WWII in GR

[Dave Monroe]

... at any rate, I'm curious as to why you, or anyone else, would ignore,
dismiss, would believe Pynchon ignores, dismisses, the "obvious," that link to
Nazism, the "link between Nazism and the postwar world," and so forth.
"Nazism hell"?  "It could all have been different," indeed.  Am reminded of
similar dilemmas in reading Philip K. Dick's The Man in the High Castle (a
friend asks if Dick perhaps asks the qusetion, who really won the war?).  But,
no, we really won't be able to come to any conclusions when it comes to
alternate histories, will we?  Difficult enough to come to conclusions, or
even consensus, when it comes to "actual" (with due respect to the way in
which 'history" is actualized by such "consensus") history.  But perhaps this
... "discussion"--well, okay, dispute, argument, even, at some times--is
inseparable from the ... historical and/or political (as if THOSE can be
separated ...) commitments of all concerned.  And perhaps even the text
"itself" renders the dilemma undecidable, perhaps it can as well "be argued
both ways."  Though I don't think anyone involved is arguing that, or will,
but ... but will take up Weissmann as well, still trying to get on to that
"grim phoenix" (and from what does a pheonix arise ...?) thing, but, again,
such diverse elements as: "holocaust," "resurrection," "deliberate," "Pluto"
(and any and all annotations so far have been very helpful indeed, thanks,
all, do take into consideration that Hades/death thing as well, perhaps in re:
that Orpheus Theater at the end of the novel, even ...), "victim," "vacuum"
(recall those low-pressure chamber tests on concentration camp prisoners,
perhaps ...), "weapons program," "politicking," "von Braun," "rocket,"
"Shicksal," anyone (else) hear any Heidegger in all this talk of "moving"
and/or "growing toward," say, "Shicksal," "destiny"?  Or, for that matter,
"moving toward," "growing toward," trope ... just some notes toward, is all
...

Paul Mackin wrote:

> Interesting that vBraun was clearly the big man technical director, the
> obvious and as it turned out actual historic choice for American postwar
> corporate elite-hood, but P chose Weissmann (or his spirit I guess) for that
> honor in the alternative history.

> To let vB stand for the link between Nazism and the postwar world is literal
> and obvious to people who want to believe it. However besides being trite
> it's also subject to logical refutation.

> it could have all been different. And there would still have been the same
> American Postward Corporate World in either or any case. Nazism hell. The
> point is, you can argue it both ways. A very unsatisfactory situation.

> But Weissmann. A totally weird and irrational fictional personality. There
> were the rocket programs on both sides of the Atlantic. Just come out and
> say they are joined at the hip via crazy Weissmann.  No one can object.