers to shame. Today we do not carry swords. We do not wear armor or clothes that set us apart. (...) It is how the system works. We seldom resort to anything illegal because the system itself is built on subterfuge, and the system is by definition legitimate.

Most of the Mayan books were destroyed by conquistadors in the 16th century.

The conquistadors cruelly enslaved the Incas.

The possibility that someday extraterrestrials would give us humans technology beyond ours would vastly accelerate progress, as if we were the Native Indians and they were the Conquistadors.