Personal Paranoia

[Craig Clark]

Henry M asks:
 > Cute answer Craig; like it.  But I'm also serious. A-and I'm not 
 > talking about "conspiracy theories" here, or concerns over the 
 > invasion of one's privacy, or sensitivity to the not wholly voiced 
 > thoughts of other individuals. Does the complexity paranoia require a 
 > particular level of intelligence?  If so, I would expect P-readers to 
 > have a greater incidence of paranoia than the general population, let 
 > alone that P-readers, in particular GR-readers, are attracted to this 
 > work that is so famous for it. Did anyone ever ask Chrissie or Jules 
 > anything about it?
 
 > From personal adolescent experience, I can tell you that, while it is 
 > no cakewalk, paranoia does provide a logical framework and a certain 
 > pride.

I was diagnosed a little over ten years ago as suffering from acute 
depression with paranoid tendencies, so I can also give a serious 
answer to the question. Let me start by saying that I was principally 
attracted to TRP by his use of the paranoia/anti-paranoia dichotomy 
(and I think it's important to note that TRP uses both). Like Fausto 
Maijstral, I have long been deeply concerned that there is more 
coincidence to the world than I can admit to and stay (completely) 
sane. I'll whisk in my rather bizarre religious tendencies here 
(aluded to elsewhere on this list - go search the archives if you 
don't recall them), and say that I am deeply interested (and have 
been for years) in the idea that coincidences may be an attempt by 
some higher order of things to manifest or communicate... Give an 
impressionable 19-year old who thinks this way a copy of _The Crying 
of Lot 49_ to read, and you'll have a lifelong Pynchon fan...

But there's another level which Henry's maybe trying to exclude here, 
and which I think is a valid point for discussion. No, Henry, I don't for a moment 
think you're a jackbooted stormtrooper trying to stomp on freedom of 
expression.... ;-)  This is what I think of as a political paranoia. The kind that
worries about the fact that the Starbucks/Blockbuster Video/Debonair Pizza/
Steers Burger conglomerate is making its insidous way here into this corner of
the third world, whereas development aid isn't. The kind that is beginning to 
suspect that the "dumbing down" phenomenon may have to do with 
some foax sitting around a baize-covered table and saying "Look, if 
too many people start thinking too much they'll wonder why we have 
all the power and money and they have none." The kind that makes me 
wonder whether someone representing Big Business didn't lean on the 
Pulitzer judges and say "We don't like that book because it's hostile 
to what we are doing", or that makes me ask just why no-one's ever 
nominated Noam Chomsky for public office. And I'm quite serious about 
this one, foax - I think if you don't ask these questions, if you 
don't get paranoid about them, then you're missing out on a lot of 
what's happening (my favourite definition of coincidence, from John 
Brunner's _Stand on Zanzibar_: "You weren't paying enough attention 
to the rest of what's really going on"). And you're missing out, 
IMHO, on a lot of what TRP is about.

Which brings me to the current flamefest, my two South African cents 
worth (1 US dollar =  4 SA Rand, last time I looked). Though I don't 
agree with a lot of what he has said about other foax on this list, Steely
is one damn fine committed journo, and stands on the side of the line 
where I'd like to stand come the Big Showdown with the Brock Vonds of 
this world. But then so does Diana York Blaine. And Henry M. And 
David Casseres. And davemarc. And Murthy. And all the Chrises (hey, we've 
got a second Craig these days too!). And maybe if you ask the questions I've 
asked above, you may also want to ask yourself what we're doing making 
enemies of our potential allies... 

Craig Clark

"Living inside the system is like driving across
 the countryside in a bus driven by a maniac bent
 on suicide."
   - Thomas Pynchon, "Gravity's Rainbow"