单选题 It can be inferred from the passage that the author views the European conquest of America as which of the following?

• (A) Unfortunate on the whole, but surprising in historical terms
• (B) Less disruptive in South America
• (C) Too ethically complex to be easily judged
• (D) Unexpected, given the history of similar conquests in Europe
• (E) Tragic but inevitable, given historical circumstances