Proper Uganda-izing

[Sojourner]

Or: let the hurly burly world of propaganda hereby be debated!

At 02:16 PM 7/8/97 -0500, Jules Siegel wrote:

<SCENE MISSING -- ie stuff cut>

>Now extend this argument to the dope dealing scenes in Vineland and
>Gravity's Rainbow. I say that these are very damaging descriptions. They
>tend to validate the anti-drug propaganda and, in fact, present a picture
>that varies little from the official myth. The very fact that the author is
>revered as a kind of hipster makes the propaganda all the more potent. I
>think this is a very legitimate topic of discussion and I think that
>continuing to focus on what you very erroneously perceive to be my personal
>motives is just a smokescreen for avoiding looking at what I am really
>telling you.
>

Propaganda?

Since TRP has kept his personal self out of the media as much as possible,
the ONLY manner in which he attempts to express any views or opinions to
the public is through his books.


>From our dear buddy Webster:

Propaganda -- 

1. (R. C. Ch.) (a) A congregation of cardinals, established in 1622,
charged with the management of missions. (b)
The college of the Propaganda, instituted by Urban VIII. (1623-1644) to
educate priests for missions in all parts of
the world. 

2. Hence, any organization or plan for spreading a particular doctrine or a
system of principles. 

and

Propagate (Page: 1148)

Prop"a*gate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Propagated (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Propagating.] [L. propagatus, p.
p. of propagare to propagate, akin to propages, propago, a layer of a
plant, slip, shoot. See Pro-, and cf. Pact,
Prop, Prune, v. t.] 

2. To cause to spread to extend; to impel or continue forward in space; as,
to propagate sound or light. 

3. To spread from person to person; to extend the knowledge of; to
originate and spread; to carry from place to
place; to disseminate; as, to propagate a story or report; to propagate the
Christian religion. 


If this is the definition you are using, as opposed to the meaning used now
in reference to Hitler and Goebbels, where propaganda is the distribution
of political opinions or ideas which are one-sided or incomplete?  If you
mean the current "propaganda" ala Hitler, then TRP's works are the worst
effort at propaganda I've ever seen.  He isn't attempting to coalesce any
movements, ideas or power in any political forum whatsoever!  Characters in
a work of FICTION, of which he has never attempted in any way, shape or
form to associate them with his own beliefs, might have a view on drugs
which you consider one-sided or perhaps unified in their "anti-drug"
beliefs.  So?  This isn't propaganda.  There is no evidence whatsoever that
these are even his beliefs!  These are the words and actions of characters,
minor incidences where drug use is involved, not the theme of an entire
book (say, Burroughs for example).

As for TRP being a "hipster", and therefore his views are somehow more
"powerful" due to this association or inclusion in the "hipster" movement
or whatever, what a load of crap.  I never saw anywhere in any of his books
the words "For my hipster buddies" or "This one is so we never forget the
hipsters".  If SOME people want to call him a hipster, that's fine.  Some
people may not.  Some people may read his works and say "hmm, seems like
some of these characters don't agree with my position on illegal drugs."
Others may read the SAME works and say "Seems like he agrees with my
concensus that a little dope mellows you out."  

If this is propaganda of any kind, its the most poorly-written propaganda
ever.  No church missive, Nazi bulletin, WWII newsreel or 700 club
newsletter was ever this vague and compromising in its values.  

No, in essence, what you are saying is that you love drug dealers, you
lived with drug dealers, you spoke and acted like drug dealers, you found
them neighbors of the highest quality, and overall the best people in the
world, or at least, more "in touch" with the "real" world than the
semi-NY-Times-ignoramuses-who-bash-their-skulls-for-your-amusement.  If you
find the world a place which is here to "amuse" or "entertain" you, then I
recommend you continue consuming illegal drugs and associating with them
and living near them and protecting them from harm, abuse, propaganda,
ignorance, libel and even satirical aping by a recluse writer of messianic
proportions.

More Mex, less Tex.