Prosthetic Paradise(2) Enfetishment&MS

[Ron Meiners]

At 04:46 AM 12/1/99 -0800, Michael Perez wrote:
>Terrance wrote:
>"All empires are equal, does it follow from this statement
>(let's assume its true) that there is moral indeterminacy?
>What does Enzian say, 'Perhaps it's theatre, but they Seem
>no longer to be allies...' What does he mean? And what does
>it mean that he says or thinks this? GR.326"
>
>Immediately after the quoted passage we are given "though the history
>they have invented for themselves conditions us to *expect* 'postwar
>rivalries,' when in fact they may all be a giant cartel including
>winners and losers both, in an amiable agreement to share what is there
>to be shared."  In fact, we find along the way within the text and in
>the whole story behind some of the references in it, that this has
>indeed been going on all along.  Business is business and knows no
>boundaries.  Politically, there are rivalries.  There is much jockeying
>for Control of people and land in the zones and other places among the
>conquered territory.  This begins the pissing contest otherwise known
>as the Cold War, of course.  Now the good guys are bad guys to each
>other and can have a tug of war over the spoils.  Perhaps we can call
>it moral ambivalence or situational ethics, but tactics belie any real
>attempt at or concern with goodness.  Is this evil if it is the service
>of whichever side one is on?  

I may be misunderstanding, but my reading of this section is that the evil
is in "both" sides- or in the structure, which "They" have created and
exploit and maintain.  Thus, the revelation is that there is no real "good"
in the political struggle:  it is all a masquerade, or, more, a heinously
intricate plot to maintain dominance and control and even to further some
arcane pursuit or other.

The only side is that of the individual, and whatever loose groups get
formed between individuals... The only life is outside of the structure.

rm

PS apologies for my sporadic input- recent job constraints have made it
difficult to even keep up.  But kudos to all for the splendid thinking on
this intricate and fascinating work...