Pynchon's optimism about WWII

[Paul Mackin]

On Thu, 28 Dec 1995, Burgess, John wrote:

> Boy, don't know how to thank you for THAT piece of holiday cheer! <G>

Yep, John, I guess World War I was _rilly_ senseless. You couldn't even be
properly paranoid about it. Could have also included what Wilfred Owen 
(historically himself in the alluded-to conversation of the novel) added to 
Billy's appraisal:

"I say we fight because men lost their bearings in the night."
		
				P.