Human Interactions

[jbor]

----------
>From: Doug Millison <millison at online-journalist.com>

> Luddism = nihilism? I don't think so. I suggest _Rebels Against the
> Future_ by Pynchon's friend Kirkpatrick Sale as a starting point for
> deeper insight into the Luddite project.

As with everything there are degrees. Pynchon's article traces the history
of Luddism, and the use of the term, as it has variously applied to
"technophobic crazies" and "open eyed class war". The Unabomber was a
self-proclaimed Luddite, had a "Luddite project" in mind: one which verged
on -- more than verged on, was -- nihilism. For example. When Pynchon talks
of *Frankenstein* as a Luddite novel or King Kong as a "Luddite saint" we're
getting right into Blicero territory I think.

> Set aside
> all that he affirms -- that's quite a lot, in fact, beginning with
> the few elements I mentioned previously and which rj's deconstruction
> ignores

I'm not denying that his texts affirm certain things, but there is an
enormous distance between affirming nature and kindness to others and
"making clear and unambiguous moral judgements", which is the barrow being
pushed.

> it's safe to assume he creates
> different characters to make distinctions

and demonstrate congruences